Sweet Isle Of Mine: Exploring The West of Ireland

The West of Ireland has many remarkable views and sights and one Mayo native is determined to show and tell you all about its natural beauty.

Bohola’s Niall O’Neill, who has resided in Austria for the last 14 years and works as a teacher, set up a blog in 2022 called Sweet Isle of Mine, the name a play on words of Sweet Child O’Mine by Guns ‘n’ Roses, his favourite band. He has done beach guides, what Ireland is like at a particular month, the must-do things in Westport and across Mayo, and the locations for films like award-winning film The Banshees of Inisherin and Netflix romantic comedy Irish Wish.

The blog is in his own words, a labour of love. “We came back two years ago on holidays. We were blessed with the weather at the time. We went around Mulranny and Achill and it was class. When you live abroad for so long, you don’t really appreciate it,” said Niall. “When you’re stuck in the Alps, it’s so different. Coming back to Ireland, you see it with fresh eyes.” 

He has run his own bus tours to Ireland over the years and has shown the country to hundreds of Austrians and Germans, who fell in love with the place. It has given Niall a great insight into exactly what attracts tourists to Ireland.

Niall felt some places had not been really talked about properly and he wanted to do something about it. He began writing a few posts and very much enjoyed it. A proud Mayo man, it was also a chance to write about the wonderous views of his own county. 

All the places the tourists visited on his tours, the western end of Achill seemed to stand out the most, especially the Cliffs of Croaghaun and Keem Beach. Although the cliffs is a challenging hike and should only be carried out in perfect conditions, many remarked it was the most spectacular coastline they had seen.

“Another thing that sparked the blog was that I was bringing locals over to Mayo and Galway. They’d be very interested in seeing the more hidden gems of Ireland. I brought them down to Achill and Keel. Word got out and they were interested in reading the blog and getting some tips.” 

He plans to be pack for three weeks in August and he’ll be doing a lot of touring, particularly the hidden areas of Mayo. Niall is a big believer in clean and sustainable tourism, like what the Wild Atlantic Way brings, and he hopes the blog gives tourists a chance to see the authentic Ireland, as well as giving insider tips and information. 

“Very seldom you’ll see a hidden gem like Mulranny mentioned or hear the western end of Achill Island mentioned as one of the greatest hiking destinations not just in Ireland, but Western Europe. These places are real hidden gems.” 

You can read his blog here.