West of Ireland Walking Tour – 7 Day Tour

Morning /Afternoon: We will travel from Dublin to Galway in the West of Ireland with a short break on the way. Once we reach Galway there will be time here to explore this wonderful town. Galway is very well known for its street musicians and has quite a bohemian feel to it.

We then travel out further west to Connemara; this is the film location for “the Quiet Man” and “the Field”. When you visit this place, it will not be difficult to understand why.

Connemara has a real wild and rugged feel to it. The high peaks of the Maumturks and the 12 Bens offer a wonderful back drop to this deserted landscape. The roads are narrow and full of sheep as we make our way through some of the wide valleys and past beautiful lakes. We will be stopping along the way to take in some of the wonderful surroundings.

Evening: There are many places to eat and enjoy a drink while listening to some live Irish musicians in Clifden.

We will be staying in Clifden in the heart of Connemara for the next 2 nights.

Walk on Diamond Hill – Connemara National Park.

Grade: moderate, Length: 7 km, Duration: 2.5 hrs, Ascent: 400m, Terrain: Gravel tracks and paved mountain paths.

Morning / Afternoon: Today we will walk Diamond Hill which sits in the Connemara National Park. It is a 7km loop walk with an ascent of 400m but from its summit you get commanding views of the Connemara mountains and its coastline.

After our walk we will visit Kylemore Abbey, the oldest of the Irish Benedictine abbeys. It sits on a lakeside which is infamous with the area of Connemara. The Benedictine nuns moved here in the 1920s from Belgium to escape the war. They had been in Ireland before but after the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 and the persecution of Catholics they moved to Belgium. The Castle we see today was or originally built by Mitchell Henry who used to visit here for hunting and fishing and fell in love with the area.

Afterwards we make our back to Clifden.

Walk on Croagh Patrick – Ireland’s holiest mountain.
Grade: moderate /strenuous, Length: 7 km, Duration: 3.5 – 4 hrs Terrain: Stoney track

Morning / Afternoon: Today we will visit the town of Westport, voted Ireland’s best town.
You can’t mistake the peak of Croagh Patrick as it hovers above Clew Bay; this is the most sacred mountain in Ireland. Legend has it, that this is where St. Patrick banished all the snakes from Ireland.

Croagh Patrick is walked as a pilgrimage on the last Sunday of July, which is known locally as the reeks walk. Don’t be fooled into thinking like many do that because this is a pilgrimage walk it is easy; it’s not but it is well the effort.

Alternative activity: There are is choice of activities to do today, walk on Croagh Patrick or Cycle the new Green-way Cycle track where you can take a great bike ride all the way to Achill Island if you fancy.

The small town of Westport has been voted one of Ireland’s best locations. After our walk or cycle we can take some time to relax and enjoy this town.

Evening: We will be staying in Westport, there are many fine restaurants, cafes and pubs with live Irish music.

Grade: Moderate, Length: 11 km, Duration: 3 -4 hrs, Ascent: Approx.350m, Terrain: Grassy track and open mountain trail.
The walk on Achill Island will be at the very west of the Island at Keem Bay.

This walk starts from the bay itself and brings us up towards an old lookout shelter. We will travel along the ridge of this hill with great views across the Cliffs and the Atlantic Ocean below us. It is a loop walk and we will be coming back through the valley.

After the walk we can explore the Island and visit one of its many craft and coffee shops before making our way back to Westport for the evening.

Knocknerea walk: Walk type: easy – moderate, Time: approx. 2hrs.
Morning / Afternoon: In the morning we move onto County Sligo. Sligo is one of the most scenically beautiful counties in Ireland and offers endless opportunities for walkers.

The mountainous landscape, the bog lands, endless stretches of sandy beaches and forests.
We will walk Knocknarea (Queen’s Maeve’s Tomb), which folklore says was built for the mythical Iron Age Queen Maeve, whose father was the high king of Ireland and gave her Connaught as a gift.

After the walk we can visit the Carrowmore Megalithic tombs – This is the largest collection of megalithic tombs in Ireland and is also among the country’s oldest, with monuments ranging from five and a half thousand to six and a half thousand years old
Alternative activity: Surfing in Sligo. There are many fine beaches in Sligo and it is the capital of surfing in Ireland. You can also relax after your walk in a sea weed bath near the strand beach.

We will be Staying in Sligo Town.

Benbulben Walk:
Grade: Moderate – Strenuous, Distance: Approx. 10Km, Ascent: 380m Time: 3-4hrs, Terrain: Mountain roads and open mountain track.

Morning / Afternoon: On the way to our walk on Benbulben we will also visit the grave of W.B. Yeats at Drumcliff.

“Cast a cold eye
On life, on death.
Horseman, pass by!”

Afternoon / Evening: After our walk we will visit Lissadell house, is the childhood home of Constance Markievicz, the first woman elected to the British House of Commons and Irish Revolutionary.

This is a handsome large house with a fascinating history, and is well worth a visit. Recent famous visitors have included Leonard Cohen, the Irish Cabinet, Charles and Camilla, and now you!

“I do wish your lot had the decency to shoot me.” – Countess Markievicz.

Said to the officer at Kilmainham Jail who had just informed her she was not to be executed for the part she had played in the 1916 rising on account of her gender.

This is our last evening together as a group and we can all enjoy a meal together in the town of Sligo.

In the morning, we can take a short drive to one of Sligo’s many beaches for a walk or swim (yes, you can swim in the Atlantic).

We say Goodbye to the West of Ireland and our wonderful adventure here but hopefully you have collected some wonderful memories along the way and some new friends.

We will be stopping on our way back to Dublin.

We should arrive back in Dublin for 6pm, depending on traffic.