One day in Mulranny

It’s amazing all you can do in just one day in Mulranny – and even more, if you decide to holiday in the Mayo seaside village.

Mulranny (Mallaranny) is at the heart of what can be best described as the Mayo Riviera – a beautiful south facing stretch of sheltered coastline along the northern side of Clew Bay.

We’ve enjoyed holidays in Mulranny on a couple of occasions and there’s rarely a summer when we don’t take at least one day trip to enjoy its many wonderful attractions.

So here are 5 inspiring reasons why you should visit Mulranny.

Walking

Sheltered by hills and woodland to its north, Mulranny has some of the most scenic walking trails in County Mayo with magnificent views of Clew Bay and towering Croagh Patrick on the opposite side of the bay.

You have a choice of two looped walks in Mulranny – The Causeway (6km, blue arrows) and the Cushlecka (9km, red arrows).  On this occasion, we will take the shorter trail. Both trails are part of the the Burrishoole Loop Walks.

It’s best to start from the Mulranny Park Hotel, the focal point of the village for holidaymakers.

Start your walk from Mulranny Causeway, located down the steps across the main road from the entrance to the hotel.

You follow the Causeway to the the beach and then follow trail signs which take you uphill through country lanes and heathered hills where you might see one of the famous Mulranny goats.

The trail brings you back to the main road and look out for the entrance to the woodland part of the trail, opposite Mulranny Church.

Of course, you can continue back to the hotel if you like – but you will be missing out on an inspiring walk through native Irish woodland of  towering Scots Pine, Hazel, Ash, and majestic Oak.

And to cap it all the panoramic views from Lookout Hill over Clew Bay will have you coming back to this lovely walk for years to come.

The trail brings you on to the path of the Great Western Greenway walking and cycling route that passes by the rear of the Mulranny Park Hotel where you can view the impressive remains of the old railway station.

The hotel, a  listed 19th-century building, has been beautifully restored and is well worth visiting even if you are not planning to stay in Mulranny.

Among the photographs on the walls in the bar are reminders of a famous visitor to the hotel in the 1960s.

It was here in the summer of 1967 when The Beatles, ‘All You Need is Love’, topped the US and UK charts that John Lennon and Yoko Ono stopped off on their way to see Dorinish island in Clew Bay that the songwriter purchased for £1,700.

Swimming

Mulranny’s Blue Flag sandy beach is perfect for a family day at the seaside. The sheltered beach is safe for swimming with lifeguards on duty during the summer months and there is plenty of car parking space, conveniently located beside the strand.

Like everywhere else in Mulranny, the beach views are magnificent and even better when floating on your back in the calm, crystal clear water.

Body Boarding

Mulranny’ second beach can be accessed by walking or driving through the grassy trail that brings you through Mulranny Golf Links.

This beach is great for body boarding when conditions are right which they usually are. Kids will love it and although swimming here is safe, take note that this beach does not have a lifeguard.

This long stretch of beach is also ideal for walking and if you have already walked from the causeway near the hotel, you will have worked up a good appetite.

Cycling

The opening of the Great Western Railway, which once linked Achill to Westport, helped make Mulranny a popular tourist destination in the early 20th century.

Now the disused railway line’s successor, The Great Western Waling, and Cycling Greenway, is giving Mulranny a new lease of life, attracting cycling and walking holidaymakers from all over the world.

The 42km Great Western Greenway, which is the longest off-road walking and cycling trail in Ireland, begins in Westport, but for most people, Newport is the starting point on their cycle, or walk, to Mulranny, and for some onwards to Achill.

Some of the local bike hire companies offer a drop and collection service at the Mulranny Park Hotel – so you have lots of options about how far you travel.

The Mulranny to Achill section of the Greenway is about 11km and it takes about 2 hours to cycle – again you have the option of cycling back to the Mulranny Park Hotel ‘stop’ or being collected by the bike hire firm minibus.

Old Railway Station House

The new Activity Services Centre in the restored Mulranny Station House, at the rear of the Mulranny Park Hotel, was officially opened by Michael Ring TD, Minister of State for Regional Economic Development, on 12th June 2017.

The new Activity Centre gives a new lease of life to the red-bricked building and will provide a range of services for users of the Greenway such as tourist information, bicycle rental, kayak and kitesurfing hire and essential services – toilets, showers, and storage areas.

The building will also provide office accommodation and a base for the Green Patrol as well as Rural Social Scheme and Tús participants who maintain the Greenway in partnership with Mayo County Council.

Funding for this project was provided by Failte Ireland and Mayo County Council and the renovations were carried out by Michael Duane Builders (Castlebar).

Food in Mulranny

No day out would be complete without treating yourself to a meal  –  and particularly one of the seafood dishes that are a specialty in Mulranny.

When it comes to dining out Mulranny has it all – whether your a gourmet in search of a delightful meal or someone looking for a tasty bar food treat.

Mulranny has two top class restaurants that I can highly recommend.

The Nephin Restaurant, and the Waterfront Bar, in The Mulranny Park Hotel, offer superb food served by the friendliest of staff.

Nevins Newfield Inn, in Tiernaur, on the N59 road between Newport and Mulranny, is a popular family-run bar and restaurant that is also worth visiting for the finest of home-cooked Mayo dishes .

So there it is: 5 things you can do in Mulranny in a day.

There’s so much more to do in Mulranny, of course, from fishing to boating, and kayaking to golfing.

Mulranny is another magical Mayo location right on our doorstep.