Sustainable Connemara and Galway Bay Rail Tour from Dublin

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

• 1
  Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Garden

  We arrive in Galway at 10:05, off the train, and our conducted tour of Connemara (by tour bus) leaves Galway. At Maam Cross, the Connemara "crossroads", there is a replica of the cottage used in the 1950s John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara film ‘The Quiet Man’, which was filmed here. From Maam Cross our tour heads out to Leenane, Kylemore Abbey and Letterfrack, in the shadow of purple mountains rolling down to blue and green rocky valleys, reflecting the rich and varied colours of Connemara. There is a lunch break at Kylemore Abbey, an 18th century castle now owned by the Benedictine nuns who run an excellent pottery, gift shop and restaurant. Letterfrack is one of Ireland’s major national parks. The colourful town of Clifden has been one of Irelands leading holiday resorts for generations. It is an excellent touring centre beloved by the walker, the biker, the hiker or the fisherman. On the road out of Clifden the Dan O'Hara pre-famine farm (circa 1840) is on your left, fronted by a replica of an ancient Irish Crannóg or lake dwelling. Further on is the fully integrated Clifden Glen Holiday Village. Back at Maam Cross again and the road turns southwards now through the Screeb, Costello and Rossaveal. Rossaveal is the departure point for ferryboats to the Aran Islands and is also a major fishing port. We are now in the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking area) of Connemara where Gaeilge or Irish is still the everyday spoken language of a bilingual people – we rarely use the term Gaelic and usually say ‘Irish’ when referring to our national language. (For operational reasons, on certain days we will not travel to Clifden – please check with your host/driver) Our tour of Connemara heads homewards towards Galway City now, along the shores of Galway bay, through the Gaeltacht villages of Inverin and Spiddal and looking out across the blue waters of the Atlantic at the unique lime-stone of the Burren and the hills of Clare. In Spiddal there is a craft village and the Standun sweater shop. After your day's touring you will be returned to Galway Station.

  2 hours • Admission ticket included

Additional info

• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Check in at 7:10AM! Train departs at 7:35am & it does not wait. Our yellow check-in stand is located close to the Customer Service Desk at Heuston Station where our representative will be waiting for you in their BRIGHT yellow jacket!
• Due to operational reasons it may, on occasion, be necessary to alter certain itineraries.
• WHEELCHAIR POLICY: Our tours are a combination of train and luxury coach and include a moderate level of physical activity, such as short walks to meeting points etc. Unfortunately even the most modern luxury coaches (buses) are not wheelchair friendly, thus our tours are not suitable for those with mobility issues, and regretfully walkers, wheelchairs and mobility scooters cannot be accommodated on our tours.

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