High on my list of things to do on this trip was visiting Connemara National Park. I remember coming here in 1996, so it was nice to return and see the place in its full green glory (rather than in January when it was mostly brown). We arrived around 10:30am and found parking along the side of the road just past the paved spots. From the Visitor’s Center, we completed the Upper Diamond Hill trail, a 7km loop, in about 2:30 hours. It was a difficult climb to the very top, lots of stone steps with 400m of elevation gain, but the 360 degree views were spectacular! Worth getting here early as folks were parked a long way down the road when we left at 1pm.
Our next stop was the historic Kylemore Abbey and Garden. Owned for the last 100 years by Benedictine nuns, it was originally built by Mitchell Henry for his wife Margaret. The grounds include a neo-Gothic castle, a Victorian walled garden, and a charming mini cathedral in dedication to his wife who tragically died at aged 45 after contracting dysentery on a family trip to Egypt. Entry fees were 18€ pp and I think that was worth it to see this place. Upon arrival, we were directed to the overflow parking lot – thankfully there is a lot of space to spread out on the grounds so no one place felt too crowded. After collecting our tickets, we decided to visit the walled garden first. It is a 20 minute walk from the entrance, or a free coach ride, and we got lucky with the coach timing (in both directions!). Most of the original greenhouses are gone (just rocky foundations now) but the gardens themselves were in full bloom and the exterior walls with fruit tree trellises were an interesting touch. I liked seeing the Bothy and Head Gardener’s residences, and there was enough info scattered about to give the place context. On the way out we said a quick hello to Perry Pickles, one of Kylemore’s Kune Kune pigs.
The church was under restoration and partly shrouded during our visit, but we could still go inside. Apparently they had to change restoration tacks when they discovered Ireland’s largest known colony of Natterer’s bats was living in the roof! We also stopped by the mausoleum with the remains of Mitchell and Margaret. The trees along the lakeside walk were huge, and many were imported as seeds from North America years ago.
The house itself was probably the least interesting part for me, but it was well done with period pieces and lots of information about the Ypres nuns that have been using the property for a century following the original owners.
Located a bit further east past the Abbey, Kylemore Lough viewpoint was a nice spot to walk down to the lake for some lovely photos of the mountains.
Our drive to Sligo was scheduled for about 3 hours, so we stopped in a few places to break up the drive. It was misty but the Killary Fjord Overlook was still scenic with a tour boat passing through and hill views with shellfish farms.
Our next stop was Aasleagh Falls. There is a pullout for 3-4 cars just across the bridge where you can view the falls head-on. A short path to a viewing area allows you to see the falls from the side.
