Driving Route through Connemara??
 

What is the best driving route around Connemara with a definite stop at Kylemore Abbey? We will be staying in Galway. Should we stay on N50 or go the small roads (R336, R340 & R341) along the coast? We have the majority of the day to see the area. The next day we will drive from Galway to Rossaveal for the ferry to Inismor so we'll be on R336 a bit.

Personally, I think the N59 is a scenic route to Connemara. You can always do both :)

This is what we encountered on our day around Connemara:
Extract taken from my Trip Report-
GALWAY BAY
There is no Caravan Club site near enough to Galway so have phoned the Tourist Office in Galway for help and are directed to a place in Salthill. This is what I would call a suburb of Galway city but at one stage in the past must have stood out as a little coastal village. Now Salthill is swallowed up by the big city allowing one to walk along the beach path from Salthill and arrive at the pubs and restaurants in Galway within 20 minutes.

We are met by a casual manager who after taking our money allows us to park anywhere we fancy.
Seeing the wide expanse of lawn facing Galway Bay we have no desire to set up anywhere else for the night but right here! Wow, the view over the bay is gorgeous and Peter leaves me to start preparations for tonights supper.
A strong wind is blowing and we admire a young couple setting up tent near us for their sheer tenacity in getting it pegged down before the whole thing took off over Galway Bay!

FRIDAY 15th May
My great wish was to take a ferry to the Isle of Aran called Inishmore but too many things were against such a trip.
First the weather was lousy. It's drizzling heavily and the wind is freezing. We find out the two ferry companies, Aran Island Ferries - www.aranislandferries.com and Aran Direct - www.aran.direct.com - only operate from one place: the port of Ros a'Mhil or in English, Rossaveal, on the Connemara coast, and it is an entire day trip lasting from 10am to 5pm. On the island one can hire bikes or walk. In nice sunny weather this may be great but today was not one of those days. This reminded me not to plan or set your heart on anything the weather has control over!

Instead we drive as far as Clifden and encounter the famous Connemara Ponies wandering on the misty hillsides.
Circling the fragmented coastline via Roundstone we travel past bays and inlets and a series of alluring villages. The landscape is one of hilly grassland, bogs, rushing streams, few houses and quite lonely. A real 'get away from it all' place!
Near Oughterard on the N59 we see the Golf Course which looks beautifully green, before passing through Rosscahill and Moycullen.

This morning we were to early for the craft village at Spiddal so turn off onto a country road that takes us through Keeagh and back to Spiddal. This time we are too late and all have shut up shop!
I stock up at a supermarket in Barna and find Irish potatoes at long last. So far on offer have been potatoes from Cyprus, Israel & England.

Some photos:http://tinyurl.com/qxlecl

Leaving Galway to relive the past.....

My reply to another thread:

"From Leenane, there is a 'detour' route to continue on to Westport, via Delphi and Louisburg, over the R335. Total distance is 33.4 miles rather than the 'direct' route, which can be covered in 20.4 miles.

For me, there is NO more compelling, nor more emotive drive, in all of Ireland.

Link to info: http://people.hofstra.edu/alan_j_sin...ine%20poem.pdf

Photo:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/itallian_chauffeur/2654079187/" title="Doo Lough by remprimo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3018/2654079187_b737212838_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Doo Lough" /></a>

Consider it ..."

Bob

Galway - Moycullen - Oughterard - Maam Cross - Maam - Leenane - (possible detour to Westport) - Kylemore - Clifden - Ballyconeely - Roundstone - Tombeola - Ballynahinch - Recess and return to Galway on N59.

For elaboration, see http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ra-weekend.cfm