Downpatrick Head loop

Hiking trails & Routes

Mayo

Downpatrick Head loop

Easy

5.0

(1)

hikers

Downpatrick Head loop

00:25

1.51km

30m

Hiking

Easy hike. Easily walkable paths. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: November 5, 2026

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

22 m

Downpatrick Head

Highlight • Natural Monument

Rough cliff top on the north coast of Mayo, known for the vertical Dún Briste sea stack and the open, windy plateau above the Atlantic surf. You are literally standing on a straight cliff edge with wide views towards Ballycastle and the North Mayo coastline. The terrain is flat, open and exposed, ideal as a short stop on a coastal leg. Height: ±70 m.

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450 m

St. Patrick's statue

Highlight • Monument

Modern statue of St. Patrick on the coastal plateau of Downpatrick Head. Reminiscent of the early Christian monastic site that tradition says stood here. St. Patrick looks out over the cliffs and the ocean — a symbolic point on the way to Dún Briste.

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491 m

Dún Briste Sea Stack

Highlight • Natural Monument

Dún Briste — imposing, 45-meter-high sea stack, broken off from the coastal plateau by centuries of Atlantic erosion. Perfectly visible Carboniferous limestone layers and a rugged, isolated silhouette in the midst of the surf. One of the most striking geological points on the Irish west coast.

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737 m

Dún Briste Sea Stack viewpoint

Highlight • Natural Monument

The Dún Briste Sea Stack towers to 45 metres (148 ft) in a mighty display of layered limestone, sandstone, and shale. The geological marvel draws many people to Downpatrick Head. There's evidence that the stack was relatively recently part of the mainland in the form of building remains and sheep crossings.

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1.15 km

Poll na Seantainne

Highlight • Natural Monument

Poll na Seantainne — deep blowhole on the limestone plateau of Downpatrick Head. Formed by the collapse of a sea cave, with the thundering Atlantic surf beneath your feet. A raw, impressive geological window into the same power that shaped Dún Briste.

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1.51 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

863 m

578 m

< 100 m

Surfaces

866 m