Day 8: Connemara, Cnoc Suain Heritage Centre, Kylemore Abbey
Monday, September 21
Breakfast: Hotel buffet.
Morning: Today we’ll travel by motorcoach for a full day exploring Connemara. A broad peninsula between Killary Harbour and Kilkieran Bay in the west of County Galway, Connemara has long been regarded as the real emerald of Ireland. We’ll begin at the award-winning Cnoc Suain Heritage Centre where local experts will provide insights into the rural folklore, traditions, and way of life in the west of Ireland. We’ll also observe a demonstration of traditional Irish bread baking. Moving on, we’ll explore the sleepy seaside villages of Connemara stopping at Lough Inagh Lodge in the village of Recess. We’ll sip an Irish coffee in this beautiful old fishing lodge nestled on the shores of Lake Inagh.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: We’ll continue by motorcoach to Kylemore Abbey passing by Ireland's only Fjord at Killary Harbour. Kylemore Abbey in the heart of Connemara, this beautifully designed estate was built in 1867 as a private home and became a Benedictine abbey in 1920. We’ll learn from our Group Leader about the rich history and experience the oasis that is the walled garden, one of the last created in Ireland during the Victorian era. Although it fell into disrepair over time, the Benedictines began an authentic restoration in the late 1990s and only a few years later won a prestigious European award for their work.
Dinner: At the hotel.
Evening: We’ll return to Galway by motorcoach after dinner. The remainder of the evening is at leisure.
Note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 130 miles, approximately 4.5 hours. Walking about 3 miles, periods of standing; paved streets, tarmac and gravel paths, some uneven grassy areas.
Accommodations: Flannery's Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Monday, September 21
Breakfast: Hotel buffet.
Morning: Today we’ll travel by motorcoach for a full day exploring Connemara. A broad peninsula between Killary Harbour and Kilkieran Bay in the west of County Galway, Connemara has long been regarded as the real emerald of Ireland. We’ll begin at the award-winning Cnoc Suain Heritage Centre where local experts will provide insights into the rural folklore, traditions, and way of life in the west of Ireland. We’ll also observe a demonstration of traditional Irish bread baking. Moving on, we’ll explore the sleepy seaside villages of Connemara stopping at Lough Inagh Lodge in the village of Recess. We’ll sip an Irish coffee in this beautiful old fishing lodge nestled on the shores of Lake Inagh.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: We’ll continue by motorcoach to Kylemore Abbey passing by Ireland's only Fjord at Killary Harbour. Kylemore Abbey in the heart of Connemara, this beautifully designed estate was built in 1867 as a private home and became a Benedictine abbey in 1920. We’ll learn from our Group Leader about the rich history and experience the oasis that is the walled garden, one of the last created in Ireland during the Victorian era. Although it fell into disrepair over time, the Benedictines began an authentic restoration in the late 1990s and only a few years later won a prestigious European award for their work.
Dinner: At the hotel.
Evening: We’ll return to Galway by motorcoach after dinner. The remainder of the evening is at leisure.
Note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 130 miles, approximately 4.5 hours. Walking about 3 miles, periods of standing; paved streets, tarmac and gravel paths, some uneven grassy areas.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
I was up before 6 am. With two late nights, I have not gotten enough sleep, my Oura sleep debt is up to 5 hours and 40 minutes.
I did a ten minute core Peleton workout in the room. AFterwards, we had a buffet breakfast in the hotel.
We were on the bus at 9 am. The plan for day was exploring the Connemara. It is a region situated on the Atlantic coast in western County Galway. Often described by Oscar Wilde as a "savage beauty," Connemara is renowned for its vast boglands, dramatic quartzite mountain ranges, jagged coastline, and deep-rooted Gaelic heritage.
The first stop was Cnoc Suain (which translates from Irish to "Restful Hill"). It is a family-owned cultural heritage site and 200-acre nature sanctuary. Located in an Irish-speaking (Gaeltacht) region just outside Spiddal, it offers an authentic, immersive look at traditional rural Irish life, Gaelic culture, and ecological stewardship.
We had a series of presentations on life in the area. It included the Gaelic language and harvesting peat from the bog.
Mary Bergin talked about Irish music and played several songs on the tin whistle. She is widely recognized as one of the greatest masters of the Irish tin whistle. Often credited with single-handedly elevating the tin whistle from a simple folk instrument to a front-and-center, premier solo instrument in traditional Irish music, her virtuosity, speed, and crisp ornamentation set the standard for generations of whistle players.
Eight of us, including Sharon and I, got up. They taught us an Irish dance. I have two left feet... Apparently, someone took a video.
We stopped for lunch at the Lough Inagh Lodge. We had soup and an assortment of small sandwiches. After lunch, they did a demonstration of making an Irish Whiskey.
We got back to the hotel about 5:45 pm. Sharon and I had a drink in the bar with Mike and Chris before dinner.
Joining the group dinner in the hotel, Sharon and I sat with Bill and Janet and Lamar and Janet. We had not talked much with them before. Both Sharon and I had pork loin.
Working to finish my blog entry for the previous, we crashed just before 10:00 pm.
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