Amenities

• Thoor Ballylee: Drive to Thoor Ballylee - a visit to this tower house just off the N18 and 6km north easy of Gort is a must for any visitor in the region. The castle, as tower houses are called locally, dates back to the 16th century. It was bought by the poet William Butler Yeats in 1917 and restored by him over the following three years. He resided there for most of the next ten years moving to Dublin in 1929. The castle then fell into ruin again, but after being carefully restored by Failte Ireland and Ireland West Tourism it was opened to the public in 1965 this time as a Yeats' museum complete with audio-visual theatre and gift shop.
• Coole Park: Next drive to Coole Park. Coole House, home of Lady Gregory, is no more, but the famous yew walk, garden and autograph tree remain to remind us of the part this hallowed place played in the Irish literary renaissance. William Butler Yeats, George Bernard Shaw and Sean O'Casey were just some of the famous literary figures who like "swallows" came to stay in Coole House and inspired by Lady Gregory, found renewal in these silent woods which form part of the national forest and Wildlife Park there today. Lady Gregory, dramatist and folklorist, invited her literary guests to carve their initials, on a copper beech tree and this is now the centre of attraction. The initials gently fade with passing time now, but with a little effort one can still discern the flamboyant style of George Bernard Shaw among the more cryptic carvings of J.M. Synge, Augustus John, Douglas Hyde (first President of Ireland) W.B. Yeats, Sean O'Casey as well as those of Lady Gregory and her husband Robert.
• Kinvara: Drive to Kinvara, a quaint sea village dominated by Dunguaire Castle at the head of Kinvara Bay. The castle was once home of the Hynes, O'Shaughnessy and Martin families. Today, the restored 16th century tower house echoes nightly to the sound of mediaeval type banqueting during the tourism season. Drive a further 5km west and visit Doorus House, now a youth hostel, in the shadow of the Burren Hills, where Lady Gregory, William Butler Yeats and Edward Martyn planned the founding of the Abbey Theatre in Dublin.
• West Coast: Explores the coastal area between Galway City and Clifden, a scenic landscape of granite rock and countless sea inlets filled with the brownest seaweeds in the world, a painter's paradise. Drive to Spiddal and visit the Spiddal Craft Centre - a working craft centre and art gallery where latter day artisans fashion items inspired by the beauty and heritage of the region. A short stop in Spiddal village to admire its 1904 church by William Scott is recommended. Drive to Casla and Rosmuc and visit the holiday cottage of Padraic Pearse, one of the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin. The house, now a museum has been restored as it was in Pearse's day and is open to visitor during the tourist season. Drive to the village of Kilkieran named after a church founded by St. Kieran of Clonmacnoise, who is said to have passed through here after visiting the Aran Islands. Take a short journey to Carna and main centre of the peninsula. A marine research station here underlines the importance of the sea in the life of the people, whose seafaring tradition goes back to the time of St. MacDara a 7th century saint. Now travel to Roundstone Connemara's most picturesque sea village, which was founded by Alexander Nimmo, a Scottish engineer in the early 19th century. Today, it is a delightful tourist centre with the sea and mountains as dramatic backdrops and two magnificent sandy beaches at Gurteen and Doy's Bay. Tip - visit O'Dowds pub for lunch. And visit the craft centre where you will find Malachy Kearns maker of the world famous Bodhran.  Continue westward for 14km until you reach the village of Ballyconneely. A road to the left will shortly bring you to the ruins fo Bunowen Castle, once the home of the famous Grace O;Malley and Donal O'Flaherty. Continue to Clifden, founded in the early years of the 19th century by John D'Arcy a descendant of the tribes of Galway. Today, it is the chief town of Connemara and its most important tourist base. Its position set amid some of the finest scenery in the land, has inspired both painter and photographer and its Connemara Pony Show held each August is internationally famous.
• North West Coast: this tour explores the coastal areas between Clifden and Leenane, Driving to Claddaghduff and around the coast road to the village of Cleggan. Continuing for 12 km to Letterfrack village through an area filled with Stone Age tombs and Bronze age standing stones. In Letterfrack, visit the Connemara National Park Centre open from Mid May to October 1st and spend time exploring the 1,540 ha park or even climb Diamond Hill (445m) Tip - nice lunch stop Veldon's Pub. Continue to Renvyle Point, a short walk will bring you to view the grassy remains of its promontory fort. A short drive will them bring you to the ruins of Renvyle Castle. Turning right you pass Renvyle House Hotel, formerly owned by Dr. Oliver St. John Gogarty, famous poet and wit. Take the narrow coast road to the left at Tully Cross. Keeping left, you will eventually reach a T Junction at Salrock and the turn left which will bring you to Little Killary Harbour, a safe and scenic haven for yachts. Head for Leenane and take a boat trip on Killary Harbour, Ireland's only Fjord, with Killary Cruises. Four sailings daily April - Sept and two sailings in October. Duration approx 90 minutes.
• County Mayo: From Leenane drive to Co. Mayo via Louisburgh - a planned town which retains many of the original eighteenth century features in style and scale. Visit the Granuaile Visitor Centre. Relive the fascinating story of this ruthless, domineering and famous sixteenth century pirate Queen of Clew Bay, though a visual and audio visual tour. Continue to Westport - a heritage town designed chiefly by the English architect James Wyatt. Its most striking feature is the beautiful boulevard know as the mall with a colonnade of trees on both sides of the Carrowbeg River. The glory of the town is Westport House one of the big tourist attractions in the country. Clew Bay Heritage Centre located at the Quay has a wide selection of artefacts and also provided a local genealogical service. Tip - be sure to visit Matt Molloy's Pub. Drive to Castlebar and visit the museum of country life. This award winning museum, a branch of the National Museum of Ireland brings to life the traditions of rural life throughout Ireland from 1850 - 1950. Fascinating artefacts deal with domestic life, agriculture, fishing and hunting, clothing and textiles, furniture and fittings, trades and crafts, transport, sport and leisure and religion. Continue to Straide and visit the Michael Davitt Museum opened in 1984 to honour its native son,'the father of the Land League' and one of Ireland's greatest patriots.  Take the N60 for Claremorris, passing through Breaffy and Manulla, with Belcarra on the right and onto Balla. Breaffy House, a fine Georgian building 3 km east of Castlebar, is now a hotel. In Balla you will see the early monastic site and round tower. Take the N17 for Knock. Visit Knock Shrine and Folk Museum.
• County Roscommon: Drive to Roscommon via Ballyhaunis and Castlerea. Visit Strokestown Gardens, House and Famine Museum. Continue to Boyle and visit King House.
• MUSIC & LITERATURE FESTIVALS: GALWAY: Cuirt Festival - April Galway Early Music Festival - May Galway Sessions - June Galway International Arts Festival - July Galway Jazz Festival - August Clifden Arts Festival - September Cooley Collins Traditional Music Festival - October MAYO: Feile Chois Cuain - April Fleadh Cheoil - May Guinness Blues Festival - June J M Synge Literary Festival - July Westport Arts Festival - September ROSCOMMON: Strokestown International Poetry Festival - April Dr. Douglas Hyde Summer School of Traditional Song & Dance - July Boyle Arts Festival - July O'Carolan Summer School of Traditional Irish Music, Song and Dance - July