Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [351]
Getting Around
Bikes can be rented from Rothair Inis Oírr ( 099-75033; per day €10; May-Sep). Most places to stay also rent bikes to nonguests.
You can take a tour of the island on a pony trap (per person per hr €10-15) in summer, or on an atmospheric tractor-drawn, thatched-cottage-style wagon ( 086 607 3230).
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CONNEMARA
Think of the best crumble you’ve ever had, one with a craggy crust that accumulates hollows of perfect flavour. Similarly, the filigreed coast of the Connemara Peninsula is endlessly pleasing, with pockets of sheer delight awaiting discovery.
The name Connemara (Conamara) is Irish for ‘Inlets of the Sea’ and the coastal roads bear this out as they wind around small bays and coves, some with hidden beaches. A succession of seaside hamlets entice, including the jewel-like fishing harbour at Roundstone, and sleepy Leenane on Killary Harbour, the country’s only fjord. Clifden, Connemara’s largest town, is spectacularly sited on a hill, while offshore lies the idyllic island of Inishbofin.
Connemara’s interior is a kaleidoscope of rusty bogs, lonely valleys and shimmering black lakes. At its heart are the Maumturk Mountains and the pewter-tinged quartzite peaks of the Twelve Bens mountain range, with a network of scenic hiking and biking trails. Everywhere the land is laced by the seemingly endless stone walls you’re glad you didn’t have to build. It’s dazzling at any time of day but especially when the sky and waters sparkle azure, the hills shine green, and bright yellow blooms abound.
One of the most important Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) areas in the country begins around Spiddal and stretches along the coast as far as Cashel. It’s a centre for Ireland’s thriving Irish-language media (opposite).
If you intend any detailed exploration of the area, the excellent Connemara: Introduction and Gazetteer, by Tim Robinson, is a must. Connemara: A Hill Walker’s Guide, written by Robinson and Joss Lynam, is also invaluable.
Galway’s tourist office Click here has a wealth of information on the area. Online, Connemara Tourism (www.connemara.ie) and Go Connemara (www.goconnemara.com) have regionwide info and links.
Getting There & Around
BUS
Organised bus tours from Galway are plentiful and offer a good overview of the region, though ideally you’ll want more than one day to absorb the area’s charms, plus you’ll want the freedom to make your own discoveries.
Bus Éireann ( 091-562 000; www.buseireann.ie) serves most of Connemara. Services can be sporadic, and many buses operate May to September only, or July and August only. Some drivers will stop in between towns if arrangements are made at the beginning of the trip.
Citylink ( 1890 280 808; www.citylink.ie) has several buses a day linking Galway city with Clifden, with stops in Moycullen, Oughterard, Maam Cross and Recess, and on to Cleggan and Letterfrack. If you’re going somewhere between towns (a hostel in the countryside, for example), you might be able to arrange a drop-off with the driver.
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TRUE IRISH MEDIA
That spoken Irish is enjoying a renaissance around the country (when posh Dublin parents compete to enrol their kids in Irish-language schools, you know something is up) can be credited in no small part to several media outlets based in Connemara and Galway. From this last refuge of the language, Ireland’s national Irish-language radio station, Radio na Gaeltachta (www.rte.ie/rnag) and its Irish-language TV station, TG4 (www.tg4.ie), sprang in the 1990s. So, too, has sprouted the Irish-language weekly newspaper Foinse (www.foinse.ie).
Not just for linguists and traditionalists, these media outlets have a national impact. TG4 has funded an entire cottage industry of Irish speakers who dub American TV series, such as The Wire and Curb Your Enthusiasm. The station also won the exclusive rights to broadcast major sporting events, like the Tour de France. In addition, it produces its own shows, like the popular – and fluffy – Paisean Faisean, a reality dating show, which you can see streamed on the website