Killary Harbour

Killary is the only fjord in Ireland in the strict sense - a glacially over-deepened valley flooded by the sea, about sixteen kilometres long, over forty-five metres deep in the middle, and hemmed by Mweelrea rising to 814 metres on the Mayo side and the Maumturks on the Galway side. It forms the county boundary. The sheltered deep water suits mussel farming and the ropes and buoys of the mussel lines are a permanent feature of the view. On the northern shore a green road runs from Rosroe past the ruins of a village abandoned in the Famine, and Ludwig Wittgenstein spent several months in a cottage at Rosroe in 1948 working on the Philosophical Investigations. Boat cruises run from the head of the fjord, and there is an adventure centre. Leenane, at the head, was the setting for the film The Field.

What you actually see

• The fjord - sixteen kilometres of deep water between mountain walls.
• Mweelrea - 814 metres, Connacht's highest, on the northern side.
• The mussel lines - working aquaculture across the sheltered water.
• The famine village - ruins along the green road on the northern shore.

When to go

April to October for the boat trips and the walking. The fjord holds cloud and rain often; clear days show the mountain walls properly. Midges are severe on still evenings.

Honest expectations

The northern shore walk is long and remote with no facilities. Boat cruises are weather-dependent. Rain here is frequent and heavy - this is one of the wettest parts of Ireland.

Nearby

Leenane is at the head; Connemara National Park and Delphi are either side.