Suspension bridge at Mayo tourist attraction 'will become iconic'

An expansive network of walking and adventure trails across Mayo is currently being worked on as part of the new Wild Mayo plan. 

Launched in May, the five-year plan was developed by Mayo County Council in association with Fáilte Ireland. It identifies outdoor trails as a key offering that will bring in tourists and help them enjoy prolonged stays by connecting up adventure routes with local towns and visitor attractions.

The flagship project for the trail network is the in-progress 15-kilometre Céide Coastal Path in North Mayo which, when complete, will have 11 bridges including a suspension bridge between Downpatrick Head and Céide, all of which is being carried out in tandem with further development of the extensive Western Way trail.

Fáilte Ireland Projects Officer Edel Healy told recent meeting of the council's Economic and Enterprise Development Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) : “The trail will be one of our big ideas in the Wild Mayo plan as in every area we visited people mentioned the potential to develop local trails and almost every village has one. We will be looking at the Western Way Trail from Letterkeen to Ballycastle and how to link this in with the Sligo Western Way. 

"Our infrastructure around these walks in general will also need to be looked at, including signage, off-road sections, road bridges, bothies, and how we can bring uniformity to our trails. To ensure cohesiveness we have set up a North Mayo Trails Forum and then the idea is to tie this in with the Clew Bay and Inland Mayo development plans, so that the trail network will be countywide and supporting local initiatives through loop walks etc.” 

Regarding the Céide Coastal Path, she said work had started on fencing and mapping parts of it.

"It will have 11 bridges and one of these is a suspension bridge across Downpatrick Head and Céide. It will be worth coming to Mayo for something iconic like that and we are very excited about it.” 

Cllr Michael Loftus acknowledged “the great work of the people in Ballycastle who have already worked so hard to get the Downpatrick to Céide route up and running, and to get the 28 landowners to agree to come together and make the plan that is now in place". Asking what the timeline is for funding the route, he stated: “We were told in 2025 that Fáilte Ireland was opening its purse but a year on, still there is nothing. This needs substantial funding and warrants it because it will be a great project. We all talk about the Carrick-a-Rede suspension bridge on the Giant’s Causeway, but this coastal path will have eleven bridges in total and will be tremendous.” 

Ms Healy explained that a delay in drawing down funding for the project had arisen after it moved under the remit of a different government department, adding: “But we are really confident about this and funding will also come from the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund, Leader and Fáilte Ireland.”

• Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.