We arrived in to Roundstone after a wet and windy ride from Dublin. We stopped at Athenry in County Galway for lunch on the way. This is the town that Joe grew up in and is a very quaint little Irish village. By the way I had the tastiest tomato soup with Irish soda bread in this lovely cafe in Athenry.
After unpacking the car at our hotel in Roundstone, it was time to stretch our legs, so a walk along the coast was the order of the day. Intermittent showers ensued but it was an exhilarating walk. We started in Roundstone, which is a village on the west coast of Ireland, in the Connemara region of County Galway. Lying opposite the island of Inishnee on Roundstone Bay, by road it is 76 kilometres northwest of Galway and 18 kilometres southeast of Clifden.
We stayed at Roundstone House, which is a lovely old world family owned hotel. The dinners were superb with plenty of fresh fish dishes to choose from plus beautiful crab dishes. I had banoffee pie to finish which really satisfied my sweet tooth!! The breakfasts were amazing too, with all food freshly made.
The following day we walked the same path along the coast as the previous day but continued on to Gurteen and Dog’s Bay beaches.
They are two miles from Roundstone, Co Galway, on the road to Clifden, and are two of the finest beaches in Ireland. Gurteen Beach and Dog’s Bay lie back to back forming a tombolo jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean.
Dog’s Bay has a spectacular horseshoe shape with more than a mile long stretch of white sandy beach. Similar to Gurteen Bay, the sand is not comprised of traditional limestone but rather made entirely of fragments of seashells which give it a pure white colour. The vegetation is spectacular with all the wild flowers having such vivid colours.
So after our walk we headed to Ballyconneely, home to the Connemara Championship Golf Links, one of the finest and most picturesque golf courses in Ireland. We quickly visited the Alcock and Brown Memorial and Landing Site in Connemara, County Galway. This is where British aviators John Alcock and Arthur Brown made the first non-stop transatlantic flight in June 1919, a feat that changed the course of aviation history.
Then on to Clifden. Clifden is a coastal town in County Galway, Ireland, in the region of Connemara, located on the Owenglin River where it flows into Clifden Bay. As the largest town in the region, it is often referred to as “the Capital of Connemara”.
Finally after a great day we returned to Roundstone and walked down to the harbour. Then off to another amazing dinner at our hotel!! Apart from the weather, Connemara is heaven on earth!!
