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ADVENTURE

Connemara National Park, Letterfrack - (095) 41006/ www.connemaranationalpark.ie

Located 11 miles north of Clifden, Connemara National Park is a must-see for visitors to the area. When you first see the park, watched over by its mountain, Diamond Hill, you will be impressed by its stunning natural beauty. Self-guided tours, picnic area, audio visual show, exhibition on Connemara’s Landscape.

Dan O'Hara's Homestead, Galway Road - (095) 21808/ www.connemaraheritage.com


Inishbofin Island, off Cleggan
Killary Adventure Centre, Leenane, (095) 43411 / www.killaryadventure.com
Killary Cruises, Leenane, (091) 566736 / www.killarycruises.com

CINEMA/THEATRE
Station House Theatre, Clifden - (095) 30303/ www.stationhousetheatre.com for listings

CYCLING
Sky Road, Clifden
Cleggan
Roundstone
Ballynahinch Castle



FAMILY OUTINGS
Connemara National Park, Letterfrack - (095) 41006/ www.connemaranationalpark.ie Located 11 miles north of Clifden, Connemara National Park is a must-see for visitors to the area. When you first see the park, watched over by its mountain, Diamond Hill, you will be impressed by its stunning natural beauty. Self-guided tours, picnic area, audio visual show, exhibition on Connemara’s Landscape.


Clifden Cinema
Beach Walking


 Killary Cruises
 Leenane, (091) 566736 / www.killarycruises.com.  Enjoy a cruise on the only fjord in Ireland.  Beautiful scenery and very relaxing.


Clifden Castle (Walking only, park outside gates)

Built around 1810 by Clifden’s founder John D’Arcy, it was once his residence. A walk to Clifden Castle is essential. It is approached through a beautiful entrance arch and gothic walls along a winding avenue edged with a series of 5 standing stones (only one is original). Clifden Castle is now a romantic ruin overlooking Clifden Bay. Follow the signs from The Square towards Sky Road.

Connemara Smokehouse Tours

In our Smokehouse Tour, you'll watch Graham/Nicholas fillet and traditionally prepare the salmon, then hand-slice and pack the finished product. Also, you will learn about the various smoking methods and enjoy a tasting of our fantastic Smoked Salmon. We are sure you will then want to buy some to take home, eat some while you are here on holiday, or send to friends and family as a gift. It's educational, fun and delicious, if you are in our area, please do drop in and check us out. Visitors are Welcome all year round to come in for a chat and purchase any of our products. Group Tours by appointment only from September - May. Summer Tours are available to from June, July & August on Wednesday's at 3 pm. Tour takes approx. 1 hour
Tel: 095-23739 , Fax: 095-23001    graham@smokehouse.ie : www.smokehouse.ie

Clifden Station House Museum

The ground floor exhibits the history of the Connemara Pony, while the upper gallery houses the local history section. All information is presented on storyboards and supported by quality artefacts & memorabilia.
Pat Lyne (Curator), Clifden Station House Courtyard, Clifden
Tel:095-21494  
stationhousemuseum@eircom.net        

Connemara Championship Links

This Eddie Hackett-designed golf course is set in stunning, rugged countryside. The back nine has been described as the equal of any in the world".
Richard Flaherty, Aillebrack, Ballyconneely
Tel:095-23502/23602, Fax: 095-23662  links@iol.ie


Dan O' Hara Homestead -Connemara Heritage & History Centre

Take a stroll through Connemara's colourful past at this award winning centre situtated on a located 5 miles from Clifden on the Galway road.  Audio Visual & History Presentation on Connemara through the Ages, Crannog, Clochaun, Ringfort and the restored Prefamine Cottage & Farm of Dan O' Hara.     Guided Tours available for groups. Restaurant and Craft Shop. Open Daily 9am to 6pm. April to October. Off season by request.

Bed and Breakfast also available. All rooms ensuite with Hospitality Tray, T.V. Telephone, Hair Dryer and WIFI access. Complimentary admission for guests staying in the B&B to the Heritage Centre. Special rates available for stays of 2 nights or more.

Martin & Nora Walsh    Tel 095 21808 /Fax 095 22098 Email danohara@eircom.net          www.connemaraheritage.com

Horseriding

Killary Adventure Centre

 




FISHING

Blue Water Fishing
Deep sea angling on one of Irelands best boats. Groups, individuals, novices and experts all welcome. B&B and great food in Blue Water Fishings own guesthouse.
John Brittain, Streamstown, Clifden
Tel:095-21073 , Fax: 095-21678   bluewater@eircom.net




GOLF

Connemara Championship Links

This Eddie Hackett-designed golf course is set in stunning, rugged countryside. The back nine has been described as the equal of any in the world".
 Aillebrack, Ballyconneely
Tel:095-23502/23602, Fax: 095-23662  links@iol.ie

Get golf lessons from a Professional Golfer - Hugh O'Neill (095) 23889


HERITAGE & CULTURE

Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Gardens

Dan O'Hara's Homestead, Galway Road - (095) 21808/ www.connemaraheritage.com

Take a stroll through Connemara's colourful past at this award winning centre situtated on a located 5 miles from Clifden on the Galway road.  Audio Visual & History Presentation on Connemara through the Ages, Crannog, Clochaun, Ringfort and the restored Prefamine Cottage & Farm of Dan O' Hara.     Guided Tours available for groups. Restaurant and Craft Shop. Open Daily 9am to 6pm. April to October. Off season by request.  Bed and Breakfast also available. All rooms ensuite with Hospitality Tray, T.V. Telephone, Hair Dryer and WIFI access. Complimentary admission for guests staying in the B&B to the Heritage Centre. Special rates available for stays of 2 nights or more.
Martin & Nora Walsh    Tel 095 21808 / Fax 095 22098 Email danohara@eircom.net          www.connemaraheritage.com

D'Arcy Monument
Situated on a hill overlooking town, this is surmised to be an unfinished memorial to the founder of Clifden town, John D'arcy.  Offers superb views.  Walk up Sky Road approx 3/4 mile.  Gate on left.

Old Graveyard, Clifden
A fascinating way to pass an hour.  Very old graveyard situated  behind the Fruit & Veg shop on Main Street.  Loving reclaimed and restored.

Alcock & Brown Crash Landing Site & Marconi Station
3 miles south of Clifden is the crash-landing site of the first transatlantic flight of alcock & Brown in 1919 and monument to this historic achievement.  Nearby is the site of the radio transmitter station from which Marconi exchanged the first transatlantic radio messages with a station in Nova Scotia in 1907.

Old Famine Road, Leenane

HORSERIDING
Errislannan Riding Centre, Errislannan Manor
Cleggan Riding Centre, Cleggan
Keeraunmore Riding Centre, Ballyconneely

PLAYGROUND
Beach Road, Clifden (new all weather pitch to be completed by March 2010)

WALKING

The Sky Road Tour
Justifiably famous for the views it affords, the Sky Road route takes you up among the hills overlooking Clifden Bay and its offshore islands, Inishturk and Turbot Island. Follow the signposts from Market Square and on the way, be sure to climb Monument Hill. At the summit you will find a stone memorial to the town’s founder, John D’Arcy.
 

Beach Road Walk
A local favourite, the Beach Road is one of the most peaceful and serene walks in Clifden. Instead of taking a right at the fork toward the Sky Road, take a left, this will lead you down toward Clifden harbour. Follow the road until you reach the Boat Club or take a right a little before to head up onto the Sky Road or go back to Clifden.

Connemara Walking Centre
Archaeological and heritage walks, tours for groups and private bookings.
Michael Gibbons, Island House, Market Street, Clifden
Tel:095 21379 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              095 21379      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, Fax:
walkwest@indigo.ie This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Connemara Safari, walking tours and exploring islands, (095) 21071
Michael Gibbons Walking Tours, full of history, guided tour by renowned archaeologist, (095) 21492

The Twelve Bens
Sky Road
Clifden Loop
Dooneen
Old Railway Track to Ballynahinch
Old Famine Road, Leenane



SCENIC DRIVES
Sky Road
Roundstone Village Tour

Take the R341 towards Ballyconneely and turn left at Ballinaboy Bridge, driving along the Bog Road that crosses the famous Roundstone Bog conservation area. A right turn towards Roundstone takes you past a deserted village to your left.  Follow the coast road into Roundstone.  Before entering the village you could turn left at the bridge and spend a while on the island of Inishnee.  If not, make your way to the coastal village of Roundstone, established in the 1820s by a Scottish engineer, Alexander Nimmo.  Roundstone is a busy working fishing village.  A Franciscan monastery was founded there in the 1830s but all that now remains of the monastery is the gateway entrance and church bell tower.  The walls, harbour and a well preserved bell tower, as well as the monks cemetary, can all still be seen.  As well as cafes, hotels, pubs and bars, you will find craft shops, art galleries and a working fishing harbour.

Dog’s Bay

Just off the Clifden to Roundstone road, Dog’s Bay, famous for its foraminiferal sands, is a stunning beach. The dunes have recently been the focus of intensive efforts to stem coastal erosion by planting grass – visitors are requested to respect the signs restricting access to the dunes. Gurteen Bay lies at the eastern side of the tombolo.

Cleggan and Claddaghduff

From Clifden, take the N59 towards Westport.  Approximately 5km , turn left towards Claddaghduff.  A couple of miles further along Streamstown Bay you will see the ruins of Doon Castle on your left.  Omey Island is next, accessible by car or on foot at low tide, by crossing acres of firm sandy beach (follow the direction poles in the sand on your way across, and be sure to check the tide timetable beforehand).  Omey has a wealth of antiquities.  Teampaill Feichin can be found on the northern side of the island, a medieval church built on a 7th century Christian settlement that was completely covered in sand until 1981.  St Feichin's Well can also be found to the west, just above a rocky inlet.  Returning to the mainland, continue towards Claddaghduff and then on towards the fishing village of Cleggan.  From here , you can take the ferry to Inishbofin Island.  From Cleggan, either take the bog road back to Clifden or continue to Moyard via Ballynakill Lough and then turn right on your way back to Clifden.

Inagh Valley and Kylemore Tour

No visit to Connemara is complete until you have travelled through the truly majestic Inagh Valley.  Travelling past Ballynahinch Lough to your right, you will see the ruins of the "castle on the lake" which once served as a prison to those who had ill treated animals. Founder of the RSPCA, 'Humanity Dick' Martin would treat the offenders to a stay on the island - ball and chain included.  After crossing a narrow bridge, take the R344 which takes you through the Inagh Valley.  Meandering past Lough Inagh, the Twelve Bens are to the left with the Maum Turk mountain range to the right.  This is a stunningly beautiful scenic route, taking you past turf stacks, sheep and glorious countryside, until you emerge at the other end of the valley.  Here you can turn left to return to Clifden and visit Kylemore Abbey and Victorial Walled Gardens on the way, or turn right to extend your tour further towards Leenane.

Alcock & Brown Drive and Walk Tour

Located just 3 miles south of Clifden is the crash landing site of the first transatlantic flight of Alcock and Brown (1919) and the monument to this historic achievement. Also nearby is the site of the first radio transmitter station from which Marconi exchanged the first transatlantic radio messages with a station in Nova Scotia in 1907.

Renvyle Peninsula Tour

Dominated by Tully Mountain, the Renvyle Peninsula offers panormaic sea views.  Take the N59 towards Westport, the peninsula is signposted left at the Quaker village of Letterfrack.  Passing through the villages of Tully Cross and Tully, keep driving until you get to the end of the peninsula where you will see the ruins of Renvyle Castle.  There are stunning views across Ballynakill Bay .  Returning to Tully Cross take the left turn by the Church and follow the elevated Coast road towards Little Killary Bay.  Shortly after, turn left to stop off at Glassilaun beach where scenes fom the movie Tristan and Isolde were filmed.  Continue along Lough Fee until you reach the N59, where you can either turn right to return to Clifden or left towards Leenane village.

Golf

Walks

Sightseeing

Fancy a round of Golf while in Connemara this weekend? 

Contact Hughie,Gareth or Kathleen at

Connemara Golf Club  on +353 95 23502/23603

You should eat here as well. The food and views from the clubhouse are superb!

Connemara Walking Festival: June Bank Holiday Weekend

Call Connemara Safari on +353 95 21 071
Call Michael Giibbons Wallks on    +353 95 21 492

Call Connemara Taxis +353 95 30 000

Historical Clifden

Go Swimming

Fishing

History of Connemara, Galway, Ireland

History of Connemara by Michael Gibbons

Part 1: Clifden town from 1809 to the present day

An Clochán or Clifden, founded by John D'Arcy (1785-1839) was one of the last towns to be built in Ireland. D'Arcy's vision was to create a thriving commercial centre in a resource-rich, but poverty stricken region. He hoped that the town would raise the living standards throughout the area by exploiting the rich fishing, wool and marble resources in the locality. Its superb siting overlooking the Atlantic, with easy access to a sheltered harbour, power from the Owenglen river, relatively fertile surroundings and its position at the junction of Connemara's lowlands and highlands augured well for its long term prospects.

The first house was built by the Coneys family in 1809 on the site of the Smugglers Lodge Hotel, and by the 1820s the town was growing rapidly. It follows the classic nineteenth century layout: oval in plan, with three principal streets - Market Street, Main Street and Bridge Street, a Market Square, a fine bridewell or gaol, courthouse and harbour. Clifden quickly superseded the older villages of Ballinaboy and Streamstown which rapidly faded in importance. D'Arcy's own house, Clifden Castle, now in ruins, is located just beyond the Boat Club on the Sky Road.

The town retains almost all of the nineteenth century streetscapes and fabrics. There are a number of buildings and features worth visiting. The town is dominated by two fine 19th century churches. St Joseph's RC Church was built in 1879 with emigrant's money flowing into the region in post famine times. The woodland opposite hides the now disused graveyard and original church, built in 1824. Christ Church, (Church of Ireland) was built in 1853 on a small drumlin and commands a wonderful view of the town. An early 19th century cross-inscribed slab just opposite the entrance probably relates to the earlier church built in 1810. Hyacinth D'Arcy, son of John D'Arcy, was the first minister here. The first school in Clifden, built in 1824 and closed in 1956, is now a private residence on Church Hill. One of the few Georgian buildings in the town, built in the 1850s, housed the Methodist Chapel, Schoolroom and Minister's residence located at the beginning of the Beach Road. The Methodist community had virtually disappeared by the 1920s and this building is now run as a B&B.

The Mercy Nuns from Galway opened a convent in 1858, and they ran an industrial school, an orphanage and later an old folks home. A second orphanage opened four years earlier in 1854 was run by Rev. Alexandra Dallas, and was housed in Glenowen House, originally built by John D'Arcy in 1832 and rebuilt as the Abbeyglen Castle Hotel. Rev. Dallas was among a number of protestant missionaries who came to Connemara during and after the famine opening up soup-kitchens and orphanages.

Work commenced on Clifden quay in 1822 and completed in 1831. John D'Arcy received a government grant for relief work to build the quay following the famine of 1822. It was designed by the famous engineer, Alexander Nimmo. The Galway-to-Clifden railway was also built as relief work. The route way was through the central plain of Connemara, with stations at Moycullen, Oughterard, Maam Cross, Recess and Ballinahinch. Opened in 1895, it was never profitable and closed in 1935, but it succeeded in opening up Connemara to the outside world and gave Clifden an economic lift, as the sea fisheries developed. The ruined station house still survives, adjacent to the famous Connemara Woollen Mills, run by the Millar family. Overlooking the town to the west is a monument to the memory of John D'Arcy, recently completed by our local historical society.

The town is entered from the south over two fine bridges, between which is a magnificent waterfall and narrow gorge running to the sea. The larger three-eye bridge leading to Dooneen and the bogs beyond was built in 1819. This bridge was name famous by John Ford in his classic film 'The Quiet Man'.The ruined complex beside the second bridge is the remains of a hydroelectric station, which provided Clifden with electricity in the 1930s and 1940s, years before other towns. On the hillside south of the waterfall, Daniel O'Connell held one of his famous monster meetings in 1843 as part of his campaign to repeal the Act of Union. Dominating the southern end of the town are the stark remains of Clifden Gaol, built in 1830 and closed at the foundation of the state.

The Clifden district was devastated by the great famine of the 1840s, and thousands died needlessly due to inaction on the part of the government. The much feared Clifden Workhouse, built to relieve distress, was overwhelmed and bankrupted by the famine. Both the Workhouse and the Fever Hospital have been demolished and a successful modern factory, GMT Ireland, employing forty, now occupies the site.

At the Beach Road junction, is the memorial to local man Thomas Whelan who was executed in Dublin in March 1921. He was a member of the Dublin Volunteers and was accused of killing a British officer. Two days later two RIC constables were shot in Clifden by the local IRA. The Black and Tans retaliated on March 17, 1921 (St Patrick's Day) by burning fourteen houses, killing one and wounding another civilian: their actions devastated the town.

Other famous characters about the town included Cailleach na Luibhe, a powerful and feared woman who had the power of the curse and the cure. She was a rare survivor of the earlier Celtic traditions and people flocked to her from all over the west. Local man John Reilly commanded the San Patricios, a battalion of Irish, British and German troops that fought with the Mexicans during the Mexican/American war of 1846-8. Connemara became a haven for writers, poets, artists and revolutionaries - Wilde, Gogarty, Wittgenstein, Pearce, Robinson, Murphy and Moriarty all seeking and finding inspiration. Local poets who have achieved national prominence include Michael Mac Suibhne, Tom Lyden & Mary O'Malley.

This article copyright © Michael Gibbons 1995

walk

See also

Restoration of St Mary's RC Graveyard

Using St Mary's Church, Clifden's first Roman Catholic Chapel, and the nearby graveyard, as a focal point, Kathleen Villiers-Tuthill traces Clifden's history from 1812 right up to the present day.

The Man from Mullaghgloss - The Life and Times of Johnnie Coyne

written by himself, on Jürgen Kullmann's Irelandman.de site.

History of Clifden Coastguard Station

"...built on land that had been farmed by the Whelan family who were tenants on the D'Arcy estate and resident in the area since before the famine." From coastguard-station.com.

History of the Truelight

The Truelight is the last of the Claddagh Hookers built originally about 1920. It is one of the most famous of the Galway Hookers; after a colourful history, which includes surviving the Cleggan Disaster in 1927 and Hurricane Debbie of 1961, An Truelight came to Carna in Connemara where, in 1999, the present owners undertook major restoration. This restoration was completed in early 2000 and The Truelight took to the sea in its present guise on April 15 2000.

Connemara marble: its place in history

Today, the descendants of Stone Age men still work stone in the form of polished marble tiles and slabs. The village of Recess, in the heart of Connemara, is home to a company dedicated to working what is possibly the best - and certainly the most beautiful - marble in the world.

John Ryan +353 95 21069

John Brittain    +353 95 21073