Ask any publican—he will probably agree that the West is the “most Irish” part of the island. Yeats (perhaps perched on a barstool) once said, “For me, Ireland is Connacht.” For less privileged Irish in more recent centuries, Connacht meant poor soil and emigration. When Cromwell uprooted the native Irish landowners in Leinster and Munster and resettled them west of the Shannon, the popular phrase for their plight became “To Hell or Connacht.” The Potato Famine that plagued the entire island was most devastating in the West—entire villages emigrated or died. Today, every western county has less than half its 1841 population. Though wretched for farming, the land from Connemara north to Ballina is a boon for hikers, cyclists, and hitchhikers who enjoy the isolation of boggy, rocky, or strikingly mountainous landscapes. Western Ireland’s gorgeous desolation and enclaves of traditional culture are now its biggest attractions.
Galway is a different story: the city has long been a successful port and has begun to harbor young ramblers and music lovers of every kind. Farther south, the Cliffs of Moher, the mesmerizing moonscape of the Burren, and the influential trad music scene attract travelers to Co. Clare. The Shannon River, the longest in all of Britain and Ireland at 214km, pools into holiday-haven Lough Derg and runs south through the city of Limerick, sketching the eastern boundary of the rugged, rocky west. To the north, the farmland of the upper Shannon spills into Co. Sligo’s mountains, lakes, and ancient monuments.
☎ (Inis) Growing quickly, the charming capital of Clare cloaks palpitating nightlife under the familiarity of a small town. Narrow, overlapping pedestrian streets run past ancient buildings and chimney ...more
Northeast of Limerick, the River Shannon widens into the lake region of Lough Derg. Affluent middle-aged tourists powerboat between the small towns of Killaloe, Ballina, Mountshannon, and Portumna; younger ...more
The Cliffs of Moher form the most famous part of the Clare coastline, with limestone walls soaring 213m over the Atlantic. The spectacular scenery is not limited to this single tourist spot, however ...more
Mediterranean, alpine, and Arctic wildflowers peek brightly from cracks in kilometer-long rock surfaces, while 28 of Ireland’s 33 species of butterfly flutter by. Biologists are baffled by the huge ...more
Three hundred and sixty-five islands, one for every day of the year, dot Lough Corrib. The lough, Ireland’s largest, has enough elbow room for all of them. The eastern shores of Lough Corrib and Lough ...more
Connemara, a thinly populated region of northwest Co. Galway, extends a lacy net of inlets and islands into the Atlantic Ocean. Rough inland mountains, desolate stretches of bog, rocky offshore islands ...more
Southern Mayo is not often-overlooked, nor is it offensively touristy. Cong can draw crowds, but generally the area seems like a destination between destinations, a place for backpackers to recharge ...more
Thirteen kilometers of coastline, spectacular sea cliffs, and a rich archaeological history dating back to the Neolithic period make visiting Ireland’s biggest little isle an unforgettable experience ...more
Northern Mayo’s Mullet Peninsula is one of the most remote and sublime destinations outside of Donegal and Northern Ireland. Ballina, the region’s second claim to fame, is a magnetic commercial and ...more
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