Achill Island Day Tour
Immersive tour designed by International Tour Director and Achill native Alan Gielty.
Visiting several filming locations, your guide has behind-the-scenes knowledge to transport you to the scenic backdrop of ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ movie, as well as giving you an in-depth history of the traditions and lifestyle on Achill Island.
The Achill Island day tour operates all year round on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and costs €45 per person.
The Route
You will be picked up from your hotel in Westport and given an extensive history and tour of the Currane Peninsula and Achill Island by a Certified Tour Director.
The tour is 6 hours long including a lunch break at a local restaurant, site visits of Keem Bay and the Deserted Village and many photo opportunities.
The fully guided tour will include the following:
• Newport
• Mulranny
• Currane Peninsula (Spanish Armada)
• Comfort stop and gift shop
• Atlantic Drive (photo stop)
• Granuaile Castle
• Lunch break and comfort stop
• Site visit Keem Bay, history of Shark Fishing
• Site visit The Deserted Village
• Dugort, St. Thomasʼ Church - history of The Achill Mission
• Heinrich Böll and Paul Henry
• Return to Westport
Pick-up Locations
We have scheduled pick-ups at hotels in Westport, Newport and Mulranny to make it as convenient as possible for you to join our tour.
Tour Highlights
Granuaile’s Castle
The Castle at Kildavnet belonged to the legendary pirate queen Grace OʼMalley (Granuaile). Her family controlled the Clew Bay area, demanding money or goods for safe passage through the waters. She was both a warrior and an educated woman, speaking Latin as well as her native Irish.
The Deserted Village
The Deserted Village at Slievemore in Achill is actually the remains of three villages in a one mile area. It has a long history of people having to leave, for reasons from eviction to famine. It was used as a boley village until the 1940s, when people stayed overnight in the summer months while tending livestock. Archaeological artefacts have been found in the area dating back some 5,000 years.
Keem Bay
Keem Bay is renowned as one of the most beautiful beaches in Ireland. It is a discovery signature point on the Wild Atlantic Way and was the location of Colmʼs (Brendan Gleeson) house in The Banshees of Inisherin. It was also the site of a busy shark fishing industry in the mid 20th century.
Movie Locations
Martin McDonagh’s 2022 movie, The Banshees of Inisherin starring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan was filmed in Achill Island in 2021. This tour reveals all the inside information from the Oscar-nominated film. Accompanied by your guide, you will see the real-life locations used in the movie.
Tours need a minimum of 5 participants to operate. Please see our Cancellation Policy
What our Customers Say
"This is a must for anyone wishing to visit Achill Island.
Alan, the tour guide, is a born and bred local who brings the history of the Island to life, in an informative way with his lovely subtle sense of Irish humour.
All stops were perfectly timed for breaks and fantastic photo opportunities. Loved the commentary. The tour certainly gets our vote!"
Shirley, UK