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Mullet Peninsula


The Mullet Peninsula (Irish: Leithinis an Mhuirthead)—also known as the Mullet (an Mhuirthead) and sometimes as the Erris Peninsula—is a peninsula in the barony of Erris in County Mayo, Ireland. It consists of a large promontory connected to the mainland at Belmullet (Béal an Mhuirthead), a town of about 2,000 inhabitants, by a narrow isthmus. There are several villages on the Mullet peninsula including Aughleam, Elly, Corclough and Binghamstown. It is about 33 km long and 12 km wide at its widest parts, and about 50 metres at the narrowest part. Its northernmost point is Erris Head. The peninsula's doglegged shape forms two bays, Blacksod Bay and Broadhaven Bay.

The Mullet Peninsula is part of the Mayo Gaeltacht, meaning that Irish is the most common language. The area has several Irish-language summer schools. The Mullet is popular with tourists who find miles upon miles of uncluttered white sandy beaches and a mild climate; chief attractions include golf, watersports, kiting, boating and fishing, particularly sea-angling.

The origin of the names Mullet and an Mhuirthead is not clear. They may have come from Irish Muileat or an Mhuileat, which has been translated as "(the) isthmus". Bernard O'Hara in Mayo: Aspects of its Heritage suggests that "A change from 'L' to 'R', which is quite common in Irish" may have resulted in a change to an Mhuireat, which in turn became an Mhuirthead. It has also been suggested that the name may be from English and refer to the fish or the star shape used in heraldry.


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