The Connemara Blog

The Restored Gardens at Kylemore are a Must-See. When it was built Kylemore Abbey, or Kylemore Castle as it was then known, had a magnificent walled garden created alongside it. In the mid 1800’s a collection of exotic plants and a specially constructed garden to put them in was a statement that a Gentleman had…

Poitin and the origin of the Hot Whiskey. Back as far as anyone can remember there has always been a traditional, profitable and highly illegal industry that takes place in Connemara. This industry produces the legendary Poitin (pronounced “pocheen”), an illicitly distilled spirit that is part of the legends, music and culture of the West…

There are a growing number of festivals appearing in Connemara. Some have been around for many years and some are recent additions. Some festivals like Sea Week in Letterfrack started as a weekend of fun and their programme of events swelled to fill a full week. No one in Connemara likes to miss out on…

Connemara is a unique landscape, a beautiful and often wild coast. Over the years there have been some interesting and unusual properties built, some of which were not originally built as dwellings but have been converted since. Some properties are built in unique places which in turn gives them their own character and some properties…

Every now and then a resource becomes available and you can see that it will provide a lot of interest and activity for lots of people. The Joyce Country and Western Lakes Geopark project is just such a resource and had its inaugural walks and talks on the 17th to 20th January 2024These guided walks…

One of the joys of a holiday in the West of Ireland is the scattered small villages each with a character and charm of its own. If you are very familiar with the area you know what each village has to offer and may visit a particular one for a great restaurant, a popular pub or…

Study The Weather – Get A Better Holiday: You don’t have to spend long in Connemara to realise that the weather is a staple source of conversation. Discussing the weather can take seconds when bidding a quick “ fine day” to a passer by, and equally it can take friends hours and several pots of…

Lots Of Events This Christmas In Connemara: We are really looking forward to this Christmas time in Connemara as there seems to be a lot of things going on all over the area. Clifden seems to be pulling all the stops out this year, starting when the Christmas lights are turned on by Ryan Tubridy….

Norahs Kitchen : Family Cooking To Take Away. We can highly recommend this great wholesome, tasty food. The perfect way to enjoy a night in during your holiday while also having an amazing meal, they have a great choice with a touch of the exotic. Here they explain a little about how Norahs Kitchen came…

How The Irish Invented Halloween   Halloween is a regular part of every child’s year nowadays. Its arrival during kids half term making it a popular excuse for groups of friends to roam their neighbourhood knocking on doors demanding goodies. Ireland has taken to the American style of Halloween to its heart and lots of…