Enjoy a fun summer week in and around Westport, Ireland.
Journal by Biggi Hayes ~ Equitours riding consultant
The end of last May I was excited to be joining the Clew Bay Trail outside of the quaint town of Westport in Co Mayo, Ireland. A previous trip to check out a new outfitter in Northern Ireland in early March had left me quite chilly from a cold front moving through, so for this trip I packed more cold weather gear to be prepared. Instead we ended up with an early summer heat wave and I had to go shopping for a few cooler shirt options and summer dresses as well – who would have thought! Temperatures in the mid 70’s are quite warm in Ireland for humans and horses alike and we had to take it slower on the trail but by the end of the day, walking into town for dinner along the beautiful greenways we revelled in it. It felt like summer magic was in the air. And magical the week turned out to be for myself and my two fellow riders.
Refreshing lunch stop.
The first two days we explored inland trails, meandered down canopied lanes, skirted the base of Croagh Patrick – an important pilgrimage site in County Mayo, rode through flocks of sheep, saw more sheep, stone walls and remains of several stone cottages and enjoyed picnic lunch al fresco while the horses grazed. We could see the holy mountain’s ever towering presence and by the third day of it beckoning me I worked up the nerve to climb it after riding, with one of the other riders joining me. What an unforgettable experience and the views of Clew Bay are breathtaking.
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- Splashing across the creek
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- The horses enjoy cooling off as well at lunch time.
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- Riding through winding paths along the trail
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- The bridge at Westport
On this trip you ride for about 3-4 hours, which leaves plenty of time for evening adventures like this, as it stays light until almost 10 PM that time of year and it is an easy 10-15 min walk into town for dinners. At the end of the day the comfortable Lurgan Guesthouse provides a peaceful and tranquil environment and the owners Ena and Gerard share their Irish charm and wonderful hospitality with their guests and the breakfasts fortified us for the day ahead: both continental and cooked options were readily available every morning.
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- The Clock Tower of Westport – one of the hallmarks of the town
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- Great food is served in the local restaurants
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- Listening to traditional Irish Music in one of the many pubs of Westport
The following days we rode through peat bogs on country lanes, enjoyed lunch stops by babbling brooks, saw donkeys and more stonewalls with green fields pleasing the senses. The horses on the ride are surefooted, fun and a pleasure to ride. I quickly fell in love with the mare Maggie who I had ridden several years ago on my previous quick visit. Every morning the horses are trailered to the starting points of the ride and the riders are transferred by vehicle as well, with both the driver and guide regaling us with local stories and folklore throughout the week.
“It was simply a magical and carefree week of blue sky, sunshine and summer, making new friends and riding through green fields, crossing streams and cantering along the shores of the West Coast of Ireland. “Slán go fóill” as they say in Irish, goodbye for now. As always I can’t wait to return.”
After cantering on the beach on Thursday afternoon, we went into town in search of traditional Irish music and the music and atmosphere did not disappoint. On the last day we enjoyed more splashing through the waves and taking in a few more canters on the Wild Atlantic Way.