THE WEST HOTELS

THE WEST OF IRELAND – WHY GO?

If you can’t get enough Irishness, head west to County Galway’s fresh Atlantic shores. This is the home of Connemara – archetypal Ireland, with its peat bogs, white-painted crofts, breezy lakes and a rocky mountain range known as the Twelve Bens.

Head to coastal Clifden, surrounded by rocky Atlantic shores and set against a magnificent mountain backdrop. Pioneer avaiators Alcock and Brown landed here on the first-ever non-stop transatlantic flight in 1919, and a monument just outside Clifden marks their feat.

Not far away, Roundstone is a little fishing village with a pretty harbour, some good pubs and a clutch of craft shops and galleries. Nearby Cashel is a place to spot curraghs – traditional fishing boats – as well as basking seals.

Galway City is worth a visit for its street entertainment and September Oyster Festival, not to mention scores of congenial pubs. Take a trip from here to the Aran Islands – a throwback to ancient Ireland in every way with their prehistoric sites and centuries-old dry stone walls.