From a distance, the eerie shell of this wind-battered 1470-built Dominican abbey near the water is quite a sight. Leaving Newport in a northwest direction along the N59 towards Achill Island, a sign points the way to this stunning abbey, and from there it’s a further 1km to the car park.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Connemara National Park
28.5 MILES
Immediately southeast of Letterfrack, Connemara National Park spans 2000 dramatic hectares of bog, mountains, heath and woodlands.
Nearby County Mayo attractions
1. Carrigahowley Castle
2.26 MILES
Carrigahowley Castle (also called Rockfleet Castle), an intact 15th-century tower off the N59, is associated with 'pirate queen' Grace O'Malley. She…
2. Grace Kelly's Cottage
3.86 MILES
This tumble down, roofless ruin near Drumgoney Lough (Leg O' Mutton Lake) is the ancestral home of the late actress (and Princess of Monaco) Grace Kelly…
3. Clew Bay Heritage Centre
6.75 MILES
Set in a 19th-century stone building 2km west of town, this museum traces the history, customs and traditions of Westport and Clew Bay.
4. Westport House
6.92 MILES
Built in 1730 on the ruins of Grace O'Malley's 16th-century castle, this charming Georgian mansion 2km west of the centre retains much of its original…
5. Clock Tower
7.23 MILES
This 1947, art deco–style landmark stands in the centre of Westport, and is a popular meeting point for locals. It's notoriously inaccurate, and sometimes…
6. Mulranny
8.03 MILES
Rising from a narrow isthmus, the hillside village of Mulranny overlooks a wide Blue Flag beach on the road from Newport to Achill Sound and on the cusp…
7. Murrisk Abbey
8.55 MILES
Murrisk Abbey was founded by the O'Malleys in 1547. Its scant remains sit beside the shore; a path leads here from beside the National Famine Memorial.
8. National Famine Memorial
8.68 MILES
Opposite the car park on the far side of the road is the National Famine Memorial, a spine-chilling sculpture of a three-masted ghost ship wreathed in…