Connemara
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Connemara, in the northwest of County Galway, West Ireland has scenery like that out of a fairy tale. Its mountains are a deep and rich colour of green.
Cities
- is the usual access into Connemara National Park.
Understand
Connemara is the peninsula of Western Galway. It has long been regarded as one of the most beautiful places in the world. Its barren windswept landscape is compelling and inspiring. The blanket bog covering the region houses some beautiful and varied flora, and provides a contrast to the more green and fertile land of the midlands and the south.
The ancient mountains have been raked to their bones by long thawed glaciers, leaving patches of grey granite and jutting outwards, and potato rows still visible from the desperate times of the Great Famine. The fields are divided by hand-made stone walls, often collapsed. The Atlantic coast is dramatic and powerful, filling one with appreciation for the fear that the Irish men and women from this region must have felt when preparing for the trip across it.
The ancient mountains have been raked to their bones by long thawed glaciers, leaving patches of grey granite and jutting outwards, and potato rows still visible from the desperate times of the Great Famine. The fields are divided by hand-made stone walls, often collapsed. The Atlantic coast is dramatic and powerful, filling one with appreciation for the fear that the Irish men and women from this region must have felt when preparing for the trip across it.
Talk
Irish is widely spoken in Connemara, and is the native language of all the locals. And will appreciate if you tried to speak a little Irish to the locals, however they will not expect you to speak in Irish. A person who asks "Do you have any Irish?" is inquiring whether you speak the language. You can get by, by using Irish to the locals, shops, the villages or anywhere. However, if you are a holiday maker you don't have to use Irish to get by in Connemara as English would be understood by everyone, but you are more than welcome to use the language if you wish to be apart of the Gaeltacht spirit!
Get in
- Bus Éireann: Route 420, from Galway to Clifden winds through most of the major destinations.
- Citylink has started a route to Clifden and Letterfrack from Galway.
- For drivers, take the N59 or R336 northwest from Galway City. The N59 is the main road from Galway to Clifden, while the R336 winds its way along the southern shore before turning north to Leenane. The two roads intersect at Maam Cross.
Get around
Citylink, Bus Eireann, Taxis and Hackneys for private hire.
Drivers should be aware that roads outside main towns in Connemara are often narrow and twisty. Although this has the advantage of encouraging you to slow down and appreciate the scenery, it does mean that getting to where you want to go can often take longer than you think, so it's a good idea to bear this in mind when planning ahead.
Drivers should be aware that roads outside main towns in Connemara are often narrow and twisty. Although this has the advantage of encouraging you to slow down and appreciate the scenery, it does mean that getting to where you want to go can often take longer than you think, so it's a good idea to bear this in mind when planning ahead.
Do
-
address: RenvyleOffers PADI courses and boat diving in scenic Little Killary and environs.
- Hiking is the best way to see Connemara. Highlights include the Twelve Bens, a small range of mountains stretching between Kylemore Lake and Lough Derryclare. Parts of the bens are included in Connemara National Park
- Biking and cycling around Connemara