Great Western Greenway
Greenway · Mayo
Great Western Greenway is a 44.5 km easy waymarked linear route in Mayo, starting near Westport, Newport, Mallaranny or Achill.
Grades by activity
Getting there
Starts at Attireesh (north or N59 ca 500m from Westporty town centre), near Westport, Newport, Mallaranny or Achill.
Finishes at Ostan Oilean Acla / Achill Island Hotel.
- Trailhead coordinates
- 53.80103, -9.52164
- Ordnance Survey sheets
- Discovery Series Sheets 30 and 31
The National Trails Register's own latitude and longitude fields are empty for all 1,186 trails on it. This trailhead comes from Sport Ireland's separate Trailheads dataset, matched to this trail on its register ID.
About the trail
The Great Western Greenway takes walkers and cyclists along the line of the old railway between Westport and Achill Island. It passes through the picturesque villages of Newport and Mallaranny and there are spectacular views from just about every section of the trail, which include the surrounding mountains (Croagh Patrick amongst them), as well as Clew Bay and its many islands.
- Dogs
- Yes
Who manages it
Mayo County Council
Mayo County Council
Conditions and closures change. The operator is the authority on both, not this page.
Elsewhere
Trails nearby
Measured trailhead to trailhead, in a straight line.
- Westport Greenway 390 m away · 2.6 km trail
- Westport Cycle Hub - Loop 1 580 m away · 24 km trail
- Westport Cycle Hub - Loop 2 580 m away · 14.1 km trail
- Westport Cycle Hub - Loop 3 1.9 km away · 7.8 km trail
- Murrisk Loop 8.1 km away · 4.4 km trail
- Murrisk Mountain Loop 8.1 km away · 3.3 km trail
Common questions
How long is the Great Western Greenway?
44.5 km, recorded as a linear route on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register. It climbs 90 m in total. Sport Ireland estimates 10 hours.
How hard is the Great Western Greenway?
It is graded Easy for both walking and cycling. Grades are set by Sport Ireland against national criteria, so they are comparable with other registered trails.
Where does the Great Western Greenway start?
Starts at Attireesh (north or N59 ca 500m from Westporty town centre), near Westport, Newport, Mallaranny or Achill. The trailhead is at 53.80103, -9.52164.
Can you bring a dog on the Great Western Greenway?
Yes. The register records dogs as allowed. Much of the Irish trail network crosses working farmland, so keep a dog under close control near livestock.
Who manages the Great Western Greenway?
Mayo County Council. They are the authority on current conditions and closures, not this page.
More in Mayo
Trail data from the Sport Ireland National Trails Register, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Trailhead coordinates from the companion Trailheads dataset. Snapshot taken 2026-08-13.