The bustling town of Westport is just 15km away and is one of the best towns in Ireland for entertainment, good food, leisure facilities and home to Matt Molloy's pub of the Chieftains.

Here you can listen to traditional Irish music and from time to time a celebrity or two will drop in to play, sing and dance. Michael Flately of Lord Of The Dance fame has been known to do a jig or two. There are many pubs in Westport to quench your thirst and numerous award winning restaurants, bistro's and cafe's to choose from.

If wine is your thing, Westport is home to Ireland's first natural wine bar, mooted as the best in Ireland by The Irish Times (Nov 2018), serving a range of delicious naturally fermented vegan, organic and biodynamic wines from around the world, as well as more unusual varietals and styles, such as 'Pet Nat'.

If you want a break from all the food and drink then you can try scuba diving, or why not take a trip out to Croagh Patrick, Ireland’s holy mountain. There is an annual pilgrimage there every July where up to thirty thousand people ascend the 764 metre. There are majestic views from the climb and on fine days the many little Islands of Clew Bay can be seen as well as Clare Island and Achill. There are many other activities to do in and around Westport such as boot camp training, paintball shooting, trout fishing. It is also a very popular town for hen parties and stag parties.

In the other direction there is the quaint village of Leenane renowned for the making of the film THE FIELD. It is located on the Killary Fjord the only Fjord in Western Europe. Leenane has two pubs a craft shop, hotel and restaurants. An annual curragh race takes place every July - weather permitting. There is an annual walking festival here at the end of April which draws walkers from every corner of Ireland.

There is sea fishing, boat tours and river fishing too. Heading further along the coast is Scubadive West to cater for all your diving needs. The medieval village of Aughagower is only 8km away and is where St Patrick passed through on his way to Croagh Patrick. It has a 10th century round tower and old graveyard and is a great place to start looking for long lost relatives from this area. Ballintuber Abbey is where the St Patrick's walk starts and is 30min away.

The location of Eaglewood Lodge is in one of the best and most beautiful areas for cycling that Ireland has to offer. There are unending miles of winding roads and tracks for every level of cyclist. There are hills and Atlantic views, bogs, lakes and rivers. It is a fantastic way to get out and enjoy what this part of Connemara has to offer. You can do the Gael force adventure challenge in August or a tour of Achill. There is an FBD annual race of Ireland that will usually pass Eaglewood Lodge. Westport tourism along with Failte Ireland has opened a greenway form Westport through Mullranny to Achill and is an ideal way to avoid the traffic but yet enjoy the scenery.

The ever changing light and landscape of the area offers a challenge to both the painter and the photographer. The variety of colours and shades change with the seasons, and even the minutes of the day. Clouds cast shadows and perform a dance across mountains and lakes, the skies a mighty canvas. There is so much natural beauty surrounding us at Eaglewood Lodge.