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CASTLEBAR
Hollymount (8 ½ m., pub. ho.) consists of one street, short, wide, and tidy looking. After a few minutes stay we take the road to the right., cross the Robe, pass the demesne of Bloomfield, and 15 miles from Claremorris reach.
Ballinrobe (Valkenburg’s Hotel, very fair),a neat and rather sombre town of 2200 inhab. Close at hand, west of the main street, there is a pleasant walk along the river Robe, which flows hence into Lough Mask, and was at one time navigated up to this point.
The road from Ballinrobe to Cong is over a flat plain with the hills of Joyces’ country visible to the right, across Lough Mask. The highest of them (2207 ft.) is Maamtrasna, a name only too familiar in the records of agrarian crime. To the right, further awry, rises the graceful cone of Croagh Patrick.
Croagh Patrick
Capt. Boycott’s house (whence “Boycotting “) is near at hand on the right, but not seen. At the hamlet of Neele (4 m. from Ballinrobe), there is a pyramidal monument on the left of the road, and a little further we come broadside on to the wall that encloses the extensive demesne of Lord Ardilaun (Guinness). The road to the left and then right again round the wall leads to the pier, whence the steamer for Galway starts every morning; that to the right takes us direct into Cong. Just before entering the village we see on the right the Titanic ruins of the canal by which an abortive attempt was made to effect a navigable channel between Lough Corrib and Lough Mask (see p. 186).
For Cong, see p. 186
From Claremorris, across the Plains of Mayo, past Bella., 142 m. is utterly dull, but the country becomes a little wooded approaching Manulla Junction, 146 m.
Just beyond the junction we cross the Manulla River, and then have nothing to note until we reach Castlebar, 150 m., of which the Lunatic Asylum as well as the town are seen on the right from the line.
Castlebar (Hotel: Murtagh’s) is the capital of Co. Mayo, and rather a well-to-do town
Castlebar, Co. Mayo
of 4,000 inhabitants, on a small river connecting Castlebar Lough just W. of it with Lough Cullin. There is no fishing of much moment near at hand except for pike and perch (Lough Saleen, close to the station), and the only importance of the place for the tourist is that it offers the best accommodation within reach of Ballintober Abbey, about 8 miles to the south. This might be taken on the way to•Ballinrobe (18 m.,) and Cong (25 m.) by making a detour of 2 m. there and back.
Ballintober Abbey founded in 1216 by Cathol, king of Connaught, for Canons Regular, is a beautiful and extensive ruin. To reach it take the Ballinrobe road, which crosses the railway close to the station. Avoid diverging roads until through Ballyhean (5 m.). About 2 m. beyond that take the by-road on left, and in another mile or no you will reach the abbey. The ruin consist of the great cruciform church, which has a pointed nave and Transitional Norman choir. The central tower has fallen but its noble arches remain. Observe the groined roof of the choir and the beautiful mouldings of the b1ockcd-up E. . windows. On the S. of the choir is a chapel with an interesting altar-tomb and a fine doorway. On the S. of the nave are the domestic buildings.
Returning to the main-road we there turn to the left if bound for Ballinrobe or Cong. The road passes between Lough Cloon, right, and Lough Barra, left, and then through Partry and along the peninsula dividing Lough Carra from Lough Mask, crossing the connecting river at Keel Bridge, 25 m. from Castlebar and 3 from Ballinrobe (above), on the way to which we get a line view across Lough Mask, with its many islets, to the Mamturk range.
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