History & Celtic Mythology
Before christianisation in the 5th or 6th century, Mám Éan was an ancient shrine associated with pagan rituals and the harvest festival of Lúnasa. Local mythology states that when Saint Patrick climbed the mountain pass to bless Connemara, he faced resistance from locals throwing stones, which he countered by transforming his staff into a serpent to clear the path. Today, regular pilgrimage walks take place annually on St. Patrick’s Day, Good Friday and the first Sunday of August.
How to Access the Mám Éan Walk
- The Short Trail : A 1.5 km rough track begins at the dedicated valley car park on the L5136 road. You will return down the same track.- The Long Trail (from Maam to Lough Inagh) : A 16.5 km linear route across the pass requiring roughly 4.5 hours to complete, crossing from Maam over to the Inagh Valley.
A strange little place in the middle of nowhere, Mám Éan can be reached from three different directions. I chose to ascend from Maam (not to be confused with Maam Cross). To be honest, the word ‘ascend’ is inappropriate here, as the destination stands at a mere 260 m altitude.
Mám Éan (often anglicised as Maumeen, Mamean, etc.) is a little pilgrimage site at a pass through the Maumturk mountains of east Connemara, roughly between Oughterard and Leenane. A visit reveals a tiny chapel, mass altar and the Stations of the Cross scattered roughly around the rocky, boggy site.
I wonder is the chapel (really no more than an oratory) the smallest in Ireland. It’s certainly much smaller than the Costello Chapel in Carrick on Shannon, which claims the title.
While Mám Éan (The Pass of the Birds) is quite a pleasant spot, with nice views all around, the walk up is rather disappointing. Coming from Maam, the first 5.5 km are on tarmac. As if that wasn’t tedious enough, the next 1.8 km consist of an even worse recently bulldozed sand and stone track that has been bludgeoned across what would have previously been lovely mountain bog.
Only when this track eventually peters out is there any feeling of being in the mountains of Connemara (for 1.0 km). Once here, the mist, ever rolling in and out, adds to the atmosphere.
While I don’t lead hikes in this area, check out my annual June Western Ocean Walking Weekend in northwest Mayo, or my annual Burren Walking Weekend in Co. Clare, taking place at the end of each May.
Descending the other side from Mám Éan is a more rewarding experience, on what might be termed a naturally eroded (sic) 1.7 km long track, quite like the one up the Reek. At the base of this track, you can exit the area by a narrow tarred roadway (L5136) south or north, hence the three accesses referred to above.
I chose to head 6.5 km north, up towards Lough Inagh, where I had left my bike earlier that day.
I walked beneath the superb Maumturk mountains on my right-hand side, with their steep western walls shining in the autumn light. Beyond, to my left and across the valley, loomed the wonderful Twelve Bens. A donkey accompanied me along for a while, like a big pointy-eared dog. He took my sandwich and my mind off the tarmac.
Shortly, I would mount the bike, head southwards on the R344 and cycle the long 29 km back to Maam and my car. This was tough, I have to admit. It seems that whenever I choose to walk from A to B and cycle back to A, the wind is in my face for the hardest stretch of the return journey. Like a sick joke, the winds seem to gather wherever I started out walking, loiter around and then hit me head-on like a convoy when I’m cycling back later. For good measure, they throw in some classic West of Ireland horizontal rain ….
With 73% of this walk on tarmac, it is, to misquote a well-known TV pundit, “a good walk, but not a great walk”.
Mám Éan walk, a pilgrimage site in Connemara
Maam to Inagh : 16.5 km, total ascent 398 m, 4.5 hours (including breaks).
Return cycle, Inagh to Maam (R344, then N59 and R336, via Maam Cross) : 28.8 km, total ascent 242 m, 2.5 hours (including breaks).
So how do you get there walking from Clifden?
Hi Tiffany,
Thanks for your query. Máméan is a long way from Clifden, at about 27km, so you might be better off getting the public bus to a stop somewhere near it. Check out Bus Éireann’s timetable.
Barry,
I recently turned off the main Clifden Road….after Maam Cross…where I saw a sign for Maum Ean….I thought I could come out at Kilmilken but got totally confused and drove for almost an hour on a very poor quality road, with many ups and downs. I got worried as it was getting dark and weather was poor. Should I have been driving on that road at all?
I eventually came out on main road near Inagh Lodge. I was so relieved.
Joan
Yes Joan, it sounds like that was indeed the road to take. To my knowledge, there is only one turn off the main Clifden road that has a brown sign for Mám Éan, which is the L5136. The same L5136 does indeed re-descend to the R344 at Lough Inagh, shortly before the hotel, as you mention. Anyway, about half way along the L5136, you come across the carpark for Mám Éan on your right hand side coming from Galway.
Thanks Barry,
That sounds like where I was. I did see the car park but as I wasn’t looking to visit Mám Éan that evening, I had to continue on the difficult road! I will go back at another time and enjoy the spectacular landscape.
I’m coming home to Ireland from Australia to my nephew’s wedding in Galway in June 25 and would like to do a pilgrim walk in Galway whist there. Is there accommodation close to the start point of the walking path?
Hi Christine,
The closest accommodation I can think of is the very beautiful Lough Inagh Lodge Hotel. There used to be a B&B nearby also that I used to house guest groups in, but it has since closed. If you want to google some options, look for either Maam (not Maam Cross) or Inagh as locations in Co. Galway. The village of Leenane is a little further away. Enjoy your visit!
Thanks Barry much appreciated
Are dogs (on leads of course) permitted on the Mamean Walk (from the carpark on the L5136)?
Apologies for the late reply, Miley. I’m not actually sure about dogs, but my inclination would be to think they are probably not allowed, even on a leash. There is signage at both ends (Inagh and Maam), so maybe consult that next time you’re there. There are definitely sheep in the hills, so I’d imagine they’re not allowed.
There are sheep everywhere so dogs need to be on a lead
Can I bike up the mam ean trail ??
Only if you have a proper mountain bike and you can negotiate the rocky, uneven track, Maggie. Neither a road bike nor hybrid would do. Enjoy!
It’s ok for some people of an age to walk over rough ground, but older people like to get an easy start. It’s not just your mountain, it’s for all the people to get and pray at the top.
Well said Dave, I agree 100%, yer man’s opinion is only that, his. Too much respect given to some of those who think they are experts.
Hi, where do you park your car if you want to do all the walk in Maumean? Looking for advice.
Hi Martina,
If you’d like to do the longer walk in to Mám Éan, as described in the article, then you can park by the bridge at Maam, across from Keane’s pub, by the junction of R336 and R345. If, on the other hand, you’d like to do the short walk up, then park at the dedicated carpark along the L5136, which is a right hand turn off the N59 between Oughterard and Clifden, heading west, marked Mám Éan. Enjoy the visit! Barry
There is something magic about that Holy Mountain. You can feel it with every step.
Yes indeed, Peter, it’s a wonderful spot alright, with the Maumturks all around and the Twelve Bens across the valley.
It’s a powerful place alright and was a site of pagan pilgrimage in the pre-Christian era. The Celtic harvest festival of Lughnasa was held here, and marked the beginning of the harvest season and honoured the god Lugh Lamhfhada.
St Patrick’s initial appearance here was supposedly met by some local disquiet and a few hurled stones, before things were settled by St Patrick’s throwing his staff that turned into a snake to chase off the locals.
Go raibh maith agat as ucht do thairim, a Dheaglán. That’s a new one on me, St. Patrick making use of snakes and not just driving them out!
From the vehicle parking area, what is the distance to walk up Mam Ean? It looks as though the path is rough terrain.
How long does it take to walk up to the area of the chapel?
Hi Judith, From the carpark at the Inagh end of Mám Éan, it’s only about 1.5km up to the chapel and might take you 30-40 minutes.
Hi, is there a walk you can do if I park my car near Lough Inagh and walk towards Mamean? How long and difficult is it?
Also if I park my car at Keanes pub near bridge in Maum, how long and different would the walk to Mamean be?
Thank you
Hi Ian,
Yes, there’s a carpark opposite the boat mooring just south of Lough Inagh Lodge hotel. It’s about 8km to Mám Éan from that side, as described in the post. From Keane’s pub, it’s also about 8km, as described in the post. Both ae mostly on quiet tarmac bóithríns and neither is terribly difficult.