Page 213 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Ireland

THE WEST OF IRELAND  211

Connemara
This wild region in the west of Galway
encompasses bogs, mountains WESTPORT
and a rugged coastline. Major
sights include the J Cleggan Hill Kylemore Abbey
Connemara National Letterfrack
Park and Kylemore Kylemore R344
Lough
Abbey (see p212). Claddaghduff Cleggan N59 CONNEMARA
For those without NATIONAL
a car, coach tours PARK
are available from Sky Road
Galway (see p370). Dan O’Hara’s TWELVE BENS
J
Clifden Homestead Owenglen
Clifden Bay
Alcock and N59
Brown Memorial
GALWAY
Mannin Bay J
Coral Strand R340
Beach •
ROUNDSTONE
Key Ballyconneely R342
Major road BOG
Regional road Roundstone
Minor road R341
National Park boundary
Ferry to Inishbofin
0 kilometres 10
0 miles 5

Jutting out into Clifden Bay Clifden Bay. Clifden Castle, To the south of Clifden, the
is a sand spit and beach, sign­ John d’Arcy’s Gothic Revival coastal route to Roundstone
posted from Clifden Square. ruin, lies just off the Sky Road, skirts a mass of bogland pitted
South of Clifden, at the start as do several inlets. with tiny lakes. The Alcock and
of the Roundstone Road, is The coastal road north Brown Memorial overlooks the
Owenglen Cascade where, in from Clifden to Cleggan, via bog landing site of the first
May, salmon leap on their way Claddaghduff, is spectacular, transatlantic flight made by
to spawn upstream. passing former smuggling Alcock and Brown in 1919.
coves. Cleggan, a pretty Nearby is Marconi’s wireless
Environs fishing village, nestles into station, which exchanged the
The Sky Road is an 11­km the head of Cleggan Bay. first transatlantic radio mes sages
(7­mile) circular route with From here boats leave for with Nova Scotia in 1907. The
stunning ocean views. The road Inishbofin and Inish turk. Ballyconneely area has craggy
goes northwest from Clifden Cleggan Hill has a ruined islands and the beautiful Coral
and passes desolate scenery Napoleonic Martello tower Strand Beach. The village of
and the narrow inlet of and a megalithic tomb. Roundstone is best seen during
the summer regatta of traditional
Galway hookers (see p215).
A short drive to the east
of Clifden is Dan O’Hara’s
Homestead. In a rocky setting,
this organic farm recreates the
tough conditions of life in
Connemara before the 1840s.
There is an audio visual display
on the history of Connemara.
E Dan O’Hara’s Homestead
Connemara Heritage & History Centre,
Lettershea, off N59. Tel 095 21246.
Open Apr–Oct: 9am–6pm. & 8 -
The coast seen from the Sky Road = 7 ∑ connemaraheritage.com
For additional map symbols see back flap

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