Connemara July 2018

We've recently returned from a fun and relaxing week in Ireland, we spent the best part of five days in the west of Ireland in Connemara.  Before heading off to the west we enjoyed a couple of days with family in Dublin. During that time we spent some time on the beach at Brittas Bay in County Wicklow. If you're staying in Dublin and fancy escaping to the beach, Brittas is only about an hours drive away.

Brittas Bay

 

Our destination in Connemara was Lough Inagh Lodge Hotel situated as the name suggests on the shore of Lough Inagh. It's a relatively easy drive to get there, roughly two hours from Dublin to Galway then another hour and a half to Lough Inagh. Once you get to the other side of Galway the scenery changes as you enter the beautiful surroundings of Connemara. 

Lough Inagh Lodge Hotel

View from the front of the hotel - who needs the Italian lakes!

The hotel was originally a fishing lodge before being transformed into a relaxing boutique hotel where very quickly thanks to the lovely sister and brother who run it, you are made to feel at home. If you want some ideas about what to do each day, either Maire or Dominic will give you lots of options  One of the added attractions for us is that the hotel is dog friendly, your pets are welcomed in all rooms apart from, understandably the restaurant and the bar area, the latter only when guests are eating. 

If you fancy having a day with no driving there are a number of good walks which you can start from the door of the hotel. The photos above were taken on one of these walks, you can pick up a booklet from the hotel reception which has details of the walks recommended by the hotel. Alternatively if you're a keen angler, the team at the hotel can arrange some top class fishing for you with a ghillie to make sure you get the most from your day.

Diamond Hill

If you enjoy spectacular scenery it's really worth visiting the Connemara National Park. You'll find the main park entrance situated in the nearby town of Letterfrack. There are a number of short walks ranging from just 0.5km through to the Upper Diamond Hill walk which is just under 4 kms. There is no charge for parking nor entrance into the park so in terms of value for money you can't beat it.

If you fancy a rest after stretching your legs on a mountain walk, the coastline of Connemara offers a choice of lovely white sandy beaches surrounded by the beautiful clean blue Atlantic ocean. We visited  Glassilaun and Roundstone beaches, both are lovely with Glassilaun edging it in terms of it's impressive location. 

Glassilaun Beach

Roundstone beach

Part of the fun of visiting Connemara is enjoying the great food that is on offer especially the seafood. We had a couple of great lunches in Veldons in Letterfrack and Beola at the top of the mainstreet in Roundstone. 

Veldons sea food trio - delicious

View from Beola on Roundstone's mainstreet

On our last full day which coincided with our wedding anniversary we felt like a walk was in order. So after a little research Susy came across Ballynahinch Castle which is the words of their website is "one of Ireland's finest luxury castle hotels". Set in a 700 acre estate there are a number of walks in the beautiful grounds which are open to non residents, if you ask at the hotel reception they'll give you a map. We chose the 6k route which takes in part of the Connemara Greenway. The going is easy, the scenery lovely and as the castle is around 20 minutes from Lough Inagh it's well worth a visit.

Ballynahinch Castle

After the walk we drove to the fishing village of Cleggan for lunch, we'd stayed close by during a previous visit to Connemara and wanted to revisit Oliver's Bar where you are guaranteed a tasty lunch. After which we returned to Lough Inagh to relax, drink a toast to our anniversary before enjoying a beautifully presented, delicious three course meal that evening in the hotel's restaurant.

The following morning after a hearty breakfast, yes we did enjoy the food at Lough Inagh a lot, we drove to Kylemore Abby. Perhaps one of Connemara's most iconic attractions, Kylemore Abbey is a must visit. Entrance for adults is €13, which we saw as good value as you can easily spend a whole day there. As well as visiting the Abbey you can enjoy a walk in the grounds including the impressive walled gardens and if you're feeling flush you can visit the well stocked shop or have a bite to eat. 

Kylemore Abbey

Farewell from Connemara

From Kylemore we drove back to Dubin for our last evening before heading home the following afternoon. The week flew by, a clear sign of a great holiday, looking forward to the next one. To read more about Connemara and our first visit in 2014 just click here.