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IRELAND - CONNEMARA - (28/03/07)

This second page of photos from Ireland features Connemara in County Galway on the west coast.

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There is so much to see in the Connemara region that a few hours spent there only served as an introduction to this dramatic and beautiful area of Ireland. The Irish writer Oscar Wilde said "Connemara is a savage beauty", describing the rugged Atlantic coastline to the river valleys and mountains of Connemara.
Fishing, golf, mountain climbing, horse riding and walking are all popular pursuits in this unspoilt area where traditional Irish heritage survives through handcrafts, cottage industries and music as well as being a Gaeltacht, or Irish-speaking area.
Kylemore Abbey on the right above was originally a castle built between 1863 and 1868 as a home for the Manchester, (England) politician, Mitchell Henry. Since 1920 it has been a Benedictine Nunnery formed by Benedictine Nuns fleeing Belgium in the first world war. The abbey has only limited access to the public but is worth seeing along with its gardens, walks, gothic church, shops and a pottery studio.
There are walking routes short and long from the Connemara National Park Visitor Centre at Letterfrack Village located to the east of Cliften. The National Park is made up of 4942 acres of countryside including 4 of the 12 mountains that make up the Bens range in Connemara.