Detail from Carrowbeg river that flows through Westport, Co. Mayo.
It is easy to feel spoiled, living in Galway. Proximity to the sea, small in size, and lots of great restaurants and pubs are just some of the benefits of living here. But there are other great places in the west of Ireland, and I was reminded of this fact when I visited Westport in Co. Mayo last month. It is a beautiful town, and regularly features in the finalists (and winners ) of the Irish Tidy Towns competition. It also has some great places to eat – I managed to include a super dinner in Port Mór, preceded by some pints of creamy dessert in Matt Molloy’s. Westport is surround by great landscapes, from Clew Bay, Croagh Patrick and the greenway cyclepath out to Achill. However, you don’t have to leave the town to enjoy the scenery – there is a lovely walkway alongside the river that runs through the town, and it looked even more wonderful in autumn colours.