Cost : €999

8 Day Tour Tour Dates 2009 Sat 9th May - Sat 16th May Sat 8th Aug - Sat 15th Aug

Tour Grade 2 Moderate Accommodation Pass Inn Hotel Connemara

Tour Highlights Kylemore Abbey Inishbofin Island Connemara National Park St. Patrick's Church Omey Island Killary Fjord The Western Way Clifden Town Irish Music What's included in your tour All accommodation in the Pass Inn Hotel Connemara All meals to include: 7 Breakfasts, 7 Evening Meals and 6 Packed Lunches All transport to include: Pickup at Shannon Airport and Return to Shannon Airport at the end of your tour. All transport to and from walks and evenings out.

CONNEMARA SPECIAL

ITINERARY OUTLINE

Day 1
Transfer from Shannon to Connemara, pickup time 1.00pm, or you may also be picked up in Dublin at 9.30am. Your accommodation for the week is in the Pass Inn Hotel Kylemore, situated in the heart of the Connemara Mountains.

Day 2
Our first walk takes us to Kylemore Abbey and the Victorian Walled Gardens. Kylemore is a most wonderful place and it is here that nature speaks at it's best. The abbey is the only Irish home of the Benedictine Nuns. Built originally as a Castle (1868) it is one of the best examples of Irish neo-gothic architecture. The tour of the Abbey and Gardens will take us approximately 2.5 hours. Afterwards we will take a walk to the statue that over looks the abbey and onto an old Pilgrim Path that takes us onto the side of Altnagaighera Mountain. Our return journey back to the Pass Inn is by Lacknaverna and Fiddaunnavear River.
Distance: 10Km, 6 miles, Ascent: 400Mtrs 1200Ft

Day 3
Our walk takes us to Killary Harbour, which is a fjord between the Mweelrea Mountains and the Twelve Bens. The fjord reaches 20 Kilometers inland and our walk takes us on an old famine road that stretches along part of the fjord. Our return journey takes us on a small country road, past Lough Muck and Lough Fee.
Distance: 15Km, 9 miles, Ascent: 80Mtrs, 240Ft

Day 4
Today's walk takes us on one of Irelands way marked trails, the Western Way. The walk starts in the valley of Maam which was made famous by the making of the film 'The Quiet Man' staring Maureen O' Hara and John Wayne.
The walk takes us through the Maumeen Pass, one of Ireland's pilgrim's routes and up to St. Patrick's Church, which is in the heart of the Maumturk Mountains.
Distance: 15Km, 9 Miles, Ascent 340Mtrs, 1020Ft Approx.

Day 5
Inishbofin, we will take a short ferry ride from the village of Cleggan to the island. One of the most beautiful islands off the West Coast. Today the island has a population of around 200 people but was chosen in 665 by St. Coleman for the site of his monastery, as it was a place of tranquillity. That same sense of peace and tranquillity still exists on the island today.
Walking distance: 8Km, 5 miles, total ascent, 80Mtrs, 240Ft

Day 6
Day 6 takes us back onto the Western Way and to the northern slopes of the Maumturk Mountains. The walk starts overlooking Lough Inagh where we will follow an old green road that takes us into the village of Leenaun. Along the way we will see many old ruined and deserted farmstead's, that are reminders of our great famine. Distance, 14Km, 8.75 Miles, Ascent, 150Mtrs, 450Ft.

Day 7
Our final days walking starts with a visit to Omey Island. Access to the island is my means of a causeway, so we may have to start this day a little early to avail of the low tide. Omey is a very spectacular and spiritual place, virtually untouched by mankind and has a population of less then 20 people. In the 7th century St Feichin found a monastic settlement on the northern part of the island and the ruins of Temple Feichin. A medieval granite church dedicated to the saint is still to be seen today.

In the afternoon we will visit the Connemara National Park, the exhibition centre and an audio-visual show on the park. We will also do a short walk on one of the park trails.
Distance for the day: 12Km, 7.5 miles, Ascent is approximately 50Mtrs, 150Ft

Day 8
Depart for Shannon Airport at 1.30pm, or you may travel back to Dublin with us, arriving at approximately 4.00pm

If you would like more information or a detailed itinerary, please e-mail us at: info@walkinghikingireland.com

Other guided tours:

• Wicklow Way • Western Way • Wicklow Mountains DeLuxe
• Wales & Wicklow • Donegal & Antrim • The Lake District
• Connemara & The Burren • Connemara Special • Cork & Kerry
• Glens of Antrim • Happy Wanderers • West Highland Way
• Walking Specials • Day Walks