I have set aside only one day to "do Connemara". Is this feasible? I would be leaving Galway in the morning and spending the night near Kylemore Abbey. When I originally planned for this vacation I thought I had set aside enough time but the more I research areas, the more time I wish I had to spend. Do I need to squeeze a second day in somewhere to fully enjoy Connemara?

More time is always better but the Connemara is a fairly small area.

Connemara is one of my favorite places on earth, so yes, try to spend another night there. If you ahve to, spend less time in Galway (a half a day is the most I can take).

Here are some photos from one of my trips:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slidesho...dpzno&Ux=0

Regards Ger

You can "do Connemara" in 5-6 hours from Galway, but the more stops you make along the way and the more time you spend savoring the region, the more you will appreciate it.

We drove from St. Clerans (18km south of Galway) bypassing Galway and spent the day in Connemara before going back to our room. We had time to see Kylemore Abbey and have an Irish coffee at Ballynahinch Castle and drive to Leanne (Lenane? can't remember). However, we didn't get to go out to Roundstone and the edge of the bay.

So, while it's doable, one would always want more time there. Connemara was my husband's favorite part of Ireland.

Ger, I loved your photos! They made me want to go back to Ireland!

Ditto on photos, OReilly. They were ethereal. I was just there and you inspried me to get my photos up online and share. Thanks.
We stayed in Connnemara 2 nights and think it was worth it, but from what others say it IS doeable in less time.
Galway, although fun, is "a city" and if you spend 1/2 day near the river along Quay Street (I think) --and if you're there on a Saturday you'll get to see market near the church, you'll probably see enough. There's some interesting music in Galway (not necesarily Traditional) to see at night, but the shopping is big-city. I had a son who spent his time walking outside of the city center and found it very much like other, rapidly growing, cities in U.S. (strip malls!)
Connemara will show you something you can't see in the U.S. Enjoy