Marsh-Mel-O's Adventures: UK Roadtrip Take Two - Connemara National Park and Surrounds

25th September

Today I had planned a route to explore a part of the Wild Atlantic Way and the Connemara National Park. Athenry 9pronounced Athenri) was the first town we passed through, and the first main town closest to the home we were staying in. Athenry is the best preserved medieval town in Ireland, retaining the upstanding remains of most of its original high-status buildings. With the excellently preserved Athenry Castle, Dominican abbey and over seventy percent of the medieval town walls Athenry provides visitors with an excellent insight into the heritage of medieval Ireland. We wandered the town centre and visited the Athenry Abbey and Lady's Well.

Next stop was Tuam, the second largest settlement in County Galway. Here we wandered the town centre and did some shopping before continuing on our route.

On our way to the town of Cong, we stopped at the ruins of the Ross Errily Friary. The Ross Errily Friary, or more commonly Ross Abbey, is a medieval Franciscan friary located about a mile to the northwest of Headford, County Galway. It is a National Monument of Ireland and among the best-preserved medieval monastic sites in the country. Like many other abandoned Christian sites in Ireland, Ross Errilly has continued to be used as a burial ground by area residents. In addition to tombs that date from the friary's active period, many graves dating from the 18th through 20th centuries can be found inside the church walls. In some cases, tombstones comprise the floors of walkways and crawlspaces.

The town of Cong, our next stop, was the filming location for the 1952 Oscar winning movie, ‘The Quiet Man’ which starred John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. Filmed on the grounds of Ashford Castle, the movie has continued to resonate in the area and is still a major tourist attraction. Cong also has a fine example of a ruined medieval abbey, where Rory O'Connor, the last High King of Ireland, is reputed to have died. It also contains Celtic art in the form of a metal cross shrine called the Cross of Cong, which shows Viking influences. The 'Cross of Cong' is now held in the National Museum of Ireland, Dublin. Underground streams connect Lough Corrib, the largest lake in Ireland, with Lough Mask to the north. The Corrib is regarded by fisherman as one of the finest fishing lakes in the country, and certainly provides some beautiful scenery! There are several beautiful walks you can do around the area, but due to the foot and the never ending rain today we abstained from them, instead choosing to enjoy a pot of tea and homemade scones in the local café 'Puddleducks'.

We drove through the town of Leenane, heading for the iconic Kylemore Abbey. Kylemore Abbey and Victorian Walled Garden is one of Ireland’s most iconic tourist attractions and home to the Benedictine nuns since 1920. Kylemore Castle was built in 1868 as a private home for the family of Mitchell Henry, a wealthy doctor from London. The construction of the castle began in 1867, and took the total of one hundred men and four years to complete. The Abbey remained in Henry's estate after he returned to England. The castle was sold to the Duke and Duchess of Manchester in 1909, who resided there for several years before being forced to sell the house and grounds because of gambling debts. In 1920, the Irish Benedictine Nuns purchased the Abbey castle and lands after they were forced to flee Ypres, Belgium during World War I. The nuns, who had been based in Ypres for several hundred years, had been bombed out of their Abbey during World War I. The nuns continued to offer education to Catholic girls, opening an international boarding school and establishing a day school for girls from the locality. The school acted as the main educator for most girls from Renvyle, Letterfrack and further afield for almost a century but it was forced to close in June 2010.The nuns have since been developing new education and retreat activities. The Estate includes large walled Victorian Gardens. Since the 1970s these have been open for public tours and 'nature' walks. The Benedictine community has restored the Abbey's gardens and Cathedral with donations and local artisans in order to be a self-sustaining estate.

Now late in the afternoon, our last stop before heading back through to Galway was Clifden. Located on the Owenglin River where it flows into Clifden Bay, Clifden is the largest town in the region, it is often referred to as "the Capital of Connemara". Though the biggest town in the area, it didn't take us long to wander the town centre and hop back in the car to head home. On the way home we passed through the little towns of Maam Cross and Oughterard, briefly stopping in the city centre of Galway, and picking up some dinner in Athenry before making our way home to our little beds!