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145 people make their home here. Caher Island and
Inishturk are to be seen beyond the waves, on the
horizon.
An area of intense biological interest between 1909
and 1911, the Belfast naturalist Robert Lloyd Praeger
completed the “Clare Island Survey” here - one of the
first of it’s kind. With it’s wild and dramatic coastline,
this portion of Ireland is full of surprises.
“Belmullet lies on an absurdly narrow isthmus which
separates Broad Haven on the North from the much larger
and deeper bay of Blacksod on the South, and almost
makes an island of the Mullet. Blacksod Bay has low and
rather desolate shores on either side, but Broad Haven,
though more sterile is more attractive, as the Atlantic
waves, beating into it, have carved a boulder coastline,
which outside the bay becomes very grand....”
(from The Way That I went
by Robert Lloyd Praeger 1865-1953)
Seanfhocail (Old Saying)
Ní thóg an bás breab riamh.
Death never takes a bribe.
Tír Sáile (pronounced “Teer Saw- le”) Belmullet
Sculpture Trail
“In the poorest districts of Connemara the
This unique North Mayo sculpture trail is people live (...) by various industries, such as
Ireland’s largest public arts project. Featuring 14 fishing, turf-cutting, and kelp-making, which are
site -specific sculptures , the Trail was opened independent of their farms, and are so precarious
in 1993. You will discover engaging pieces on a that many families are only kept from pauperism
range of sites including sand dunes, a disused by the money that is sent home to them by
quarry and agricultural land. In honour of the daughters or sisters who are now servant-girls
great cultural heritage and legacy of this region, in New York. Here in the congested districts of
these pieces enhance the environment through Mayo the land is still utterly insufficient - help
creative imagination bringing the landscape and at least in small plots, as it is now - as a means
the past to life. Each of these sculptures are clearly of life, and the people get the more considerable
marked by road signs as you travel the route from part of their finds by their work on the English
Blacksod North to Ballina. or Scotch harvest. A few days ago a special
steamer went from Achill Island to Glasgow
it would be a world’s wonder perhaps, if it were on the with five hundred of these labourers, most of
Mediterranean or Baltic, English travellers would flock them girls and young boys. From Glasgow they
to it by hundreds, why not come and see it in Ireland!” spread through the country in small bands and
work together under a ganger, picking potatoes
Clare Island- Oileán Chliara or weeding turnips and sleeping for the most
part in barns and outhouses. Their wages vary
This is a mountainous island guarding the entrance from a shilling a day to perhaps double as much
to Clew Bay - once home to the famous Irish in places where there is more demand for their
pirate queen, Grace O’Malley (Gráinne Mhaol). Today work. The men go more often to the north of
England .” Synge pp 46/
215
Inishturk are to be seen beyond the waves, on the
horizon.
An area of intense biological interest between 1909
and 1911, the Belfast naturalist Robert Lloyd Praeger
completed the “Clare Island Survey” here - one of the
first of it’s kind. With it’s wild and dramatic coastline,
this portion of Ireland is full of surprises.
“Belmullet lies on an absurdly narrow isthmus which
separates Broad Haven on the North from the much larger
and deeper bay of Blacksod on the South, and almost
makes an island of the Mullet. Blacksod Bay has low and
rather desolate shores on either side, but Broad Haven,
though more sterile is more attractive, as the Atlantic
waves, beating into it, have carved a boulder coastline,
which outside the bay becomes very grand....”
(from The Way That I went
by Robert Lloyd Praeger 1865-1953)
Seanfhocail (Old Saying)
Ní thóg an bás breab riamh.
Death never takes a bribe.
Tír Sáile (pronounced “Teer Saw- le”) Belmullet
Sculpture Trail
“In the poorest districts of Connemara the
This unique North Mayo sculpture trail is people live (...) by various industries, such as
Ireland’s largest public arts project. Featuring 14 fishing, turf-cutting, and kelp-making, which are
site -specific sculptures , the Trail was opened independent of their farms, and are so precarious
in 1993. You will discover engaging pieces on a that many families are only kept from pauperism
range of sites including sand dunes, a disused by the money that is sent home to them by
quarry and agricultural land. In honour of the daughters or sisters who are now servant-girls
great cultural heritage and legacy of this region, in New York. Here in the congested districts of
these pieces enhance the environment through Mayo the land is still utterly insufficient - help
creative imagination bringing the landscape and at least in small plots, as it is now - as a means
the past to life. Each of these sculptures are clearly of life, and the people get the more considerable
marked by road signs as you travel the route from part of their finds by their work on the English
Blacksod North to Ballina. or Scotch harvest. A few days ago a special
steamer went from Achill Island to Glasgow
it would be a world’s wonder perhaps, if it were on the with five hundred of these labourers, most of
Mediterranean or Baltic, English travellers would flock them girls and young boys. From Glasgow they
to it by hundreds, why not come and see it in Ireland!” spread through the country in small bands and
work together under a ganger, picking potatoes
Clare Island- Oileán Chliara or weeding turnips and sleeping for the most
part in barns and outhouses. Their wages vary
This is a mountainous island guarding the entrance from a shilling a day to perhaps double as much
to Clew Bay - once home to the famous Irish in places where there is more demand for their
pirate queen, Grace O’Malley (Gráinne Mhaol). Today work. The men go more often to the north of
England .” Synge pp 46/
215
