In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Ireland
Knock
Cnoc Mhuire
Give Knock one night if you are a pilgrim or flying from NOC; otherwise pass through in 2–3 hours on the way to Westport or Cong.
Knock is a village of about 1,000 people in County Mayo that draws pilgrims to a Marian shrine said to date from an 1879 apparition. The shrine complex is free, flat and walkable in a couple of hours; almost everything else worth seeing is more than 30 km away, so a car decides how long you stay. Ireland West Airport Knock (NOC) sits 20 km north, which makes the village a practical last or first night for Ryanair flights.
- Country
- Ireland
- Local name
- Cnoc Mhuire
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (wet, dark, few services open); shrine feast days are crowded
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including pubs and taxis.
- Daily spend
- Budget €55–85 excl. bed · Mid €90–140 excl. bed · High €160+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vodafone, Three and Eir run the networks; prepaid SIMs (also 48, Tesco Mobile, GoMo) sell in phone shops and newsagents, no registration fuss.
- Emergency
- Police, ambulance, fire, coast guard 112 · Alternative emergency number 999 · Ireland West Airport Knock +353 94 936 8100
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Type G three-pin, like the UK; European and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–15% if service is not included.; Pub: Not expected when ordering at the bar.; Taxi: Round up.; Tour guide or driver: €5–10 per person for a day tour.; Hotel porter: €1–2 per bag.
- Water
- Tap water is safe; occasional local 'boil water' notices are posted by Uisce Éireann.
- Toilets
- Free in shopping centres, museums, pubs (as a customer) and many petrol stations; some public toilets charge 50c.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea and a scone | €4–7 |
| Soup and sandwich, village café | €9–14 |
| Pub pint | €5.50–7 |
| Taxi, 5 kmTaxi, 3.1 mi | €10–15 |
| Bus Éireann single, 10–15 kmBus Éireann single, 6.2–9.3 mi | €3–5 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- NOC · Ireland West Airport Knock
- 20 km north near Charlestown; Ryanair is the main operator. Departing passengers aged 12 and over pay a €10 development fee.12 mi north near Charlestown; Ryanair is the main operator. Departing passengers aged 12 and over pay a €10 development fee.
Typical fares
- Bus Éireann 440, Westport → Knock
- about €12, about 1 h
- Taxi, Knock village → NOC airport
- about €35, 25 min
- Train, Claremorris → Dublin Heuston
- about €25–45, about 2 h 30 min
Get around
The shrine is designed for visitors with limited mobility and is easy on foot. There is no useful local bus network for sightseeing: rent a car or book taxis (based at the airport) for anything beyond the village. Trains stop at Ballyhaunis and Claremorris, both 11 km away and linked by bus.The shrine is designed for visitors with limited mobility and is easy on foot. There is no useful local bus network for sightseeing: rent a car or book taxis (based at the airport) for anything beyond the village. Trains stop at Ballyhaunis and Claremorris, both 6.8 mi away and linked by bus.
See and do
Known for
- Knock Shrine (Sanctuary of Our Lady of Knock)
- The 1879 apparition and its inquiries
- Knock Museum
- Ireland West Airport Knock (NOC)
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Cong | Car via Ballinrobe, about 40 kmCar via Ballinrobe, about 25 mi | About 45 min |
| Castlebar | Car or Bus Éireann 440 via Claremorris | About 45 min by car |
| Westport | Bus Éireann 440, or car via Claremorris | About 1 h |
| Ballina | Car via Charlestown and Swinford, or train from Manulla Junction | About 1 h |
| Sligo | Bus Feda 964, or car via Charlestown | About 1 h 15 min |
| Newport | Car via Westport | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Knock village, by the shrine
- Walk to the basilica in minutes; guesthouses and one hotel line Ballyhaunis Rd and the crossroads.
- Claremorris
- 11 km south, rail station and more hotels, pubs and shops; the better base without a car.6.8 mi south, rail station and more hotels, pubs and shops; the better base without a car.
- Charlestown / Swinford
- Near NOC airport; use for early flights or a late arrival.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Dia duitjeea gwit |
| Thank you | Go raibh maith agatguh rev mah agut |
| Please | Le do thoilleh duh hull |
| Where is the shrine? | Cá bhfuil an tearmann?kaw will an charmun |
| How much is it? | Cé mhéad é?kay vade ay |
| Can I pay by card? | An féidir liom íoc le cárta?on fay-der lum eek le karta |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, first names quickly; avoid: Over-formality; it reads as coldness
- Conversation: Banter, weather and sport; self-deprecating humour; avoid: Opening with Northern Ireland, religion or the Famine
- Pubs: Buy your round; chat at the bar; avoid: Leaving a round without buying one
- Identity: Say Ireland, or the Republic when you need to distinguish; avoid: 'Southern Ireland' and calling it British
- Driving: Lift a finger from the wheel to thank drivers who pull in for you; avoid: Stopping on narrow bends for photos
Scams and watch-outs
- No tourist office: St John's Rest Centre beside the basilica acts as the reception and information point.
- Buses to the village run a few times a day only; check the last service before you plan a late return.
- NOC charges a €10 development fee to departing passengers aged 12 and over.
- Village shops and cafés keep short hours outside summer; Claremorris has the late options.
Very safe for tourists; the real risks are wet, unlit roads, long walks on the R323 without a footpath, and weather that turns fast on any drive into the hills.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Knock yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Knock Shrine (Sanctuary of Our Lady of Knock)
- The 1879 apparition and its inquiries
- Knock Museum
- Ireland West Airport Knock (NOC)
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Knock Shrine: www.knockshrine.ie/
- Ireland West Airport Knock: www.irelandwestairport.com/
- Bus Éireann: www.buseireann.ie
- Irish Rail: www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/
- Bus Feda: busfeda.ie/
- Wikivoyage: Knock (Ireland), revision 5247767 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5247767
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
KnockCnoc Mhuire
Chuig an seoladh seo, le do thoil
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, ambulance, fire, coast guard112
- Alternative emergency number999
- Ireland West Airport Knock+353 94 936 8100
No embassies in Mayo; the US Embassy and most others are in Dublin. The nearest Garda station is in Ballyhaunis or Claremorris.
Shrine complex is open daily, roughly 8AM–9:30PM, free; Knock Museum is open daily about 10AM–5PM.Shrine complex is open daily, roughly 8AM–9:30 AMPM, free; Knock Museum is open daily about 10AM–5PM.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/knock-ireland). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.