Newport brings together a cycling and walking route with buildings and events that reveal different chapters of the town’s history. The Great Western Greenway follows the former railway line from Westport to Achill through the town.
Greenway and railway heritage
The Great Western Greenway is 42 km long and traffic-free. Through Newport, it crosses the Seven Arches Bridge. The first section, between Newport and Mulranny, covers 18 km and opened in April 2010. On 8 July 2011, this section received the European Destination of Excellence (EDEN) award. These details provide a sense of the route’s length, its course through Newport and its development, without reducing it to a single local attraction.
The Newport Railway Viaduct is another testament to the town’s railway heritage. Built from local sandstone in the early 1890s, it was once part of the railway line between Newport and Achill Island. The history of the former railway can therefore be encountered both along the Greenway and in a particular structure. Those interested in transport and architectural history will find two different perspectives on the subject here.
Church, architecture and stained glass
St Patrick’s Catholic Church in Newport was built in 1914 by Rudolph M Butler in the Irish Romanesque style. The eastern stained-glass window, “The Last Judgment,” adds a later artistic connection to the church’s history: Harry Clarke completed it in 1930, and it was the last window he finished. These two specific dates can thus be distinguished within the same church building, each relating to architecture and stained glass respectively.
This combination of architecture and art offers a different focus from the route through the town. The dates help put the interval between the church’s construction and the completion of the window into perspective. Together with the sandstone viaduct, they provide a historical view of Newport that is not shaped solely by the railway.
River and bay
Part of the Newport River is designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) in the Natura 2000 network. Clew Bay near Newport also has this protected-area designation; Newport lies at the bay’s northeastern corner. The river and the bay thus represent two different aspects of the local landscape. The designation helps put the surrounding area into context, while the Greenway, viaduct and church each offer their own themes for planning a trip.
Events and their time frames
Newport hosted the first Mayo Dark Sky Festival in October 2016. The festival programme from 1 to 3 November 2024 included talks and a mobile planetarium in Newport. The annual Lantern Walk concluded the festival, making its way to St Patrick’s Church Newport. These details refer to previous editions and do not describe the programme for a future festival year.
The Grainne Uaile Festival takes place annually in Newport over the August bank holiday weekend; live music in the streets is part of the programme. Individual events may vary from year to year. So if you would like to plan your trip around the festival, check the current festival dates and programme in advance. This makes it possible to consider the annual event and your specific plans for your stay separately.
Discover more destinations: Ballyhaunis, Bellagarvaun, Knock, Tawnyinah, Kiltimagh, Gweesalia, Bunnacurry, Aghamore.
For the broader travel overview: County Mayo.
