O'Neachtain Tours: Connemara Tour |
This tour includes the most interesting aspects of Connemara to
enable you to get the best possible view and knowledge of the
changes which have occurred over the centuries. This is an ideal
opportunity for you to forget about the left hand side of the road
for a day. Sit back and relax on our luxury highline yellow and
white Mercedes coaches. O'Neachtains professional tour guide will
give you many stops to explore and photograph in each area. Come
and be entertained: Irish music, history, geography, culture,
stories and fokelore.
Our tour leaves
Galway City along the very scenic Connemara coast road (see map)
with breath taking views of Galway Bay, the limestone Burren and
the Hills of Clare.
Approaching the charming village of Spiddal, we stop at
Standúns sweater and souvenir shop for refreshments. Next
it's on to the deserted famine village where ample time is given to
explore and photograph the village. Rossaveal is the departure
point for the ferryboats to the Aran Islands. O'Neachtains
Connemara tour has pick-up arrangements with the 9am ferry from the
Aran Islands each morning. Now we journey on to Costello and Screeb. We are now in the
Irish speaking area where Gaelic or Irish is the spoken language.
At Maam Cross, the Connemara "crossroads", there is a replica of
the cottage used in the 1950s John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara film
"The Quiet Man" filmed locally. From Maam Cross our tour heads out
towards the world famous Kylemore Abbey on a journey of unsurpassed
beauty driving through the green Inagh Valley that divides the two
sets of mountains - the Maam Turks and the Twelve Bens. The Ben Ban
is the highest mountain in Connemara. Here you can photograph the
mountains, and the lakes and pools shining like little pieces of
broken mirror.
Next we see the magnificent Kylemore Abbey which is an 18th
century castle that is now in the good hands of the Benedictine
Nuns, who run an excellent boarding school. This is where we have
our next long break with ample time for lunch and a visit to the
abbey and its beautiful gothic church. Moving on to Letterfrack where you have one of Ireland's finest
national parks. Our next visit is at Ocean's Alive Aquarium and
Maritime Museum. A fascinating and informative exhibition of
Connemara marine heritage. This is an additional stop in the low
season where you will have a chance to see some of the hidden
underwater treasures of our waters and learn a little about the sea
as a commercial resource. Enjoy the fresh sea air, the peace,
tranquillity and closeness of nature. Connemara shores offer a wide
variety of habitats that include vast stretches of clean white sand
and pink toned coral beaches as well as wave-lashed rocky areas.
Each has its own unique Flora and Fauna.
Clifden, the capital of Connemara, was founded by John D'arcy in 1812.
Clifden is an ideal holiday centre. Aviation history was made at
Derrygimlagh bog near Clifden when Alcock and Browne crashed landed after
their historic transatlantic flight in 1919. The Connemara pony breeders
association come together every August to hold the world famous Connemara
pony show. As we leave Clifden we see the Clifden Glen holiday homes.
Next on to Dan O'Hara
pre-famine (pre 1840) farm fronted by a replica of an ancient lake
dwelling called "A Crannóg". We continue on to Ballynahinch
and Derryclare lakes. Back at Maam Cross the tour goes towards the
Quietman Bridge. It's also the main area where the farmers dig the
peat from the bogs. Next to Oughterard a village on the banks of
Lough Corrib - one of the best fishing lakes in Ireland. This
village is also described as "The Gateway to Connemara" and one of
Ireland's leading angler resorts. We continue to Moycullen where
you have the marble factory and get back to Galway City at approx
5:15pm. You will find our guide friendly and always willing to share a
joke with you. It's an experience we hope you will treasure for
many years of one of the most beautiful spots in Ireland.
Stops
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Departures
7 days a week all year round.
Salthill Tourist Office: 09:45 |
Tickets can be purchased from Galway and Salthill Tourist Office or on the Coach. Group and Family rates available on request. Free pickup from your accomodation by arrangement. Take both tours and available of special discount (winter months only). |