- “F?ágaim le huacht é go n-éiríonn mo chroí-se / Mar a éiríonn an ghaoth, nó mar a scaipeann an ceo / Nuair a smaoiním ar Cheara, nó ar Ghaileang taobh thíos de / Ar Sceathach an Mhíle, nó ar phlánaí Mhaigh Eo” — Anthony Raftery (Antoine Ó Reachtabhra, 1784–1835).
- “In the narrowing grave of the life of the father; / In the wide, wide cemetery of the boy’s childhood.”— Paul Durcan, “Going Home to Mayo, Winter, 1949”.
- “Where sand from the white strand and the burial ground / Blows in.” — Michael Longley.
- “I can almost see the sunlight bowing to the evening, on the green and red of Mayo.” – ˇ The Green and Red of Mayo” – The Saw Doctors:
- Perhaps no country of the world is so rich in materials for the painter; nowhere can he find more admirable subjects for his pencil, whether he studies the immense varieties of nature, or human character as infinitely varied. The artist by whom this district has not been visited, can indeed have no idea of its surpassing grandeur and sublimity;-go where he will he finds a picture; the lines of the mountains covered with heather; the rocks of innumerable shapes; the “passes,” rugged, but grand to a degree; the finest rivers, always rapid-salmon-leaps upon almost every one of them; the broadest and richest lakes, full of small islands, and at times clothed with luxuriant foliage along their sides; in fact, Nature nowhere presents such abundant and such extraordinary stores of wealth to the painter-and even now it has been very little resorted to. Add to this, that every person the artist will encounter, furnishes a striking and picturesque sketch; and as they are usually met in groups, scarcely one will be without this valuable accessary to the landscape. – Samuel Carter Hall and Anna Maria Hall, Ireland, its scenery and character (1841-43)
- County Mayo, which is sib to Connemara, offers an added dimension of coastal variety with St Patrick’s holy mountain south of Clew Bay as centrepiece. Within the confines of Mayo lies Ireland’s largest islandCork has its breeches polished from swinging over shop-counters; Kerry has its elbows patched from studying at the head of the kitchen table – Bryan MacMahon 1909-1998), Here’s Ireland (1971).
- “And it’s funny how time slips away, it’s nearly St. John’s Day, and I’ve finally got the money to bring you all to Mayo.” Sean Keane: “Kilkelly, Ireland”
- “Farewell to the town of Mayo, where I spent many a happy day.” – ˇ
- “Oh, the lovely hills of Mayo, where the heather grows so green.” – “Lovely Mayo” –
- “And I’ll dream of the, memories of Mayo, in the land of the setting sun.”– John Kelly, Memorie sof Mayo.
- “The scenery about Clew Bay is wild and beautiful, with mountains rising abruptly from the sea, and the town of Westport lying snugly at their feet.” William Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863):
- Lough Mask being much higher than Lough Corrib, the stream rushes in mighty cataracts far beneath the surface of the earth, which occasionally sends up a dismal melancholy sound, keeping alive the embers of decaying superstition. Here and there the land has fallen in, exhibiting the wild rush of waters far underneath. – Samuel Carter Hall and Anna Maria Hall, Ireland, its scenery and character (1841-43)
- Few but sportsmen and poor-law officials know much about Erris. – Harriet Martineau, Letter from Ireland, 1852
- “The flowers of Mayo shine and sigh upon the shores of a tranquil Clew bay, Oh how I wish I could have stayed forever in that magnificent summer’s day.” —”‘The Flowers of Mayo'”.
- “I’d love to be with them tonight in Mayo, / In Louisburgh, the place of my birth.”— Sean T. Morahan, “Louisburgh in County Mayo”.
- “The gorse was in bloom, the fuchsia hedges were already budding; wild green hills, mounds of peat; yes, Ireland is green, very green toward County Mayo – and Moss is the plant of resignation, of forsakenenness.”
- “On the deck of Patrick Lynch’s boat / I sat in woeful plight, / Through my sighing all the weary day, / and weeping all the night.” –”The County of Mayo” attributed to Anthony Raftery
- Croagh Patrick is the highest-seen with its peaked top in the clouds. Midway is the broad bay, dotted with islands. We stand above a terrific precipice the rocky strand beneath us, although at a considerable distance off, seems so immediately under our feet, that a stone thrown from the summit by a child’s hand may reach the ocean-and so indeed it will, but not at a single bound; it goes rushing and plunging down the steep, leaping over every opposing barrier, now and then springing upwards many feet into the air, and at length, when nearly out of sight, surmounting its last obstruction, and plunging in among the breakers, the white foam of which dashes against the sides of the huge precipice below. – Samuel Carter Hall and Anna Maria Hall, Ireland, its scenery and character (1841-43)
- “Till I find myself back in the County Mayo. / I swear that my heart swells / Like the wind and the mist rises…” — Anthony Raftery (Antoine Ó Reachtabhra, 1784–1835).
- “I am Raftery the poet Full of hope and love, With eyes that have no light, With silence unmoved. Going west on my journey By the light of my heart, Feeble and tired To the end of my road. — Anthony Raftery (Antoine Ó Reachtabhra, 1784–1835).
- “The gorse was in bloom, the fuchsia hedges were already budding; wild green hills, mounds of peat; yes, Ireland is green, very green, but its green is not only the green of meadows, it is the green of moss – certainly here, beyond Roscommon, toward County Mayo – and Moss is the plant of resignation, of forsakenness. The country is forsaken, it is being slowly but steadily depopulated.” — Heinrich Böll (1917–1985)).
- “Whenever the name of County Mayo is spoken (whether in praise, blame, or non-committally), as soon as the word Mayo is spoken, the Irish add: ‘God help us!’ It sounds like the response in a litany: ‘Lord, have mercy upon us!'” — Heinrich Böll (1917–1985).
- The scenery becomes still wilder; and we enter upon a tract of country thronging with lakes in the midst of extensive bogs, formed by innumerable streams that rush into the valleys from the adjacent mountains. It is impossible to convey to those who can appreciate the grace and beauty of ” naked Nature,” an idea of the many and powerful fascinations that meet the eye at every step; each turn of the road brings in view some striking object near or distant-the shadowy but picturesque outlines of the far-off hills, the foaming cataracts near at hand, and the white threads, as it were, that mark their progress down the amphitheatre of hills, which seem actually to render the valley impassable, and now and then to permit no other egress but by the ocean. Not the least of the many attractions of the scenery consists in the countless hues cast upon the landscape by either the rising, the mid-day, or the setting sun, shining upon the rocks covered with heath and wild flowers, and the thin herbage, ” ever-green. – Samuel Carter Hall and Anna Maria Hall, Ireland, its scenery and character (1841-43)
- “The hills of Mayo don’t just rise—they challenge you to keep up, then laugh when you don’t.” — Social media..
- “The Quiet Man was filmed in Mayo—because even Hollywood knew real drama needs rain, romance, and a good row.” — Social media.
Famous quotes from Ireland’s counties
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
Musicians
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
Novelists
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
Poets
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
Writers
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
County Mayo:
Ireland’s county Mayo offers dramatic scenery and ancient heritage, with the Cliffs of Moher’s rugged beauty and Croagh Patrick’s pilgrimage trail providing stunning vistas. The town of Westport features Georgian architecture and access to Clew Bay’s islands, while the Ceide Fields showcase a prehistoric farming landscape. Other attractions include the celebrity beaches of Achill Island. Mayo is Ireland’s third largest county by size (5,398 square km) and 18th largest by population (137,970). Population peaked at 388,887 in 1841 and reached its lowest point, 109,525 in 1971. In terms of hospitality, Mayo is Ireland’s tenth most visited tourist county with around 218,000 international visitors per year.
Introduction – Adventure – Anthem – Archaeology – Attractions – Awards – Birdwatching – Camping – Castles – Churches – Contact list – Cycling – Dining – Equestrian – Festivals – Fishing – Folklore – Gardens – Golf – Graveyards – Happening – Haunted – Highest – Hiking – History – Holy Wells – Hotels – Hotels top 8 – Hunting & shooting – Instagrammable – Itineraries – Largest town – Luxury – MICE – Movies – Music – Name – New – Novelists – Off the beaten track – Poets – Pubs – Quotes – Random Facts – Restaurant Awards – Sacred Places – Saints – Songs – Spas – Sports – Sunsets – Sustainable – Things to do – Towns – Video – Villages – Walking – Wanderlist – Weddings – Wild swimming – Writers – 1837 – 1846 – 1852 – 1909 – 1955 – 1980 –
