Connemara, Ireland, Beauty in the Wild

Situated in the West of Ireland, the Connemara region is a large peninsula bounded by the Atlantic Ocean at the North, West and South. Connemara is a region that is highly popular with tourists coming from within the country as well as foreigners, probably because there are so many things to see and do in this beautiful area.

Although it is one of the most popular regions of Ireland for tourism and even has a seaside resort (Salthill with its large beach, hotels and casinos), the weather in Connemara could disappoint many visitors; usually very mild and humid with temperatures ranging from 4 to 12 degrees Celsius in the winter and 16 to 25 degrees Celsius in the summer. Because of the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean, it is usually rather wet and windy in Connemara, especially in winter when storms happen frequently.

Connemara is one of Ireland's Gaeltacht regions, where the Gaelic language is widely spoken by the locals, young or old, particularly in the countryside.

Connemara's main city is Galway, sometimes referred to as the City of the Tribes and one of the fastest growing towns of Ireland. Connemara also has a few smaller towns and villages, such as Clifden, Carna, Carraroe, Roundstone and Letterfrack. Galway city has its own museum and in July of each year, the Galway Arts Festival attracts many tourists.

Connemara is a region where water plays a big part with its large coastline along the Atlantic Ocean and its many lakes and rivers. The region is being almost constantly battered by westerly winds, as one can witness when noticing all the bent trees from areas most often hit by the strong winds. Connemara's countryside is mildly mountainous with the Twelve Bens, a chain of twelve low mountains separating the North and South of Connemara peaking at 730 metres high.

In contrast with the thriving city of Galway, it is not rare to find sheep roaming some of the countryside roads from Connemara; while sometimes annoying (and dangerous) for motorists, this gives a charming and somewhat wild touch to the region. When driving along Connemara roads, one must take the time to appreciate the beauty and wilderness of the region's landscape.

Being almost a part of the Atlantic Ocean, it is only natural that Connemara should include a few Islands: the most popular ones being the Aran Islands (Inishmore, Inishmaan and Inisheer) that are famous not only for the Aran hand knitted sweaters, but also for the currachs, traditional fishing boats built and used by fishermen from the Aran Islands which are now used mostly for currach racing. On Inishmore, Dun Aengus, one of several Iron Age forts remaining on the island, is the main tourist attraction.

Apart from sightseeing, shopping and a visit to the Galway Museum, there are many enjoyable activities to do in Connemara: golfing, cycling, walking, horse riding, fishing and windsurfing come to mind but no visit to Connemara would be complete without a session of traditional Irish music and dancing in a local pub (don't forget the compulsory pint of Guinness!).

Connemara is a region of traditions as well as a dynamic area of Ireland. It is a place of contrasts where one can get in touch with a raw landscape only minutes away from a thriving city environment and a beautiful region despite its weather being unreliable.