ATU Mayo (Castlebar) Accommodation 2027

1. At a glance

• Address: ATU Mayo, Westport Road, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, F23 X853; +353 (0)94 9025700.
• About 1,000 students in a restored wing of St Mary's Hospital, in a town of over 12,000 people. Programmes include nursing, social care, psychology, early childhood education, community development and youth work, outdoor education, and history and geography. CAO 2026 courses tagged Castlebar include General Nursing, Mental Health Nursing, Psychology, Applied Social Care, Early Childhood Education and Care, Geography and Outdoor Education, and History and Geography.
• ATU says there is no on-campus accommodation and that it does not own or manage accommodation on any campus.

2. On-campus / college-owned accommodation

ATU does not run accommodation in Castlebar. Its guidance for Mayo: rooms in private homes, available year-round, plus Hawthorn Village, with the Mayo Students' Union office as the contact (section 6).

3. Purpose-built student accommodation

ATU's accommodation page names one option for Mayo: Hawthorn Village, which it says prioritises students where possible. The operator's site (http://hawthornvillage.ie/studentApartment.html) describes it as beside the Castlebar train station and within walking distance of the college, with a morning bus to college. All rooms are en-suite (single, premium and shared options in 2- and 4-bedroom apartments), with monthly or semester contracts, no curfew and an on-site manager. Phone +353 94 904 3900.

4. Private renting and digs

• ATU says Mayo listings are mostly rooms in private homes, available year-round; digs typically cost €130 to €150 a week (ATU accommodation page).
• Search: ATU Studentpad has a Mayo Campus filter (https://www.atustudentpad.ie). ATU Galway-Mayo Students' Union Mayo office: [email protected].
• Official rent data (RTB Rent Index, Q1 2026, published September 2026): county Mayo standardised average rent for new tenancies €1,153 a month and for existing tenancies €978. These are mix-adjusted averages per tenancy, not room rents. The RTB's Castlebar local electoral area shows EUR 1,238 for new tenancies and EUR 1,130 for existing tenancies (small sample).

5. Getting around

• The campus is a 5-minute walk from Castlebar town centre's main bus stop (ATU campus page). The page lists Bus Éireann route 440 from Ireland West Airport (Knock) to Castlebar, Bus Éireann route 456 from Galway, Citylink route 721 from Dublin Airport, plus TFI Local Link services.
• Driving times to Castlebar from the campus page: Galway about 1 hour 15 minutes, Athlone under 2 hours, Dublin about 3 hours.

6. Supports: where to get accommodation and who to contact

• Where to get accommodation: Hawthorn Village (section 3); rooms in private homes through ATU Studentpad (Mayo Campus filter) and the Students' Union; ATU accommodation page.
• Who to contact: ATU Galway-Mayo Students' Union, Mayo office: [email protected], +353 94 9043109 (listed by ATU for accommodation and emergencies; https://atusugalwaymayo.ie). Campus: +353 (0)94 9025700 (https://www.atu.ie/campus/mayo).
• ATU accommodation page: https://www.atu.ie/student-life/accommodation
• ATU Student Assistance Fund (Galway-Mayo: [email protected]): means-tested hardship support for registered students on full-time or part-time awards at NFQ levels 6-10. ATU lists rent and utilities among eligible expenses; international/non-EU fee-paying students and incoming Erasmus students are not eligible. Apply through the ATU Student Hub; https://www.atu.ie/student-life/student-support/access-and-widening-participation/financial-support

7. Accessibility

• Disability and Learning Support Service: https://www.atu.ie/student-life/student-support/disability-support

8. International and mature notes

• ATU Global: https://www.atu.ie/study/global

9. Timeline for Sept 2027 entry

ATU says Mayo options are available year-round.

1. Register on Studentpad and set up alerts.
2. Phone Hawthorn Village on +353 94 904 3900 once you have CAO offers.
3. Widen the search to private rooms listed through the Students' Union.

10. Check before paying

• Purpose-built student accommodation counts as student specific accommodation under RTB rules: no more than one month's rent as deposit and one month in advance, and agreements should not exceed 41 weeks unless you request it.
• A room in a house where the landlord also lives is digs or Rent-a-Room and outside RTB remit; agree the rules in writing. https://rtb.ie/renting/types-of-tenancies/student-specific-accommodation/

11. Official sources used

• https://www.atu.ie/campus/mayo
• https://www.atu.ie/student-life/accommodation
• http://hawthornvillage.ie/studentApartment.html
• https://www.atustudentpad.ie
• https://www.atu.ie/student-life/student-support/access-and-widening-participation/financial-support
• https://rtb.ie/renting/types-of-tenancies/student-specific-accommodation/
• https://rtb.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/RTB-Rent-Index-Q1-2026.pdf
• https://www2.cao.ie/points/l8.php