Island · Co. Mayo
Achill Island
Achill is Ireland's largest western island, connected to the mainland since 1887. It features dramatic headlands, historic lighthouses, and a community that blends farming with tourism.
The mountain
Mweelrea rises on the Atlantic coast of County Mayo. It reaches 814 metres, which makes it the highest mountain in the province of Connacht. The peak overlooks Killary Harbour. It sits within a horseshoe-shaped massif that includes the peaks of Ben Lugmore and Ben Bury. Locals call the whole group the Mweelrea Mountains. The south-east face is a series of cliffed corries. The climb is worth it for the view. You see the harbour, the sea, and the long line of the Mayo coast from the top.
The walk
Most people approach from the Killorglin side. It’s a long climb out of the village. You head up over the open ground to the top. It takes a full day. The distance isn’t the only factor. The open ground and the weather matter just as much. The mountain is exposed. The weather on the top can be very different from the weather in the valley. In a storm, the corries and the ridge are closed country.
What makes it different
It is the highest point in the province. That sets it apart from the other western mountains. The view isn’t of the sea from a cliff. It’s of the whole coast from above it. You see the harbour below, the islands in it, and the line of the land to the north and south. It’s the kind of mountain you climb once and think about afterwards.
