Discovering the North Mayo Sculpture Trail
The North Mayo Sculpture Trail (Tír Sáile) was established in 1993 and was the largest public art trail (and perhaps still is) in Ireland. It was set up to celebrate ‘Mayo 5000’ and the project set out to explore several topics including the role of art in the making of place and in the making of community. The same year the Céide Fields were opened to the public. At the start there were 14 site specific sculptures all along the North Mayo coastline. As these were all made using natural materials some have disappeared over time, either worn away or were removed. In 2018 twenty five years after Tir Sáile was launched, remedial work was carried out at some locations and new signage installed. So there are still a large number of sites very much worth seeking out. The trail was originally set up to form linkages between the Moy Estuary through the Barony of Erris ending at the southern tip of the Mullet Peninsula. While travelling along the trail you will encounter some beautiful and spectacular landscapes.
Deirbhiles Twist – Stone circle made from local granite stones in form of a twist
In 2017 Mayo County Council with Áras Inis Gluaire (Erris Arts Centre) commissioned 3 public art residency projects in Erris. The artists chosen included Gareth Kennedy, Noah Rose, Selma Makela and Joanna Hopkins. Again, some of these were not permanent installations. This particular project created an opportunity to re-visit the original trail sites with new artistic approaches to contemporary public art practice.
A few sites worth noting along the Sculpture Trail are, Tearmann na Gaoithe, Caochain, Acknowledgement, Stratified Sheep and Deirbhle’s Twist. To reach these a form of transport is required but on arrival the visit can be enjoyed on foot.
Tearmann na Gaoithe: A sculpture on a headland jutting into the ocean. Right is Killala Bay and on the left Lacken Bay. The artist has accomplished a really site specific piece composed of sandstone slabs, which the stone in the cliffs is made of. It is a cell made up of these locally sourced slabs inside a ring of flush – laid stones. A place for meditation and sanctuary.
Caochain: This work of art, which is 100 metres long, takes its name from a nearby townland and is located in a remote area of the coast called Carrow Teigue (Cathru Thaidhg), part of the North Mayo Gaeltacht. The artist used earth and local stone in its construction.
Acknowledgement: To view this sculpture you need to visit Claggan Island, on the north eastern corner of Blacksod Bay, just 14km from Belmullet. It is made of earth and gneiss stone bisected by a narrow curved passageway, bringing you through the sculpture, into the earth, emerging to greet the vastness of the surrounding sea.
Stratified Sheep: is located at the Ballinaboy Visitor’s Farm along the Ballycastle to Belmullet road and was established to celebrate the long tradition of sheep farming in the marshy terrain of this region. The Statified Sheep was constructed with Lacken sandstone and local granite.
Deirbhle’s Twist: This sculpture can be located on a hilltop overlooking Blacksod pier, in the townland of Fallmore (12km from Belmullet). It was constructed by raising the existing granite boulders on site, placing them in an ascending spiral. The artist took the theme from the story of Saint Deirbhle.
A good starting point for a tour would probably be at the Exhibition Site 3 km north of Ballina, on the road to Killala. This site was designed specially to facilitate the work of guest sculptors. Two hundred trees were planted as a backdrop to the exhibition space. The space was dedicated in memory of a former member of the area selection panel for the trail, Joy Reilly. The space has been designed to host outdoor large scale works for periods of up to a year.
Spirit of Place
A separate project ‘Spirit of Place’ has been developing over the years and was realised in 2002. It’s part of a large scale programme taking place worldwide. It was conceived and developed by Travis Price an architectural professor in Washington DC with the idea of working hand in hand with ecology, mythology and restoring the spirit of peace to modern design. The North Mayo part of these projects has been constructed with the help of Architectural students from the Catholic University of America, plus local crafts people.
Celebrating a half century at Aillwee Cave
Situated in the heart of the Burren in North Clare the Ailene Burren Experience this year is celebrating its Golden anniversary and there will be special promotions and activities taking place throughout 2026.
The Aillwee Cave has been a family run business for three generations and has welcomed some 7 million visitors since 1976. It has been sympathetically developed five times during that period. Visitors take part in an immersive round trip of 850 metres through the Aillwee mountain. At its deepest point there are 90 metres of limestone overhead.
The first event took place last month, ‘Be a Tourist in your own County’, in collaboration with Visit Clare. Next up will be two field trips hosted by the cave as part of the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark Academy Weekend. It will also celebrate the contribution of Prof. David Drew researching the fields of hydrology, caving and Karst in the Burren. In the early years the cave became so popular that an award-winning cave access building was designed by Polish architects Andrezj & Danuta Wejchert which blended in with the Burren Karst landscape to house shops, toilets, catering outlets and rest areas. It was completed in 1980.
Awards galore for Burren Gold Cheese
Five years later another creative innovation was introduced with the development of the Burren Gold Cheese factory and Farm Shop. So, for over forty years cow’s milk from the same dairy herd, grazing just 6km away, has been used to annually produce 12 tonnes of traditional farmhouse cheese, Burren Gold Gouda.
In 2008 the Birds of Prey Centre opened. It is the home to the largest collection of native and non-native raptor species along the West Coast. Visitors can admire and spend time with birds of prey, learn about the art of falconry with interactive flying displays and bespoke one to one hawk walks. For 2026 the Centre has been upgraded with six new aviaries for the raptor residents.
Speaking to Senior Times Nuala Mulqueeney the Managing Director told me that while she watches what is currently happening across the Globe, she realises that celebrating 50 years of Fáilte at Aillwee is something that is more important than ever. “Over 3 generations our families continue to welcome in excess of 7 million visitors and three thousand team members in more or less the same way during 2026 as in 1976. Yes our experiences have expanded and innovated, but our welcome is the same – friendly, full of pride and always ready to share our place and its people, adding “If you do decide to visit, Fáilte mór duit go Aillwee”.
Upcoming happenings and events
Galway, City of the Tribes
This city is really buzzing during the summer months with many events and festivals to choose between including:
Bealtaine Festival 1st – 31st May. A nationwide celebration of the arrival of summer, plus arts and ageing, now in its 31st year. It is funded by the Arts Council and the HSE. Galway is set to host a brand new event ‘Fleadh na Bealtaine’ a traditional Irish music and cultural festival.
Galway Folk Festival – 3-7th June will be held at 9 venues throughout the city. Featured artists include The Divine Comedy, Richard Thompson, Damien Dempsey and Lisa O’Neill.
The Twelve Hotel, Barna Village
Bring pooch along!
The city and the surrounding area offer overnight accommodation where dogs are welcome with their owners.
The Twelve Hotel Barna Village, Galway is a 4* Boutique hotel, considered to be Ireland’s most pet friendly hotel. It has a ‘Pampered Pet’ programme plus three exclusive pet suites (recommended to book well in advance).
The 4* Ardilaun Hotel in Taylor’s Hill charges just fifteen euros per night extra for a pet friendly room.
If you fancy a pint where pooch can go as well then check out the Salt House Pub, 4 Raven Terrace, known for their craft beer selection, or perhaps visit The Oslo at Upper Salthill, a coastal seaside resort 3km from the city.
More events..
On Arranmore Island off the West Coast of Donegal a Walking Festival will be held from 22nd – 24th May, with guided walks and a ‘Leave No Trace’ workshop.
In County Clare the Doolin Folk Festival is expected to take place from 12th 14th June (to be confirmed). It’s held in Hotel Doolin plus surrounding intimate spaces.
An event to note in Donegal is the Earagail Arts Festival which runs from the 11th – 25th July. Fifteen days of music, theatre, visual arts, literature, etc, etc.
Useful websites
