Blacksod Bay and the Mullet Peninsula: how to plan a day
The Mullet Peninsula runs thirty kilometres into the Atlantic, with sheltered Blacksod Bay on one side and raw ocean on the other. From the D-Day lighthouse to the Inishkea Islands, here is how to plan a day out on the Mullet.
A long arm of land in the Atlantic
The Mullet Peninsula is the part of Erris that reaches furthest out to sea, a low spit of land running roughly thirty kilometres south from Belmullet. The shape of it defines the day: Blacksod Bay on the eastern side is sheltered and exceptionally clear, while the western shore takes the full weight of the open Atlantic. That contrast means there is almost always a calm beach and a wild headland within a few minutes of each other.
Belmullet town is the gateway. It sits on the narrow neck where the peninsula meets the mainland, wrapped in water on three sides, with Carter's Canal cut through the middle of it linking Broadhaven and Blacksod bays. From here the R313 and the smaller peninsula roads take you south.
Blacksod at the southern tip
The obvious destination is Blacksod, at the very end of the road. Here stands Blacksod Lighthouse, a rare square lighthouse first lit in 1866, and one of the most historically important buildings in the west. In June 1944 the weather observations made here by lighthouse keeper Ted Sweeney and Maureen Flavin reached Allied command, and on the strength of a rising barometer at Blacksod, Eisenhower delayed the D-Day landings by 24 hours, a decision widely credited with the success of the invasion. Maureen Sweeney was honoured by the United States for her part; she died in 2023 at the age of 100.
The bay itself is sheltered and clear, and the pier at Blacksod is the departure point for boat trips to the islands.
Out to the Inishkea Islands
From Blacksod pier, Belmullet Boat Charters run trips to the Inishkea Islands, run by the Lavelle family who have been crossing to the islands since 1851. The Inishkeas were abandoned in the 1930s and are now home to seabirds, grey seals, silver strands, machair grassland and the ruins of the old village and early Christian remains. There is also a wildlife sea safari around the islands and the seal colony at Duvillaun, with the chance of dolphins along the way. Boats run in the summer season and you need to book ahead; this is a half-day or full-day commitment, not a drop-in.
The wild western shore
Heading back up the western side of the peninsula, Doonamo Point is the standout. It is a Wild Atlantic Way discovery point with a promontory fort built around an even earlier ring fort, and beside it one of Ireland's great blowholes, where the sea drives up through the rock. The views take in the Inishkea Islands offshore. As with all of these clifftop spots, the ground is unfenced, so mind your footing.
Further north, Annagh Head and Termoncarragh are worth a stop for anyone interested in birds and geology. The rocks at Annagh Head are among the oldest on mainland Ireland, and the BirdWatch Ireland reserve at Termoncarragh Lake is one of the best birding sites in the northwest, important for wintering whooper swans and geese and for breeding corncrakes in the summer meadows.
Beaches and the water
For a swim or a family afternoon, Elly Bay on the sheltered Blacksod side is the default. It is a Blue Flag beach, a long curve of pale sand on calm clear water about 9km south of Belmullet, good for swimming, sailing and surfing and usable when the Atlantic side is too rough. If you want to get properly on the water, Wavesweeper Sea Adventures, run from the Western Strands in Belmullet, take beginners and families out surfing, kayaking, coasteering, snorkelling and paddleboarding around the peninsula. Closer to town, the man-made tidal pool on Shore Road is a gentler option for a sea dip.
A workable plan for a day
A satisfying full day runs roughly like this: start with the Erris Head Loop in the morning while you are fresh; drive south down the peninsula, stopping at Doonamo Point; carry on to Blacksod for the lighthouse and, if you have booked it, the Inishkea boat; and finish with a swim at Elly Bay or a meal back in Belmullet. If you would rather slow down, drop the boat trip and simply work your way down the peninsula, swapping headlands for beaches as the wind dictates.
Whatever you choose, keep an eye on the weather and an eye on fuel; the Mullet is remote, services thin out beyond Belmullet, and a clear day here is a thing worth chasing.
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