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NEWPORT |
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The road north out of Westport, bordered by bright fuchsia hedges,
follows the shore of Clew Bay eight miles to NEWPORT , a neat, trim
little eighteenth-century town unashamedly devoted to tourism and a
serviceable base for both the sea and the Nephin Beg Mountains.
Newport's main boast is that one of Grace Kelly's ancestors once lived
in nearby Drimurla. It's also a centre for sea angling; if you go in the
evening to the swanky Newport House Hotel , you'll see massive sea trout
- caught by guests earlier in the day - laid out for the less energetic
to admire.
About two miles outside Newport and signposted off the road to Achill is
Burrishoole Abbey , a Dominican priory in a peaceful setting, lapped by
the waters of the bay - at high tide you have to hop across a stepping
stone to get in. Founded in the fifteenth century by Richard Burke -
second husband of the pirate queen Grace O'Malley and unfortunately
nicknamed "Iron Dick" - who spent the last years of his life here. The
abbey has some cloisters still surviving and stands as a symbol of the
spread of religious life under the Normans. Another mile or so along the
Achill Road, the turning labelled "Carrickanowley Castle" brings you to
Rockfleet Castle , a perfect fifteenth- or sixteenth-century tower house
that stands with its feet in a quiet outlet of Clew Bay - you'll get
your feet wet stepping up to the door at high tide. An English attack on
it was quelled by Grace O'Malley, who subsequently lived here.
The tourist office is on Main St (tel 098/41822) and is open weekdays
from June to September. For upmarket accommodation in Newport, there's
the Newport House Hotel (tel 098/41222; £70-90/¬88.88-114.28). De Bille
House B&B on the main street (tel 098/41195; £33-40/¬41.90-50.79) is a
handsome stone building which offers generously sized rooms that are a
good option for families. The house is named after a Danish sea-captain
who was shipwrecked en route for the Danish West Indian Isles in 1782;
he and his crew were rescued, but subsequently died of a fever. You can
still see the house in which he was nursed in the back yard. There's
self-catering accommodation at Loch Morchan at Kilbride, just outside
Newport (tel 098/41221). Good, basic food is available from Kelly's
Kitchen on the main street and The Black Oak Inn across the bridge, but
for sumptuous dining the only place is Newport House (tel 098/41222)
which specializes in hearty five-course meals using mostly locally
caught fish. Drinking itself is best done at Cowley's Singing Lounge or
at the Angler's Rest , which also does traditional music and good food.
Five miles away, high among the powerful outlines of the Nephin Beg
Mountains - take the Achill Road and follow the signs - is the An Óige
hostel , Traenlaur Lodge at Lough Feeagh (closed Oct-Easter; tel
096/13272), a hefty climb but well worth it to stay in an unparalleled
location at the head of this upland lake - and a perfect base for
walking in the area ; a taxi up here from Newport will cost no more than
£5/¬6.35 (tel 087/220 2123). For horse riding and pony trekking the
contact is tel 098/36126; permits for fishing are available from the
Newport House Hotel .
The road northwest towards Achill runs, for the most part, too far
inland for the glories of Clew Bay to be visible; but it's always worth
making detours down the lanes that lead to the water's edge
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