‘Why I love Mayo’
By Dermot Madigan
Dermot Madigan has been the General Manager of the Mulranny Park Hotel for the past 14 years and counting. The Limerick native left these shores to ply his trade in Switzerland and Australia but has now made his home on the West Coast in Westport, where he lives with his wife Irene and two kids Evie and Luke.
Dermot sees his role as a caretaker of the historic building and history of the Mulranny Park Hotel. Originally opened in 1898 and carefully restored in 2005 to what it offers today, the hotel has 60bedrooms and apartments, the fine dining Nephin Restaurant, Waterfront Bar, is available for functions and as a wedding venue, with floortoceiling windows overlooking Clew Bay, a Treatment Room, Seaweed Baths & Leisure Centre.
Having spent over sixyears working on the Gold Coast of Australia, Dermot said “I didn’t think I would find somewhere as beautiful and surprising as Mayo in which to live and work and in particular the Clew Bay area. It’s somewhere that you can explore and discover, from the North at Downpatrick Head to the new Velo Rail in Kiltimagh.
My favourite experiences are not too far from home with a visit to see the magnificent Minuan Cliffs or the spectacular view of Keel Beach from the booster station or Spotting the
Basking Sharks or dolphins in the bay, while another favourite is the wildness of Wild Nephin National Park, particularly at night with its designated dark skies park”.
One of Dermot’s hobbies is adventure racing and having The Great Western Greenway on the doorstep, this offers an ideal training facility to put in some miles on the bike. He feels that the Greenway has really changed the way people now holiday in the area, with every second car carrying bikes. Additions such as The Clew Bay Bike Trail, including two ferry trips to and from Clare Island have really added to that cycling experience.
For the past sixyears he has taken part in the Sea to Summit adventure race, which takes in a climb of Croagh Patrick and offers one of the most spectacular 360degree views from a mountain top that one can find anywhere in the world! He states “Clew Bay just glistens into the distance. Climbing the mountain has become a regular activity and every time you climb, it gives you a real sense of achievement, no matter how many times you do it”.
Some of Dermot’s best places to enjoy Mayo food, drinks and entertainment include the An Port Mor for dinner, This Must be The Place for great coffee and lunch or the Towers on the Quay, Moran’s or the Grainstore, for a drink. Nowhere is better to finish off an evening than some live music in Matt Mollyos or the Porterhouse. A visit to Lynott’s on Achill Island is also a favourite.
Dermot finishes off by saying “One of my hidden gems would be a day out walking with my family on one of the Burrishoole loop trails, where you feel that you are the only person in the world. Sitting on a hill with a picnic lunch, overlooking Clew Bay amongst the Wild Nephin Mountain Range, is for me, what living and loving Mayo is all about”.