Belmullet CGS

Address: Belmullet Coastguard Station, Claggan Island, Bunnahowen, Ballina, Co. Mayo, Ireland    Reservations: +353 (0) 87 6833985

Belmullet

Belmullet (Irish: Béal an Mhuirthead, meaning “mouth of the mullet”) is a coastal Gaeltacht town with a population of around 2,000 on the Mullet Peninsula in the barony of Erris, County Mayo, Ireland. Its name means the “mouth of the mullet”. It is the commercial and cultural centre for the barony of Erris, which has a population of almost 10,000 people.

Belmullet has two bays, Blacksod Bay and Broadhaven Bay, joined by Carter’s canal running through the town.

Although officially part of the Mayo, it is both an English- and Irish speaking town. The area plays host in summer months to students enrolled in local Irish language summer schools.

The area is popular for fishing, with both fresh-water and sea-angling off Broadhaven Bay. Watersports are also common, with surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing and sailing. This area of Erris was the setting for the Ulster Cycle legend of the Táin Bó Flidhais or the Mayo Táin.

Erris Arts Centre, located in Belmullet town 
In 2007, a new arts centre, Aras Inis Gluaire, opened in the town. Its mission was to become a leading bilingual arts centre in Ireland. As well as serving as the towns library and art gallery, the centre has a state of the art theatre, which has seen many accomplished artists perform in the town.

Belmullet Festivals

  • Feile Iorras – International Arts Festival held in the town for a period of about ten days each July. It was set up in 1996 by Mayo County Council Arts Office to promote understanding and integration between the people of Erris and communities throughout the world. The festival encompasses all forms of folk art from dancing to visual arts to music. 2010 dates are 16–26 July
  • Lá an Logha – 15 August each year sees the busiest time of the year in the town. This festival started off as a farmer’s market and a day for men to propose to their future wives and go parading around the town with her on this special day. Now, its a day when the streets are overflowing with market stalls and the pubs are kept extremely busy.
  • Féile na Seachtaine, another arts based festival follows Lá an Logha.The town’s annual Heritage Day is held during this time. Many people who have emigrated from Erris return to the area during the month of August to keep the pubs busy.
    Geesala Festival.There is a festival in Geesala part of which is the well-known Doolough Races. This festival is held in mid-August.