County Mayo – 'Plain of the Yew Trees' and its Stone Age heritage
County Mayo takes its name from Maigh Eo, the 'plain of the yew trees', and its history reaches deep into prehistory. At Belderrig on the north Mayo coast there is evidence of Mesolithic communities around 4500 BC, and across the county Neolithic megalithic tombs and ritual stone circles survive in remarkable numbers.
The first people came to Ireland's coasts as much as eleven thousand years ago, when the interior was still heavily forested. Much later, in 1585, Mayo was formed as a county, its boundaries reflecting the Mac William Íochtar lordship of the time. Today Mayo is known for its wild Atlantic landscapes and close-knit communities. Have a Mayo story or family memory? Share it with the community!