Castles of Connemara tour departing Galway city. Guided. Full day
Full description
Included / Excluded
- Entrance into Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Gardens.
- Guided tour of Connemara in minivan.
- Entrance into Aughnanure Castle.
- Gratuities
- Lunch
Itinerary
Our first castle visit is to Aughnanure Castle. This castle lies in picturesque surroundings close to Lough Corrib and village of Oughterard. Built by the O’Flahertys, one of Connacht's most notable lord families in 1500 and standing on what is a rocky island on the shores of Lough Corrib. This castle is a particularly well-preserved example of an Irish tower house. On this visit you will find the remains of a banqueting hall, a watch tower, an unusual double bawn and bastions and dry harbour. Grace O’Malley, the notorious west of Ireland sea pirate was married to Donal O’Flaherty.
This bridge was made famous in the 1950s classic “The Quiet man” starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. Tourists from all over the world to come visit this local attraction. The Quiet Man is regarded as one of the top 100 films ever made
Our next castle stop is Kylemore Abbey, first founded by English industrialist Mitchell Henry as a present to his wife and now a Benedictine monastery. The next few hours are up to you to explore this romantic abbey, its Victorian walled gardens and Gothic church. (Entrance into Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Gardens not included in cost.) Choose to treat yourself to refreshments at the onsite café for lunch.
Pass by: Located on the scenic Sky Road, west of the town of Clifden, Clifden Castle was built in 1812 in the Gothic Revival style by John D’Arcy (1785 – 1839), who was the founder of Clifden Town and which is now the capital of the Connemara region of Galway. The estate of Clifden Castle originally covered over 17,000 acres. However, these lands which had been owned by the D’Arcy family for over 150 years, were lost to the family in the mid-1800’s when the family became bankrupt as a result of debts incurred during the Great Potato Famine. The castle has changed hands many times over the years and the land around it has been divided up and sold leading Clifden Castle to fall into ruin in the latter part of the 19th Century. The present day castle has only the stone shell remaining and is partly overgrown with thick ivy.
Pass by: This castle on the lake is steeped in history and is connected to one of the 14 tribes of Galway the Martin family. Richard Martin was the founder of the RSPCA. Another Martin was Edward Martin who was very friendly with WB Yeats and Lady Gregory and later went on to establish the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. Please note we view the old original castle on the island on Ballynahich Lough.
Meeting point
Start Location
Galway Cathedral, Gaol Road, Galway, Ireland
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Accessibility
- Infants Required On Laps
- Service Animals Allowed
- Stroller Accessible
Traveler reviews
Colleen is native to the...
Colleen is native to the area. She had so much local knowledge. It was a fantastic tour. We enjoyed every aspect of our day. She is pleasant accommodating. I would highly recommend Colleen as a tour guide for your Connemara exploration! Mary
Private tour with Colleen
A private tour with Colleen who was wonderful - knowledgeable, adaptable & funny. We are a family of 5 with college kids & an 80 year old mother all enjoyed themselves even with rain, hail, wind & a rainbow. Colleen timed it all out well. Clifton, the abbey, the bridge, local wildlife & scenic views were all worth the trip.
Great tour day
We enjoyed our small minivan tour of 5 people with Jimmy. He was flexible and accommodating with tailoring small requests for unique experiences. Had a wonderful day!
Personalized experience with Colleen.
Our tour guide Colleen was very knowledgeable. It was quite a windy and rainy day but Colleen handled it all, gave us a great history of the areas we went through, and even suggested a place for lunch, which was excellent. She also pointed us out to the best jeweler in Connemara to purchase jewelry made with the marble of that area, which I was looking to purchase. This turned out to be a private tour with just the two of us and we had her full attention the whole time. She really made this tour something special.
Beautiful West
The tour was very nice and we saw a lot. The return journey was very fast and unfortunately earlier than planned (after 7.5 hours) back at the starting point.