See also Gerry Greensmyth's
Croagh Patrick Walking
Holidays site
5 Day Tour
Day
1 - Monday
The magic begins with your journey through some of
the West's most breathtaking scenery en route to the town of Clifden,
capital of Connemara. Here you will be greeted as you make yourself
at home in the luxury of Abbeyglen
Castle or nearby Guest House. In the evening the Abbeyglen restaurant
will serve a five-course gourmet experience that's sure to please and
the warm singsong atmosphere of the piano bar is the perfect way to
end your first day.
Day
2 - Tuesday
After a hearty Irish breakfast our coach leaves for
Killary Harbour passing en route the Erriff Valley and Leenane Village.
Our six mile Killary Harbour walk begins along a road dating back to
1846. It was built during the Great Famine to give relief work to locals
in return for food. Killary is truly spectacular and is the only fjord
in Ireland and the British Isles. Midway through our walk we’ll stop
for a picnic lunch, before setting off to meet our bus at the far end
of the fjord. By the early evening we’ll arrive at Cleggan Harbour,
where the Captain will welcome us aboard his boat, and following a short
voyage we arrive at the island of Inish Bofin. There a bus will transfer
all luggage and the less enthusiastic walkers to our Hotel/Guesthouse
where we shall have dinner at around 8.00pm.
Day
3 - Wednesday
After breakfast we set off to walk to the west end
of Inishbofin. This remote island, with a population of just 180, has
many sights and places of interest to take in. We'll see everything
from cliff forts and monastic sites to the great sandy beaches and even
a Cromwellian Castle. There's the island's seal colony to view and a
deep sea cave and arch system which you can actually climb into. At
around lunchtime we'll stop for a picnic lunch and later set sail for
Inish Shark. Landing on the island is subject to tide and weather conditions.
Inish Shark is said to be the former home of Oscar Wilde's mother for
a very short time but is now famous for its deserted village where nobody
has lived since 1960. 
After
walking through the many different field systems to the far end of the
island we again set sail, this time to the island of Inish Turk in Co.
Mayo. We will be greeted on the island by the O'Toole family and taken
to our Guest House. Here we will be treated to a traditional island
dinner followed by a traditional evening of Irish music, song and dance.
Day
4 - Thursday
After breakfast we will set out on a walk of the
island. You will find Inish Turk a truly unique experience - as there
is no daily ferry to the island any visitors that do arrive are made
to feel very welcome indeed. It's an island wholly dependent on the
traditional activities of farming, fishing and local craft businesses
such as currach making, etc. Our walk ends at the mouth of the harbour
where we drop in to one of Ireland's longest surviving Shebeens for
a little light refreshment. Later we shall explore another route and
return to our accommodation and rest before dinner.
Day
5 - Friday
Our morning breakfast is followed by a short sailing
to Clare Island. Clare Island is synonymous with Grace O'MalIey, the
formidable ruler of the Clew Bay district during the second half of
the 16th century. One of the most interesting places on the island is
the remains of a late 15th century Cistercian Friary, founded by the
monks of Abbeyknockmoy in Co. Galway. According to local folklore, following
the death of Grace O'Malley in 1600 her remains were interred in the
decorated O'Malley Wall tomb in the friary. The chancel vault was once
covered in fresco painting, patches of which still remain. Connemara
Safari will guide you through the island to the Light House. Later in
the day we shall have lunch before catching our next boat to Roonagh
Pier. Here a bus will await us and take us back to Abbeyglen Castle
where we shall say our final goodbyes.
See the tour on a map (click to enlarge)
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"With a little luck you will see wild dolphins, grey seals, gannets or basking sharks between the islands!"
Connemara Safari
Sky Road, Clifden, Co. Galway
Tel: (095) 21071 or Freephone 1850 777 200 - Fax: (095) 21797
e-mail