Islandeady: Church, Art and Nature

Islandeady offers a range of reasons to explore the village and its surroundings: the history of St Patrick’s Church, the art project The Touchstones, a Greenway route and landscapes with bogs, wetlands, rivers and lakes. When planning your trip, you can choose between culture, activity and nature rather than focusing your stay on just one theme.

Church and cottage tell the story of the village

The Roman Catholic St Patrick’s Church is dedicated to Saint Patrick. Its construction history is reflected in several specific details: originally, the church had a thatched roof; in 1849 it was given a slate roof, and the central aisle was added that same year. The south window contains leaded-glass panels. Inside, a visible A-shaped timber roof structure with collar beams is also described. These features offer different points of interest in the church building, from the change in roofing to the shape of the wooden roof structure. A rear extension was completed in 2009 and named St Aidans Room.

Jack’s Old Cottage in the centre of Islandeady offers another encounter with the past. The carefully restored cottage was built almost two centuries ago. On a visit, you can walk through furnished rooms, talk about the old objects kept there and sit by the open fire. The focus is therefore not only on the age of the house, but also on its furnished rooms and the objects in them. If you are travelling with children, you can use the visit as an opportunity to talk together about everyday objects from the past and life in an older cottage.

The Touchstones: stories in stone

The Touchstones is a series of ten artistically carved stones, with locations including Islandeady. The art project was commissioned for the Islandeady community. The large stones weigh around 1 to 2 tonnes and feature images, narrative carvings and texts. The carvings draw on the folklore, social memory and history of each area. Their varied forms of expression invite you to look not only at the images, but also to pay attention to the stories and texts. For families who enjoy discovering stories and local history together, they provide a specific subject for conversation.

A route for active days

The Great Western Greenway Castlebar Network includes a 6-kilometre route from Castlebar to Rehins Wood in Islandeady. It is rated easy to moderate and has only gentle inclines. If you would like to plan a specific route for your stay, its length, rating and elevation profile provide a practical guide. The route may appeal if you are planning an activity-focused trip; you can choose a holiday rental based on whether you want to make Islandeady one of the main focuses of your trip. The route details given apply to this section of the network.

Woods, bogs and waterways

Cornagashlaun Oak Wood, an oak forest around 500 years old, is part of Islandeady. The village’s townlands also include landscapes with bogs and wetlands. Many rivers and lakes in Islandeady contain protected wildlife species. Alongside its cultural attractions, the area therefore offers different connections with nature: an ancient oak wood, wetlands and waterways with protected species. If you would like to combine nature and culture on your trip, you can consider these aspects alongside the church, cottage and The Touchstones as interests in their own right. They can help you decide what you want to shape your stay in Islandeady.

Islandeady lies on the N5 between Castlebar and Westport. When looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home, you can take this road connection into account alongside the local travel interests. If, instead, your stay is shaped primarily by the combination of oak wood, wetlands and waterways, these natural features also provide a specific starting point for choosing where to stay.

More pages about local areas: Bunnacurry, Swinford, Neale, Partry, Ballyglass, Dooagh, Ballycastle, Doohooma.

For the broader travel overview: County Mayo.