County Mayo: Wild Music and Kisses At Matt Malloys Pub,
Gorgeous Killary Harbor Fijord and Peaceful Achill Island (Chapter 4, July 2006 Trip)

Ah, County Mayo stirred my soul, away from the tourist crowds, in a lovely part of Ireland, and with Westport and Matt Malloys Pub, the temple of Irish music.

We left County Clare and drove the scenic route to Westport, County Mayo. We caught a tantalizing glimpse of wild, peaceful Connemara, and admired beautiful Killary Harbor, the only fijord in Ireland.

We based ourselves for 3 nights at The Boulevard Guesthouse in the tidy town of Westport. Westport is a charming and safe mid-sized town which attracts many Irish tourists and where you will see fewer Americans. Lots of fun uncrowded shops in Westport.

The Boulevard Guesthouse, Westport, County Mayo

At The Boulevard Guesthouse, you arrive a stranger, but you leave a friend. I am touched by Sadie's kindness...I mentioned at breakfast how much I was enjoying her Irish music, and how my fraternal grandmother emigrated from Ireland to America. When I checked out, Sadie presented me with a CD which included a song about a father's immigrant eyes...We played the CD in the car and that song brought tears to my eyes. Thank you, Sadie!

The Boulevard Guesthouse is a small b&b with 5 rooms right in town, within walking distance of Matt Malloys Pub and shops, yet it is on a stretch of road which is quiet at night. I am a light sleeper, yet I put in my earplugs, and I slept well all 3 nights in the blue room upstairs with a big bed, with a view of the street below and the river. This part of the street is called the "South Mall". This guesthouse has all the comforts of a moderately priced b&b, and it has warm service, with a fine Irish sense of humor, provided by Sadie, Noreen, and John.

It feels a bit like staying at your favorite Aunt's house...and the rules are the same...if you are nice to your auntie, she will pamper and spoil you. If you are planning to be crabby, Melissa5 requests that you please go and stay on the other end of town at the pricey Wyatt Hotel instead.

Noreen & Sadie fed us well at breakfast, and I grinned my socks off at their down-to-earth sense of humor. See http://www.boulevard-guesthouse.com .

How we loved being able to walk to Matt Malloys, shops, and to dinner!

Matt Malloys Pub:

Ah, Matt Malloys was our favorite puib in town all 3 nights in Westport! (My 2 fav pubs in all of Ireland were Matt Malloys in Westport and Greene's Pub in Ballyvaughan.)

Best music in town. Fiddle-dee-dee toe-tappin' knee-slappin' Irish music. Great musicians playing rousing and lively music. On our last night in Westport there were about 6 musicians, and one was a very young woman who was a virtuoso on the fiddle! These musicians played some of the same songs the legendary Chieftains play, and we thought they were outstanding!

One night in Matt Malloys a curly-haired local young man with a great voice spontaneously sang 2 folk songs/ballads. Met him on the street the next day and he said he's a local who doesn't sing when it gets crowded. (I was amazed...I can't imagine Matt Malloys being MORE crowded than it was!)

Matt Malloys also has Toucan, a beer made from the older Gunness recipe. You can't find Toucan in a lot of pubs. I like it even better than Guiness.

Matt Malloys has a front room and a back room. Check both rooms for music. In the back room one night we met an older man with no instruments who was singing his favorite Irish songs to a small group of people.

100 Kisses

It was just outside the back room at Matt Malloys that hubby received a kiss on the cheek from a Bride-To-Be whose task it was to collect kisses from 100 men before the evening was over...ah, the last night of single life! Hubby had gone outside without me to get a breath of fresh air. Keep track of your hubby, ladies!

It gets hot and sweaty in the merry pubs sometimes, but the music and craic is so enticing, you just have to order another cold Guiness or cold soft drink and stay for one more "chune".

Asgard Bar & Restaurant, the Quay Harbour, Westport

We enjoyed a nice lunch with good food at decent prices at the Asgard. It's a long walk from downtown Westport to the Quay Harbour, but it is walkable.

Loved my delicious grilled arctic char and was assured it was basically a "local" fish?! My daughter's fish and chips were great. (See Michele's book)

JJ O'Malley's for Dinner

I enjoyed lamb chops at JJ O'Malley's in downtown Westport for dinner. You need reservations on weekends.

Torrino's Italian Restaurant, Westport
A pleasant surprise was the excellent Torrino's Italian Restaurant hidden at No. 10 Market Lane, Middle Bridge St., Westport. Michele, I think you would like this one! We needed a break from potatoes and anything creamy. The pasta with a tomato-based sauce and fresh herbs was delicious and we had a gourmet appetizer. Funny thing was, a table full of Irish diners next to us was enjoying Italian meals, WITH potatoes of course!

Bee-Hive lunch, Achill Island, County Mayo
We enjoyed a tasty and inexpensive lunch at the Beehive (Irish handcrafts and coffee shop) at Keel, Achill Island, County Mayo. It is about a 40-minute drive from Westport to reach the beginning of the island...there is a causeway that you drive over.

Achill Island, County Mayo

Achill Island is a lovely day-trip in County Mayo from Westport, about a 40-minute drive from Westport to the beginning of the island. You drive over a causeway to the island.

Our favorite site on the island was Keem Beach, most beautiful beach we have ever seen. Gorgeous white sand, green hills at your back, rocky islands in the water peering out of the mist. WOW!

We also saw the Deserted Village near Doogort (or Dugort) on Achill Island. Although it was interesting, I now wish we had instead spent the time driving up to the highest points of Achill island for the views.

Chocolate Shop, Westport
There is a lovely chocolate shop in Westport...we found it on our walk from downtown Westport to the Westport Quay Harbour.

My daughters and I enjoyed capuccino and gourmet chocolates there. We chatted with a red-haired Irish woman who was well-travelled. She gave me a handful of blessed medals as she had visited Knock. (Where else but in Ireland would this happen?!) Religion was never mentioned. She just said the medals would keep us safe!

Goodbye Lovely County Mayo

I loved the peace and beauty of County Mayo, and the shopping and great music in Westport. County Mayo is blissfully uncrowded compared to the more-visited west and southwest of Ireland. I hope to return to Westport on my next trip.

There is fun and uncrowded shopping in charming Westport. Plenty of scenic drives nearby.

Next it was onto Northern Ireland for us. See upcoming Chapter 5.

-- Edited by Melissa5 at 15:35, 2006-07-28

-- Edited by Melissa5 at 15:37, 2006-07-28

-- Edited by Melissa5 at 15:38, 2006-07-28