Woodland – Water – History

These two day tours will bring us to places steeped in history, near woodland and lake.

Option A: This trip leads us to the Northern shores of Lough Corrib, a boat trip will bring us to the Island of Inchagoill with its interesting history and beautiful ruins, we will take a walk in the woods of Cong and spend some time in that lovely village on the border of two counties.

Option B: On this trip we travel to East Galway, we will visit the Workhouse Centre in Portumna, it will give you a deep insight into a dark time in Irish history, we will also see the magnificent gardens of Portumna Castle and walk the woodlands on the shores of Lough Derg.

Option A: Lough Corrib (Boat trip to Inchagoill island) – Cong Abbey and the village – Cong Forest

We drive out into Connemara through the lowlands north of Galway and the eastern shores of Lough Corrib. We will spend the morning exploring the woodland starting at the ruins of Cong Abbey and the Monks’ fishing house. Cong Abbey was built in the 12th century by the Augustinian Order under the rule of Turlough O’Connor, High King of Ireland. From here we will venture out into the woods around Cong and Ashford Castle, once the home of the Guinness family. After our walk we will have time to explore Cong village and stop for a nice lunch or picnic.

In the afternoon we take the boat from Lisloughrey Pier for a lovely trip on Lough Corrib and a visit of Inchagoill, on a guided tour we will hear about the interesting history of the island. The landscape of Connemara will surround us, from the lake the perspective is very different. After our boat trip it is time to go back to where we started and say goodbye after a wonderful day out.

Easy walking, please bring suitable clothing for changeable weather.

Please contact me for possible dates and prices for private groups (2 to 8 people) Pickup for those tours will be arranged prior to booking. 

Open tours local people with pick-ups along the route from Kinvara via Oranmore, Galway North and Headford. Price per person *€95 plus Boat ticket ca 28€ , 6 or 7 people (Prices for smaller groups on request)

Option B: Portumna Forest – Lough Derg – Portummna Castle Gardens – The Irish Workhouse Centre

We travel into the East of County Galway to Portumna at the northern shores of Lough Derg, the largest lake on the river Shannon. The name Portumna comes from the Irish Port Omna, the landing place of the oak tree. This calls for a walk in the almost 600 ha of the woodlands connected to Portumna Castle built by one of the most influential Galway families, the de Burgos, in the 17th century. We will visit the magnificent gardens and have the option for a light lunch in the Castle Tea Rooms or we might venture into Portumna for various options. A very special part of the day will be the visit to the Irish Workhouse Centre which is the only centre in Ireland dedicated to telling the story of the Irish workhouse and also one of the best preserved buildings of its kind. You might learn much about Irish history you did not know, the tours here are excellent. From here we return to our starting point and I imagine we will all appreciate having a comfortable home to go back to.

Easy walking, please bring suitable clothing for changeable weather.

Please contact me for possible dates and prices for private groups (2 to 8 people) Pickup for those tours will be arranged prior to booking. 

Open tours for local people with pick-ups along the route from Kinvara to Oranmore to Portumna. Price per person *€95 plus ticket for Workhouse centre (ca 9 €) / 6 or 7 people (Prices for smaller groups on request)