Crossmolina

Crossmolina is a handy market town in County Mayo, sitting on the River Deel with good connections via the N26 running north-south through the centre. From Dublin, take the M4 west then N5 through Castlebar before joining the N26. The R315 gives a lovely run from Ballina or the coast, while the R318 connects to Pontoon and Lough Conn. It's about 45 kilometres from Westport, making it grand for day trips. The real draw is The Connacht Whiskey Company, housed in a restored Victorian railway station where they run tours of their small-batch distillery.