Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [365]
Around 6km southwest of town on the N6, Aughrim was the site of the bloodiest battle ever fought on Irish soil, which ended in a crucial victory by William of Orange over the Catholic forces of James II. The Battle of Aughrim Interpretive Centre ( 0509-73939; Aughrim; adult/child €5/3; 10am-6pm Tue-Sat, 2-6pm Sun Jun–mid-Sep) helps place it within the context of the War of the Two Kings. Signposts from the interpretive centre indicate the actual battle site.
Auld Shillelagh Hostel ( 0509-73734; info@auldshillelagh.com; Aughrim, Ballinasloe; dm €17-20), near the battle site, has just 12 beds, so you’ll need to book well ahead for summer or the horse fair. It hires out bikes and can arrange pick-up around the area. The eponymous gnarled wooden walking sticks hang from the walls in profusion.
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CLONFERT CATHEDRAL
Heading 21km southeast of Ballinasloe brings you to the tiny and isolated 12th-century Clonfert Cathedral. It’s on the site of a monastery said to have been founded in AD 563 by St Brendan ‘the Navigator’, who is believed to be buried here. Although the historical jury is out on whether St Brendan reached America’s shores in a tiny currach, there are Old Irish Ogham (the earliest form of writing in Ireland) carvings in West Virginia that date from as early as the 6th century, suggesting an Irish presence in America well before Columbus set foot there.
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DETOUR: GORT & AROUND
If you’re a fan of WB Yeats, two sights connected to the great poet near the highway town of Gort are a worthwhile detour on your way to or from Galway.
A 16th-century Norman tower known as Thoor Ballyle ( 091-631 436; Peterswell; adult/child €6/1.50; 9.30am-5pm Mon-Sat May-Sep) was the summer home of Yeats from 1922 to 1929, and was the inspiration for one of his best-known works, The Tower. The restored 16th-century tower contains the poet’s furnishings, and you can see an audiovisual presentation on his life. From Gort take the Loughrea road (N66) for about 3km and look for the sign.
About 3km north of Gort is Coole Park ( 091-631 804; www.coolepark.ie; admission free; 10am-5pm). It was the home of Lady Augusta Gregory, cofounder of the Abbey Theatre and a patron of Yeats. An exhibition focuses on the literary importance of the house (demolished by nitwit bureaucrats in 1941), and the flora and fauna of the surrounding nature reserve. The main attraction on the grounds is the autograph tree, on which many of Lady Gregory’s literary guests carved their initials.
Lady Gregory is honoured in full at Kiltartan Gregory Musuem ( 091-632 346; Kiltartan Cross; 10am-6pm Jun-Aug), close to Coole Park. Housed in an old schoolhouse designed by the same architect as the lost Coole House, it traces the literary patron’s life.
In the same area, about 5km southwest of Gort, is the extensive monastic site of Kilmacduagh. Beside a small lake is a well-preserved 34m-high round tower, the remains of a small 14th-century cathedral (Teampall Mór MacDuagh), an oratory dedicated to St John the Baptist, and other little chapels. The original monastery is thought to have been founded by St Colman MacDuagh at the beginning of the 7th century. There are fine views over the Burren from here and you can visit any time.
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The marvellous six-arch Romanesque doorway, adorned with surreal human heads, is reason enough to visit. The cathedral is off the R356; you’ll need your own car to get here.
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PORTUMNA
pop 1900
In the southeast corner of the county, the lakeside town of Portumna is popular for boating and fishing. Lough Derg Holiday Park