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Castles of Connemara tour departing Galway city. Guided. Full day
4.8
20 Ratings
Galway
Explore Connemara’s castles on a guided full-day tour from Galway. Visit Aughnanure Castle, Kylemore Abbey, and Clifden Castle. Enjoy scenic views and historic sites.
Duration:
9 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Aughnanure Castle - 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.
- Quiet Man Bridge - 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
- Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Garden - 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. Choose to treat yourself to refreshments at the onsite café for lunch.
- Clifden Castle - 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.
- Ballynahinch Castle - 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.
What's Included
- Entrance into Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Gardens
- Guided tour of Connemara in minivan
- Entrance into Aughnanure Castle
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Lunch
Additional Information
Join this captivating daily excursion to the renowned Castles of Connemara, as we head west into this picturesque region, celebrated for its untamed landscapes and seascapes. Our first castle stop is Aughnanure Castle, constructed by the O’Flahertys in 1500 and a notably well-preserved Irish tower house example. Our journey continues to the charming village of Oughterard for a brief coffee stop, before heading to the renowned ‘Quiet Man’ bridge. We then proceed through the scenic Connemara region to Kylemore Abbey, established by the English industrialist, Mitchell Henry, and currently home to a Benedictine monastery. Dedicate the next few hours to discovering this poignant Abbey, with its Victorian walled gardens and Gothic church. We proceed onward to the Connemara capital, the vibrant town of Clifden. Along the way (weather permitting), we tour the scenic Sky Road, providing views of the dilapidated Clifden Castle, constructed in 1812 following the Gothic Revival design. After a day of exploration, we revert to Galway City.
- Do you or any of your party suffer from food allergies? If yes, please inform your guide before departing on this tour.
Location
Galway Cathedral
Gaol Road
Please wait on the steps of Galway Cathedral facing the river/bridge and the driver guide will collect you from there.
The vehicle will have a sign in the window for 'Castles of Connemara' tour.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(20 Ratings)
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Bruce_m
Jul 3, 2024
The Best - We had a great day with Colleen, who is from Connemara and knows all about it and its history. We were lucky and had the whole van to ourselves, but it would've still been much better than a big bus tour if there had been other people, because we could go on back roads and we hit all the spots.
Review provided by Viator
Anthony_p
Jun 28, 2024
Castles and Cows - It was great to be able to tour an intact castle and the beautiful Abbey! There were also nice little stops along the way with our friendly and helpful guide who was full of interesting tidbits and had a real heart for the area. She handled all sorts of things beautifully — even the pokey stubborn cows in our way :)
Review provided by Viator
Erin_p
Jun 19, 2024
An enjoyable trip with a wonderful driver. - Our driver Paul was wonderful! He took us to a charming waterfront village for a great lunch. This tour gave us the opportunity to see the stunning countryside as well as the castles. I wish we had been able to spend a little more time at the Kylemore Abbey so we could see the gardens. The talk there was good, but seeing the gardens would have been a better use of our limited time.
Review provided by Viator
F2149hgpaulw
May 26, 2024
Castles, Sheep, Mountains and Bono - Colleen was awesome. Super informative, great driver, very personable. She had some great family history to incorporate into the tour that I won’t spoil here but really helped us see what life is and was like in county Galway. We took more beautiful photos than you could fill a book with. Very lovely trip. Thanks again Colleen!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jessie_b
May 24, 2024
Highly recommend - Beautiful trip! Our guide, Tony, was knowledgeable and friendly. The Abby grounds were gorgeous and the wild landscape was breathtaking. We were very fortunate with beautiful weather (we went late May).
Review provided by Viator
Britney_g
Apr 21, 2024
No better way to tour Connemara - Our tour guide Colleen was a Connemara native with generations of local knowledge and experience that took this tour to the next level. The stories she told about cutting turf taught us just as much and we're just as entertaining as the history we learned about the castles we saw.
Review provided by Viator
485aprile
Sep 19, 2023
Great Kylemore tour! - Our driver was great to be with and was flexible with our group. We loved having lunch with her and she provided such great background on the area! Excellent driver and tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sherpa364913
Sep 19, 2023
Fantastic tour of the Connemara region and Kylemore Abbey. - Our tour was super from start to finish! Our guide Tony was an excellent driver and provided wonderful commentary and history throughout the day. We had plenty of time at each stop and never felt rushed as you often feel on the big-bus tours. We like to walk a lot and this tour allowed plenty of opportunity for that. We got in 3+ miles, but there was no requirement to walk so this tour would work for people who want less walking too. We had a great lunch at a pub and still lots of time to see Kylemore Abbey with all its sites.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Russell_b
Sep 12, 2023
Great tour and worth the day trip. - While the abbey is spectacular, Aughnaure Castle was an really a great stop. The guides and archaeologists on site were incredible knowledgeable and friendly. Our guide Tony was amazing. The day we booked others cancelled and we had a private tour. Tony was informative and so nice. The scenery alone is worth the ride, sky road and through the valleys. He took us to see things not in the tour and was simply outstanding. It is a long day, and the roads are winding and sometimes scary. We had lunch at the abbey and enjoyed seeing Cliffden as well. I thought it was well worth the day.
Review provided by Viator
Enrique_n
Sep 2, 2023
A perfect day in Connemara! - This was an excellent tour! We stopped at many sites throughout Connemara, including my personal favorites, Aughnanure Castle and Kylemore Abbey/Castle. It was a day very well spent exploring Connemara and the highlight of the day was our wonderful, knowledgeable, kind, funny and engaging guide, Tony. He is simply fabulous!
Thank you for an amazing day!
Review provided by Viator
