Trá Mór may not be as spectacular as some of the beaches out in the wilds of Connemera, but it is an attractive, well looked after beach with decent facilities.
This is a nice stretch of sand which is well sheltered. The water is clear and gets deep gradually. As you swim you have great views across to the Burren in Clare
Lifeguards are on duty during the summer months.
Trá Mór has good car parking and toilets. The beach is buggy and wheelchair accessible – well done Galway County Council.
From Galway you take the R336 coast road. The beach is a few kilometres beyond Spiddal and is signposted left (with a very small signpost). Before you come to Trà Mor there is also a signpost for Trà Sailin which is a much smaller beach, but may suit those who like it quiet.
Trà Gheall is out of the way, secluded and attractive. This is a small beach set below the cliff path and surrounded by a small cliff face.
We wondered about including this beach as there are strong currents, but there is no Council warning sign and people might presume its ok. So before you swim here be warned that you need to be very careful and should stay very close to shore. You can be out of your depth in a few strokes
While the beach is exposed there is shelter at the back beneath the cliff face. The sand here is soft and clean.
Access to the beach is down a steep, grassy path and is not accessible for buggies or wheelchairs.
Turn left at the ferry pier and follow the road until it runs out and becomes a grassy track. You then cross two stiles and after the second one you will see the beach on your left and the track down to it. Descend carefully and slowly.
The beach at Spiddal Pier is sandier, quieter and altogether more attractive than its busier neighbour ‘downtown’.
Located just at the harbour the water looks very clear and has good depth to it. The harbour gives good shelter so it’s calm here and good for swimming .
Right at the end of the pier the more adventurous young people jump into the water below – not for the faint hearted.
Lifeguards are on duty during the summer months.
Blue Flag beach 2012
Access onto the beach is via a rough slipway, which is ok for buggies and possibly manageable for wheelchairs. There is a limited amount of car parking.
From Galway take the R336 coast road which will bring you to Spiddal. You then go through the town and watch out for a left turn signposted ‘Trà’ which will bring you to the harbour
If you are trying to find Keem Beach it’s fairly straightforward – just get on the R319 from Mulrany and drive to the end of the road, literally.
Keem is at the very end of Achill island, tucked away in a lovely location at the foot of the surrounding mountains. In our view this is a much nicer beach and a better place to swim than its ‘big brother’ in Keel.
The beach itself is small but sheltered. There is a steep gradient into the water which is good for swimmers but be careful with children. The water itself is clear and inviting.
There is good carparking space and toilet facilities which were clean and well maintained when we visited.
Lifeguards are on duty in the summer and there are also a couple of picnic tables
Access to the beach from the car park is via a rough and steep path which is just about ok for buggies but not suitable for wheelchairs.
Keem is a really nice spot and in our view the nicest beach in Achill.
Mulrany would not be in our top five of beaches in Mayo but it is certainly worth a visit and is a handy location for those who don’t want to face into the trip out into ‘darkest’ Achill.
The beach itself is fairly small and disappears altogether when the tide comes in. So check your timing if you are going there with your buckets and spades.
It is backed onto by rocks but it can be exposed and a bit windy. Having said that the water here is clear and you don’t have to wade out too far to be in your depth, and the views across Clew Bay to Croagh Patrick can be very impressive
Lifeguards are on duty in the summer.
Blue Flag beach .
There is a reasonably good amount of car parking and small but clean toilets. There are also a couple of picnic tables near to the beach entrance
From the car park there is a rough ramp type path which leads to the beach, so it appears accessible for buggies and wheelchairs.
From Castlebar you take the R 311 to Newport; from Westport it’s the N 59 to Newport. From Newport it’s the N 59 all the way to Mulrany. You then go through the village and you will see a signposted left turn for the ‘Trá’.
Alternatively in the village itself, opposite the hotel, there is a footpath across the causeway down to the beach. This is a left over from the days when the hotel was at the end of the railway line and was a traditional holiday spot. It’s good to see the hotel open again after being derelict for a number of years .
