merrion street

Minister for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring congratulated Erris, Co. Mayo on winning the Irish Times Best Place to Go Wild in Ireland competition. Erris received over 200 nominations and was picked by a judging panel of four, from a wealth of locations around Ireland.

Minister Ring said “I am delighted that Erris has won the Best Place to Go Wild in Ireland competition, it is a hidden gem of Mayo and I am pleased that it has been recognised with this award. Westport has always been known as a place to go for tourists but Erris has long been one of the most beautiful places in Mayo and at last people are discovering this stunning area.”

“There is wonderful Hotels and B&B’s to stay, and plenty to do such as the horse racing festivals, surfing, coastal walks, it has everything,” he added.

Erris is 60km from Westport and stretches from the 11,000 hectares of mountain and blanket bog that is Ballycroy National Park, Ireland’s only true designated wilderness, to white sandy beaches of the Mullet peninsula. The name Erris comes from the Irish Iar Ros, which means “western promontory”. Erris is on the Wild Atlantic Way,Ireland’s first long-distance driving route, stretching from the Inishowen Peninsula in Donegal to Kinsale in County Cork, and offers visitors an opportunity to truly discover the West Coast.

Minister Ring “Irish people love the coast, and in the Wild Atlantic Way we have one of the longest coastal driving routes in the world. The aim of the Wild Atlantic Way is to show case the west, but it’s not just about the route itself, it’s about finding these hidden gems along the way, and I am sure this award will bring extra tourists to Erris and to Mayo and I am delighted it has been recognised with this accolade.”