Killadoon between the beach and wide-open views

Killadoon combines a beach, a reed bed and a hill with sweeping panoramic views. Alongside the coastal and natural landscape, historic beach competitions and a nearby clapper footbridge help define the area. When choosing a holiday apartment, you can consider whether Killadoon’s coast and nature should shape your stay, or whether destinations in the wider County Mayo should also play a part.

Coast, wetlands and wide-open views

Killadoon Beach stretches from Cross to Devlin. In addition to the beach, a reed bed provides a habitat for numerous wild animals and birds. Nearby is Cross Lough, a coastal area with a sandy beach, a shingle bank, wet grassland, marsh and freshwater marsh. Cross Lough (Killadoon) also includes a special area of conservation, selected for its habitats and species under the EU Habitats Directive.

Mute swans live at Cross Lough; whooper swans visit in winter. The birdlife therefore varies with the seasons. From the summit of 267-metre-high Killadoon Hill, you can enjoy a panoramic view of Mweelrea, the Sheeffry Hills, the Partry Mountains, Croagh Patrick, the Nephin Range, Achill, Clare Island, Inishturk and Inishbofin. The ascent at Aillemore Bray on the Killadoon Beach Loop also offers views of Croagh Patrick and Clare Island.

Local history and walking route information

Killadoon’s history includes summer competitions on the local beach. These included horse races, donkey races and egg-and-spoon races; the actual races later came to an end. Bunlahinch Clapper Footbridge is also a remarkable testament to Irish history. It lies near the villages of Killeen and Killadoon and is considered a unique and unusual monument to a shameful era.

A route description published on 26 September 2009 places the start and finish of a walk up Killadoon Hill at the Ocean Lodge Hotel in Killadoon. Before your visit, check local conditions before relying on these route details.

More travel ideas in County Mayo

In the wider destination of County Mayo, the National Museum of Ireland at Turlough Park offers a different focus. The museum runs workshops, talks and tours throughout the year. Objects, rare archival photographs and films convey Ireland’s rural past. The gardens are home to a diverse range of birds, flora and fauna and are designated a Green Heritage site. Mayo Local Link route 454 provides a daily bus service connecting the museum with Castlebar and Ballina.

The hiking options in County Mayo also differ considerably in how long they take. Croagh Patrick is 764 metres high and has been a pilgrimage destination since pre-Christian times. The main summit route starts in Murrisk on the Louisburgh Road (R335) and is 7 kilometres long, including the return journey. By contrast, the 59.9-kilometre Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail is a long-distance route that takes three days and links ancient monastic heritage with the mountain landscape of County Mayo and views of Clew Bay. A summit route and a multi-day hike thus offer two different ways to explore the area.

These contrasts can help you plan your stay: would you like Killadoon’s beach, wetlands and panoramic views to be the main focus, or would you also like to include the cultural and hiking destinations of the wider County Mayo? You can search for a holiday apartment based on the focus you want, without treating the different destinations as one and the same local offering.

Discover more destinations: Killala, Coogue, Dooagh, Ballina, Cong, Knock, Finny, Murrisk

Back to the wider travel overview: County Mayo.