Plan your holiday to the west of Ireland. Discover why Galway City is the perfect destination for your weekend break, explore Mayo and Connemara for wildlife, walking and spectacular scenery. Don't miss the beautiful Aran Islands and the peace and tranquillity of Roscommon’s waterways.
You’ll be spoiled for choice for things to do when you holiday in Ireland. Breathtaking scenery and landscapes await outdoor enthusiasts. The only question is whether you’ll be hiking, biking, surfing or merely relaxing and taking in the magnificent views. For those on a cultural buzz, your challenge will be to choose from events on both by day and by night.
Will it be an opera or traditional music festival, an outing to the theatre, or a browse around a food fair? As for the history and heritage buffs, you’ll be bowled over by the treasures on offer. Whatever you choose to see or do, you’re in for a treat.
Highlights of the West of Ireland:
Mayo
Jutting proudly into the Atlantic Ocean, County Mayo boasts a stunningly beautiful unspoilt environment with a magical attraction for visitors. Cosmopolitan towns such as Westport positively burst with charm and personality, as welcoming as the Mayo people themselves.
Unique attractions include Croagh Patrick, Ireland’s holy mountain with the starkly beautiful National Famine Memorial at its foot; Westport House Estate, ancestral home of the Browne family, Knock Shrine, scene of an miraculous apparition in 1879 and Ballintubber Abbey, the Abbey that refused to die.
History comes alive at the world famous Céide Fields near Ballycastle in North Mayo, at Foxford Woollen Mills, Hennigans Heritage Farm and the National Museum of Ireland's Museum of Country Life, just outside Castlebar, the county town. Sporting opportunities abound especially fishing of all sorts including the River Moy in Ballina where the salmon is king.
For more tips on what to see and do in Mayo log onto www.discoverireland.ie/mayo
Galway
Galway is a city, a county, and an experience to be savoured and remembered. From Galway Bay and the Aran Islands to Connemara and Galway City, there is a fantastic range of sights and activities on offer here in the West of Ireland county.
Galway City is one of the fastest growing cities in Europe. It began as a small fishing village centred around the estuary of the River Corrib, a river traditionally called Abhainn na Gaillimhe (The Galway River) after Galvia, a mythological princess said to have drowned in its waters.
There is a vibrancy to the friendly University City, which many delight in, and few forget. Music, festivals, horse racing, pubs, restaurants, shops, theatres and most of all Galway people, combine to create an atmosphere you'll want to return to again and again.
Connemara stretches from Galway Bay in the south to Killary Harbour in the north and encompasses the largest Gaeltacht (Irish speaking) region in Ireland. The Connemara region also includes the Aran Islands, the beautiful Inishbofin island and the top fishing lakes of Lough Corrib and Lough Mask.
For more tips on what to see and do in Mayo log onto www.discoverireland.ie/galway
Roscommon
Roscommon is often described as ‘the heart of undiscovered Ireland’. We invite you to unlock the treasures of this land of castles and ancient kings, of stately homes and wonderful landscapes, where shimmering rivers, lakes and forest parks abound.
This is an inland county, but the great River Shannon, over 200 miles in length, marks the eastern county border as it meanders South through Lough Boderg and Lough Bofin (or down to Lough Ree and onward to the Atlantic Ocean!).
There couldn’t be a better place to take a cruising holiday – an option becoming ever more popular with families. Beginners can even take lessons so it’s an option for everyone. The pastoral landscape is peaceful and unspoilt, dotted with small interesting towns and villages, with cosy waterside pubs and excellent restaurants.
For more tips on what to see and do in Mayo log onto www.discoverireland.ie/roscommon
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