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Heritage Places To See In Ireland-
Moore Hall in County Mayo

We think Moore Hall is one of the best and most moving heritage places to see in Ireland. A lot of history is tied up with this estate.  And it all came to a rather sad end.

Significance

For starters, Moore Hall was one of the best big houses in the West, a building of architectural significance which was beautifully decorated. It was also a big house with an unusual history which was built by a Catholic family. The Moore family produced some rather outstanding members, one of whom was to become the first president of an Irish republic in 1798, another was a great writer and novelist, and two more were humanitarians. Sadly however, the building was burned down by anti-treaty IRA forces in the throws of the Civil War on February 1st 1923. With the burning of Moore Hall, an important precious library was lost as well as a building which in itself was of cultural merit.

One of the best heritage places to see in Ireland- inside the ruin of Moore Hall in County Mayo

Moore Hall has never been reconstructed. It is now part of a recreational area owned by Cóillte.

I felt very sad visiting Moore Hall, being aware of its' history and all that has been lost here in the fire.

Essentially, when you visit, you become a witness to the results of cultural vandalism in the name of politics. That, too, has been part of Irish history, sadly.

Servant's tunnels at Moore Hall, one of the best heritage places to see in Ireland.

What Is There To See?

The ruin of Moore Hall is a great place to visit for a forest walk and an exploration of the ruin. There is a lovely looped walk around the woods. Don’t forget to explore what is left of the huge walled garden which had been set up to make the estate self sufficient.

Directions

Moorehall is located 11 kilometres north of Ballinrobe. One could get there directly by leaving Ballinrobe on the L1607 but Moore Hall is not signposted from here and one could get hopelessly lost.

The forested park surrounding Moore Hall.

The place is probably easiest to find by following signs from the main Galway to Castlebar road (N84) on the Galway side of the village of Ballyhean.

Pass Ballintober Abbey on your right and follow the signs for Moore Hall. When you come to a T junction take a right. At the village of Knocknacureen take a right once again following the sign for Moore Hall.

After two kilometres look out for a fork in the road, and take a right here. There is a sign for a nearby abbey at this point, but not for Moore Hall. Follow the sign for the abbey. The road will bring you to the car park of the recreational area which is directly on the shores of Lough Carra.

The trip takes 1.5 hours from Galway City, and 30 minutes from Castlebar.

Our Opinion

Moore Hall is one of the most attractive Irish heritage sites we have been to. Beautiful setting, nice walk, a lot to explore.

One of the best places to see in Ireland, a hands on history lesson comprising all the different stages, the big house, the famine, the nationalist movement, the Celtic revival, and the Civil War. A beautiful place to bring kids and let them run wild in the woods.

Prices And Facilities

And the good news is that a visit to one of the best places to see in Ireland is free of charge!

There are toilet facilities in the car park, and picnic tables.

What To Bring

Bring a picnic. There is no shop anywhere nearby.

Bring rain gear (just in case) as well as good walking boots. There is no harm in having a good map (Ordinance Survey Discovey Series number 38)

Our Special Tips

No 1:

Your visit could take anywhere between 45 minutes and 3 hours, depending on how much walking you want to do. If you have the time, visit Ballintubber Abbey Museum on the way and/ or the local abbey that is close by (just follow the signs)

No 2:

Combine an excursion to Moore Hall with a visit to the Museum for Country Life 9km east of Castlebar and have lunch at the museum. Combined, this will make a long day trip.

We hope you liked our article on Moore Hall and feel inspired to visit there!

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Warmest regards from Ireland from Susanna and Colm.

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Warmest regards, Colm & Susanna

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