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Belleek Woods
Ballina, Co. Mayo
Hidden gem
Family friendly
Free to visit
Dog friendly
Free car parking
Cloudy days
This peaceful woodland stretches for 6 miles making it one of the largest urban forests in Europe. There are a number of trails that weave through the woodland. These offer visitors excellent walking, running and cycling options.

There are many historical features from bygone days to unearth at Belleek Woods including a hermitage site, Knox-Gore Monument also known as “The Horse’s Grave”, the ominous concrete boat which has lain breached at Belleek Woods for decades, and an extraordinary wall built during the famine in Ireland.

Belleek Woods are an ideal place to experience Irish woodlands, and their native wildlife. Along the many pathways you can discover an abundance of flowers including Bluebells, Iris, Foxglove, Primroses, Summer Snow, Wild Garlic and Cuckoo Pint. The woodland is home to Foxes, Hares, Pine Martins, Red Squirrels, Herons, Ducks, Wagtails and Robins.

Nestled in the woodlands is the captivating Belleek Castle. The ancestral home of the Earl of Arran, the historical and romantic Belleek Castle is renounced for its award winning food and fascinating Marshall Doran Collection, which showcases one of the finest collections of arms and armour, and fossils and antiques in Ireland.

Belleek Woods is the backdrop for some of Ballina’s most unique and enthralling festivals and events including the Scary Woods Walk, which takes place as part of Samhain Abhainn, the town’s bumper Halloween Festival. The Scary Woods Walk transforms the forest into a haunted woodland filled with terrifying ghosts and ghouls.

Contact details
Belleek Woods,Ballina,Co Mayo
Visit duration

We recommend planning to spend 1 to 2 hours here.

More to discover at Belleek Woods
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