Savouring Europe - Ireland (County Mayo’s Atlantic coast)

Food lover Robert Golden continues his European tour by visiting County Mayo, a region blessed by one of the world’s most beautifully unspoiled coastlines. Huge Atlantic breakers crash onto white sand beaches while in autumn, houses in tiny fishing villages are enveloped by sea mists. The food is a mix of surf and turf, with tasty wild salmon and oysters and beef and lamb taken from stock raised on the lush green fields nearby. The pace of life is slow and remeniscent of Britain before the Second World War. Fishing villages are filled with the sound of song coming from pubs that serve the blackest stout, and russet moors offer the chance to spot birds and wildlife on long walks. You will eat very well indeed in County Mayo, as this excellent guide illustrates.