Ross Port on the south shore of Broadhaven Bay brings together a clearly defined walking trail and stories from the area's prehistoric and more recent past. Along the way, the Rossport Walk passes a tidal shore and takes in historic landmarks. Rosdoagh Court Tomb, also known as Rossport Court Tomb, and Rossport House represent very different periods. Two questions can help with planning: How much time do you have for walking, and which traces of local history would you like to explore more closely?
The Rossport Walk: Route and Directions
The Rossport Walk is an easy, ten-kilometre walking trail. It starts and ends at the Barr Thra crossroads. The estimated walking time is given as two hours and 20 minutes. This provides a useful reference for planning your day, but it remains an estimate: actual walking time may vary depending on conditions. If the route is the main focus of your day, you can use this time as a guide and allow time for the historic landmarks along the way.
A tidal shore known for its cockles is also part of the route. The walk brings together two different sides of Ross Port: the coastal landscape and the history that can be read in particular places. The route also passes Rossport House; a detour leads to an old pier dating from 1891. Before detouring to the pier, it is advisable to check current access.
Prehistoric Heritage and Rossport House
Rosdoagh Court Tomb, also known as Rossport Court Tomb, was built around 5,000 BC. Its ruined central area is about nine metres wide, and 16 stones remain. The approximate date places the monument in prehistoric times, while its dimensions and the number of surviving stones give a concrete sense of its size.
The tomb's location also shapes how it fits into the landscape: it stands on ground above where the Glenamoy River flows into the Broadhaven estuary, overlooking the sea. The meeting of river mouth, estuary and sea offers a different perspective from the tomb's architectural details. Visitors interested in the area can therefore pay attention both to the monument itself and to its landscape setting.
Rossport House was built by Samuel Bournes in 1832. During the Great Famine, the house served as a soup kitchen for people suffering from hunger in 1848. The Rossport House estate also had an industrial knitting and sewing school, which some tenants were able to attend. The construction date, soup kitchen and school illustrate different aspects of the house's history: its construction, its use during the famine and an institution open to some tenants.
Local History and Cultural Context
Ross Port's more recent history includes its connection to five local people who went to prison in 2005 rather than allow a gas pipeline planned by Shell to pass through their land. This episode adds a contemporary historical perspective alongside the prehistory of the court tomb and the history of Rossport House. Ross Port is also part of the Erris Gaeltacht. These different connections span a prehistoric monument, the history of a house and events in 2005.
When planning a visit, you can consider the Rossport Walk and its historic landmarks together, without conflating their individual stories: walking time helps you plan the route, while the tomb's dimensions, the construction date of Rossport House and the events of 1848 and 2005 each provide their own point of reference in time.
Discover more destinations: Ballina, Valley, Partry, Gweesalia, Finny, Ballytoohy, Breaffy, Mayo.
For the broader travel overview: County Mayo.
