By air
Shannon (SNN), ~2 h
Europe · Ireland
Connemara, Ireland
Bogs, lakes and wild mountains
Getting there
Best time to visit
May to September — the mildest months
Don't miss
Kylemore Abbey
Diamond Hill
Clifden
Killary Harbour
Things to do
Hiking Diamond Hill
Kylemore Abbey
The coast roads
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Ap jen · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Rain gear
A quieter corner
The Sky Road near Clifden
Questions travellers ask
When is the best season for Connemara?
May to September, the mildest months. Rain gear is a must in a landscape of bogs, lakes and wild mountains.
What are the highlights of Connemara?
Kylemore Abbey, Clifden and Killary Harbour, plus a hike up Diamond Hill and time on the coast roads. Order the Connemara lamb when you stop to eat.
Is there a scenic drive in Connemara?
The Sky Road near Clifden — it's Connemara's hidden gem.
How far is Connemara from the airport?
Shannon (SNN), about 2 h away.
About Connemara
- Mountains
- Coastal
Where it is
Connemara is a region on the Atlantic coast of western County Galway, in Ireland, a wild landscape of bogs, lakes, islands and mountains such as the Twelve Bens and the Maumturks, whose largest town is Clifden.
History
Connemara was part of the territory of the O'Flaherty clan in the Middle Ages, and it was drastically depopulated by the Great Famine of the late 1840s. In the early 20th century Marconi built a transatlantic wireless station near Clifden, and Kylemore Abbey, begun as a 19th-century castle, has been home to Benedictine nuns since 1920.
People
Connemara holds Ireland's largest Gaeltacht, where Irish is the everyday language of many communities, and English is also spoken. Sheep farming, fishing and turf-cutting are traditional livelihoods, green Connemara marble is carved into jewellery, and sean-nós, unaccompanied singing, remains strong.
Known for
- Kylemore Abbey
- The Twelve Bens and Diamond Hill
- Connemara ponies
- The Sky Road near Clifden
- Killary Harbour, a fjord-like inlet
Did you know?
In June 1919 the aviators John Alcock and Arthur Brown ended the first non-stop transatlantic flight by landing in a bog near Clifden.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.