Benwee head and "eire" head

An easy climb with Breathtaking views along the coast out to Stags of Broadhaven back across the Mullet. Accessed by taking signs for Portacloy and driving past the entrance to the beach and past old harbour. Park in new harbour and it is signposted for the track and stile up the hill. Cliffs are steep and dramatic at the edge. Also of note is the stone markings of EIRE beside the old shepherd hut. It is visible from the air and from further up the mountain. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/996/comment/4669/

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Benwee Head Loop.

As already stated Benwee Head has some of the most dramatic costal scenery in Ireland and with this in mind i decided to enjoy on a clear sunny day the joys of walking the 12.4km of the Benwee Head Loop Walk actually it is a little longer allowing for a visit to the army observation hut and the stone constructed EIRE marking.The trail head begins and ends in the village of Ceathru Thaidhg (A (F82074 41993)) and includes the harbour areas mentioned in previous comment continuing on to the summit. Fantastic views well worth the trip. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/996/comment/16044/

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A spectacular landscape

It's a seldom-visited area of County Mayo yet it boasts some of the most impressive coastal architecture in the entire country. After spending five years covering and exploring the landscape of the entire country, Robert Lloyd Praeger in his seminal book The Way That I Went (1937) called it the finest piece of cliff scenery in the country. It's just spectacular. Thousands of years of Atlantic erosion have created a series of sea stacks, sea arches and vertical cliff drops that have created a breathtaking landscape.

It's surprisingly well marked out, watch out for the Purple Arrows leading the way. If you wish to see the most dramatic parts you will have to veer slightly away from the main trail. There is a low-lying sheep fence running up the length of Benwee Head. The fence ends near summit area of Benwee Head overlooking Kid Island on your left. On a clear day, you can see both Sliabh Liag and Croaghaun in the far distance. The second highest and highest sea cliffs in Ireland. The trail heads back inland, but personally, I wouldn't do this. Turn right around and head back in the same direction to see this astounding scenery for the second time. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/996/comment/20085/

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Benwee Loop walk towards Portacloy.

The Loop walks here are well signposted, it's a great idea to go out onto each headland. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/996/comment/20020/

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Great coastal and inland views

There are fantastic views along the North Mayo coast, the Nephins, Belmullet and Achill. There is a waymarked trail (purple) from the car park beside Garvin's Shop and Post Office in Carrowteige (An Ceathrú Taidgh). This is a Gaeltacht area. We took the trail (arrows in reverse direction) as described in Paul Phelan's (2011) Connemara & Mayo Walking Guide, following the road as far as the Children of Lir Sculpture above the impressive An Priosiún cove, then headed up the slope, keeping a safe distance from the edge. There are great views as you ascend. We had good weather and great views. From the top you can look out on the Stags of Broadhaven and there are magnificent views in all directions. We descended from the top to Portacloy beach (Port an Chlóidh) for a refreshing swim. The trail continues back to Carrowteige by a side road and track. It took us 2.5 hours to walk the 9.2km from Carrowteige to Portacloy. For details see track 4722 https://mountainviews.ie/track/4722/ Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/996/comment/23645/

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