Ballyconneely
No visit to Connemara or the West of Ireland would be complete without a visit to Ballyconneely . This peninsula, jutting into the Atlantic between Clifden to the north and Roundstone to the south, contains some of the most tranquil, unspoilt and interesting countryside to be found anywhere in the country.
The peninsula is virtually ringed by beaches - from the Coral Strand at Derrygimla, west and north to Knock, Mannin, Dunloughan and Truska, and east and south from Keeraunmore, Aillebrack, and Ballyconneely Bay to Calla, Dolan and Murvey. As well as being ideal for bathing, some of those beaches provide excellent bases for shore fishermen.
Ballyconneely is also renowned for its breeding of the world famous Connemara Pony, with numerous home and overseas champions being produced here. Legend has it that the breed originated as a result of a number of Arab Horses coming ashore from a Spanish shipwreck, near Slyne Head, and breeding with the small native pony. An annual show and sale is held in the village on the 3rd Sunday in July.
Today the area is home to a vibrant, thriving community and boasts many attractions for our visitors. There is a magnificent eighteen hole Golf Links at Aillebrack. Three miles to the east, there is the Roundstone Bog, a vast expanse of moor, lake and stream, teeming with undisturbed wildlife and rare plants, an area which is almost haunting in its serene tranquility, especially in the early morning and late Summer evenings.
