IgoUgo

Connemara

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    Connemara

    • Leesa from Brighton
    • November 27, 2001
    ConnemaraMore Photos

    * Wonderfully wild rugged scenery of Roundstone, Lough Inagh Valley, & Doulough Valley.
    * Cosy, friendly B&Bs
    * The wealth of restaurants & pubs with good food and drink (especially Guinness and seafood)
    * The good road signs (relative to Dublin!)

    Lowlights
    * The ‘all seasons in one day’ weather, and the need to carry clothing for all eventualities.
    * The rather abrupt end to the tourist season, bringing with it a lack of pub lunches and warm welcomes
    * The narrow and often potholed roads.
    * The lack of walking information and paths ${QuickSuggestions} When to Go - We intentionally waited until the schools went back at the start of September before heading off to Galway. Whilst it certainly seemed to be just pleasantly busy, if busy at all, we did feel that many of the remoter areas (Lettermore, Leenane, Achill Island) promptly put away the tourist services and smiles at the end of the main season. Accommodation was never a problem, although a warming pub lunch and welcome was a little hard to come by in some of these places.

    Things to Bring
    * Waterproofs
    * A flask, for warming hot drinks in the middle of nowhere (or out of season)
    ${BestWay}
    To enjoy the region at its best, you will need a car.

    Irish roads are generally all single lane, and whilst your journey may not look long on paper, you will find your journey slowed as you pass through innumerable towns and villages, and sit behind the inevitable tractor or two. Roads are at their busiest on Friday afternoons, as many Dubliners leave the city for their family homes, and on Sunday afternoon again when they return to The Smoke. Sunday mornings are a good time for long journeys, as most people are either at Mass or recovering from the night before. Sadly, the morning news at the weekend frequently reports road deaths in the early hours of the morning, usually as a result of speed or alcohol or both.
    From journal Connemara