Galway is a county in two halves. To the west is a coastland landscape of lowland bogs, rocky mountains and the limestone plateau of the Aran Islands. Lough Corrib almost completely divides this area from the rolling farmland in the east of the county. This Guide is devoted to the west of the County. The east of the County can be found on the Heart of Ireland pages. The southern part of the county nearest the Burren can be found on the Clare pages. The Aran Islands have their own pages.

 

At the heart of  West Galway is Connemara, which can be defined as anywhere in the west of the county that is in sight of the Twelve Bens mountains. The area is renowned for its quality of the light which has attracted generations of painters. How can light be different? Well, things here have a peculiary luminous quality. Perhaps its a combination of the light reflected off the limestone hills with the reflections off the thousands of lakes and the sodden puddled turf itself. Whatever the explanation you'll know what people talk about when you experience it for yourself.

 

 

The road from Galway to the Aran ferries at Rosaveel was once a backpackers area with a fair smattering of hostels. Today many ferries leave from Galway city, and the village of Spiddle is no longer the draw it was (for the traditional music). The area is a lot quieter but its still well worth visiting as the first part of the slow coastal route to Clifden. There is an excellent Craft Village at Spiddle. Beyond is one of the best survivals of the old Ireland with a good number of thatched cottages along the road.

 

The road turns north at Inverin then rides around two bays and two boggy, soggy peninsulas before reaching Clifden. In good weather this is wonderful restful countryside and great cycling (wind allowing). Several even smaller roads cut across the peninsulars straight through the bog. The coast road twists and turns through lazy strung out villages . 5km after Screeb at Gortmore is Padraig Pearse's Cottage, a lovely low key memorial to this leader of the Gaelic Revival and named President in the 1916 uprising who was then executed. Roundstone is the largest settlement before Clifden and home to another good Craft Village where you will find Roundstone Musical Instruments which has provided many a holidaymaker with a Bodhran, whistle flute or even a harp. Roundstone Arts Week is full of traditional music performances. On the other side of the hill behind the town, Mount Errisburg, is Roundstone Bog, a 50% water landscape of international importance and where Alcock and Brown ended the first transatlantic plane flight nose first in the peat.

 

 

For the first 27 km the road defines the line where the boggy hills to the west meet the green farmland descending towards Loch Corrib to the east. Oughterard reveals a touristy face in it's centre, but just west is another refined Georgian side to the village. Lough Corrib is only 1km down a side road here and boats can be hired. The road then rises and the scenery opens out, bogs to the south, mountains the north, for the 50 km to Clifden. The road follows a line of lakes, many several kilometres long. After 16km Maam Cross simply is a crossroads, one family runs the Peacocks complex of services for the traveller. A further 15km on is the most beautiful scenery on this side of the mountains where a valley opens out northwards past Lough Inagh with the jagged Maanturk Mouuntains to the east. To the west and dominating the rest of the journey to Clifden are the white knuckles of the Twelve Bens.

 

 

The 'Capital of Connemara' has been comprehensively redeveloped in the last 10 years.It is actually a seaboard town, but its inlet is hidden from the town centre. It makes a good base with many day walking and easy cycling options. Much good music is played here with musicians coming up from Galway City as well as locals. Marlarkey's Bar on Church Street has music, poerty readings and general craic, Mannion's Bar and Lounge. Market Street, is a bring an instrument & join in kind of place. The Sky Road is a popular16km scenic loop of coastland from town. The town hums in late September to the sights and sounds of Clifden Arts Week.

 

 

9km north west of the town is a lovely little bay with a tiny village Cleggan with the ferry for Inisboffin. The popularity of this Island with hostellers owes a lot to its hostel, which has a reputation as a great place to meet people. There is magnificent scenery, good beaches and a wide range of bird life.Then there is the drinking in the 3 island bars to the early hours..... Two ferry services operate: Inishbofin Ferries 095 45903, 095 45806 and Inishbofin Island Discovery 095 45894

 

 

Letterfrack is an old Quaker village with not a Quaker left. It has sea inlets to its north and the Twelve Bens to Its South. The Entrance to Connemara National Park is here, as is the Connemara West Centre in a large old residential school with bold new extention. The main road then passes by Kylemore Lake, on it shores is Kylemore Abbey. Originally a 19th century country house, it now houses a school. Parts of the house are open to the public. The northern end of the Inagh Valley is now passed. There is a tent shaped modern wayside chapel by the side of the road where you may find youself sheltering from the rain. Views then open out down the seaward arm  of Killary Harbour. 2km further on the harbour itself, actually Ireland's only Fjord, is reached and the road hugs it till its end. The scenery is intense with the water hemmed in on both sides by the mountains. The little village of Leenane makes an excellent stopping point and now trades on its place in The Field film which was filmed around here.

 

 

At Letterfrack a minor road heads north into a wild peninsula like area between Ballynakill Harbour and Killary Harbour. The whole area feels very remote and especially after Tully Cross the roads are quite primitive. There is fine if barren coastal scenery with good white beaches. At Little Killary Harbour and Killary Harbour itself the landscape is jaw dropping. An old drove road hugs the coast of Killary harbour from near the pier inland for 7 km till it meets the main Clifden - Galway Road and would make a fine walk (and challenging mountain bike ride).

 

 

From Leenane the R336 heads south to Maam down a beautiful mountain valley into what is known as Joyce Country.  It divides at Maam where there is a popular cyclists Bar. The R336 heads south to Maam Cross while the R345 heads west to Cong swooping down several times to the shore of Lough Corrib.