OUTDOORS Walk of the Month – The Bangor Trail

The mother of all Mayo trails

Walking
Kathleen Fergus

The Bangor Trail
Distance 25km/37km, depending on starting point
Grade Difficult
Trail Surface Bog, stone, rock, tracks, streams – please note some streams are challenging to cross in bad weather – now is the time to do the trail!
Estimated Time 8-15 hrs/1-2 days
Essential Gear Map, GPS, rain gear, hiking boots, food and drink, camping equipment if necessary
Dogs Open farmland so no dogs permitted.

Mother Nature has put a halt to my hillwalking gallop for a little while as in approximately one month’s time we will be hearing the pitter patter of tiny feet in our household. So this piece is written on memories of walking a trail in what Irish naturalist Robert Lloyd Praeger (1865-1953) once described as ‘the very loneliest place in the country’.
But Praeger chose to walk through this remote yet beautiful landscape on his own. I am no Praeger, but all my memories of the Bangor Trail are far from lonely: walkers, local landowners and a backing track of sheep baaing and birds singing along the way.
My introduction to the Bangor Trail was through the organised walks that departed each summer from Newport some years ago. We were bused to Bangor and off we went on this epic 37 kilometre journey into nature, no Goretex or midge repellent but lots of chat, laughter, warm sandwiches and melted Twixes, combined with very weary legs by the time we reached Shramore, before the final hike into Newport.
More recently, I have set off from the Letterkeen side, from the Brogan Carroll Bothy, crossing the Altaconey River and following the markers of Coillte’s Letterkeen loops until  reaching an impasse. Here, you can turn right and loop back to the luxury of your car and lunch in Newport, or go straight on and begin the true journey of the Bangor Trail.
The trail is not accredited and is only marked in parts, so it’s certainly not recommended for the inexperienced or those looking for a leisurely stroll. A good level of fitness, stamina and navigational experience is essential, as is a tolerance for midges and wet boots. This is a trail of endurance, but the reward is scenery completely unscathed by roads, wires or buildings, thanks to its location tucked away behind the Nephin Beg Hills.   
The trail brings you past Slieve Carr, which has the reputation of being Ireland’s most remote mountain. (That’s another tough challenge and some set aside two days to cover both the trail and Slieve Carr.) Then it’s onwards into the Tarsaghaunmore Valley, crossing terrain that your legs have now become all too familiar with – bog, streams, rocky tracks and back to bog and track before you reach the outskirts of Bangor. The walk can take anything from eight to 12 hours. Add more if you are brave/hardy/daft enough to set off from Newport town!
While he may have found it lonely at first, Praeger later said that he found this place ‘not lonely, or depressing but inspiriting’. The Bangor Trail still casts the same spell on walkers today.
 
Directions
Start from the town of Newport – on the N59 between Westport and Achill. Follow the N59 in the direction of Achill for just 1 kilometre before turning right at a signpost indicating a National Looped Walk. After 1 kilometre go straight at a signpost for Lough Furnace, and continue along this road past Lough Feeagh (on your left). Pass Treenlaur Youth Hostel and Shramore Lodge, and then cross a small bridge. After the bridge turn left onto a forestry road, following the signposts for the Bangor Trail and the Western Way. Follow the forestry roadway until you reach the trailhead at the stone bothy.
Two cars are required, one to be parked in Bangor Erris for the journey home.

For more, visit www.ballycroynationalpark.ie or www.outsider.ie for Lenny Antonelli’s description of the trail.
 
Cathleen Fergus works for South West Mayo Development Company as Rural Recreation Officer. Her job includes the design, development and promotion of walking and cycling trails. She can be contacted at living@mayonews.ie.