Connemara tour

So this week I got to go on the Connemara tour with Extreme Ireland, which visits Galway City, travels through the Inagh Valley, visits the incredible Kylemore Abbey, and enjoy a boat cruise through Killary Harbour. This trip is usually done a little differently but this was my experience, as there were lots of buses coming to view Kylemore Abbey that day. This made it a lot easier to enjoy the trip without hassle.

First, we stopped in Galway City and I walked around the pretty little town, viewing the gorgeous church and small shops that decorate the streets. I even stopped in Galway’s Claddagh shop and bought a traditional ring! Galway was nice to visit and very special to me, as my great-grandfather and his family are from here. After about an hour, we travelled on for the rest of our day’s journey.

Next up included a visit to The Quiet Man Bridge and viewing Kylemore Abbey. The Quiet Man is a movie featuring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara and it is quite famous in both America and Ireland. If you haven’t seen the movie, I suggest you do! It’s very interesting and the actors are all quite wonderful. The bridge that we visited is located in Connemara and is famous for being shown in the movie. Everyone loved getting their picture taken on the bridge, myself included! After that excitement, we got back on the bus and set off towards Kylemore Abbey. Kylemore Abbey is currently home to the Benedictine nuns and was once a boarding school, but in the past, it was home first to Mitchell and Margaret Henry, and then the Duke and Duchess of Manchester. The Henry family visited Connemara on their honeymoon and fell in love with the beautiful landscape, deciding to stay there and build a home. They lived there for several years until both passed and then it was passed down to the Duke and Duchess. They stayed for a while but the home was rather expensive so it was sold again to a banker, until the Benedictine nuns took over after their abbey was destroyed in World War 1. The abbey has been their home for several years and they enjoy greeting the visitors who come to see the beauty the abbey holds. Kylemore Abbey has been one of my favourite visits throughout my trip, as it is so gorgeous and has a rich historical past.

 After visiting the gorgeous abbey and Victorian walled gardens, it was unfortunately time to move on. We travelled through the Inagh Valley and saw Ireland’s only fjord, Killary Fjord. The landscape was breathtakingly pretty and the mountains were a wonderful backdrop on our trip. We travelled for a while to the dock, from where we took a boat cruise along Killary Harbour. It was a pleasant ride, with delicious food on board and a commentary to tell us the history of the harbour and its surroundings. I quite enjoyed this ride and took many pictures of the interesting landscape.

The Connemara Tour is lots of fun and very relaxing, with gorgeous views and historical landmarks to visit. It was one of my favourite trips and I would always love to visit Kylemore Abbey. If you ever travel to Ireland, I suggest taking this tour. You’ll love every minute of your day!