Galway 2 day itinerary—Cliff of Moher, Inis Mor, Kylemore Abby?

We just returned from Ireland. We were underwhelmed by Kylemore Abbey. Maybe it was just too touristy, I don't know. Others will disagree. Cliffs of Moher were impressive but we really enjoyed our trip to Inishmore, even though it was not a good weather day. And you're right, it did pretty much take up a full day. We did one of the horse & cart rides with a great, entertaining driver and two fun couples who, until then, were strangers to us.

Hope that helps. Have fun on your trip!

Hi ML,
Thanks for sharing! You gave me some ideas on how to enjoy Inishmore :) There is also advice to consider the weather, and if it's bad, I'll probably take a day each to the sea and the land. Great to hear you had a lovely time!

I too was underwhelmed with Kylemore Abbey. I enjoyed the visit as part of a 2 week itinerary but would not choose it in your situation. I did not even go into the "castle" as only a few rooms are available to tour as it serves as a residence for Benedictine nuns. I enjoyed the walk from the entrance to and then around the gardens. I had a nice lunch at the tea rooms near the gardens.
I would have happily spent 4 or more hours at the Cliffs, walking and basking in the scenery.

Happy travels.

Kylemore Abbey is just a building (also a former private girls' school) - though a grand-looking one at that - in a lovely setting and perfect for the many wedding ceremonies it hosts.

Visits to Inishmore, Dun Aengus and the Cliffs of Moher will, well, get you out into nature, into an Irish-speaking area and take you way back in history. And the ride out into Galway Bay on that little ferry from Doolin is a treat in itself! Much more to see and learn there than at Kylemore, even though the Cliffs have, sadly, been commercialized and the site debased with built-in shops and other tourist traps. It was much more fun and natural, though, when it was just you, the edge of the cliffs and the blustery wind - along with a busker or two on the walkway up to the cliffs themselves!

Thanks a lot for your thoughts! Hmm... a close look at tour itineraries does make it seem underwhelming. But I'm also curious if driving through Connemera would make the day worthwhile, since most Kylemore Abbey tours take people through the inlands (like this: http://lallytours.com/blog/travel/connemara/)

We had visited Kylemore Abbey twice on previous trips to Ireland and on our last trip our B&B hosts encouraged us to go again just to see the Victorian Walled Gardens which had recently been opened to the public. Each time we go to Kylemore there is more to see. True, it is a tourist destination, but we did not find it over-crowded. The Victorian Walled Gardens have buildings as they were back in the day with information signs in front of them explaining about the history of the gardens/buildings. There are signs naming the types of plants/flowers in each area. The plants and flowers and their arrangements are gorgeous and we spent so much time there we barely made the last shuttle down to the drop off point!

The Abbey's first floor is open to the public but the other sections are not since are used by the nuns. There is a chapel past the Abbey with the nun's cemetery in front of it. They were having a string concert in the chapel and we caught the last part of that. It is a beautiful area to explore but not every place is open to the public.

The nuns are true entrepreneurs and the gift shop is interesting as they sell products made from plants grown on their land. Lotions, candy, jams, and seasoning mixtures are a few that I remember. We brought our B&B hosts some of the Abbey's jam and they were very grateful. The next day we had fresh scones and jam delivered to our cottage.

I think Kylemore Abbey is a great destination and the scenery on the way to the Abbey is lovely. My daughter left Ireland before we did and when she saw pictures of the Abbey was disappointed that this site had not been included while she was touring with us.

Barbara

I liked Kylemore Abbey a lot, but I think it pales in comparison to Inishmore and the Cliffs of Moher. It's just not that unique.

Melrose -

Traveling through Connemara - more specifically the N59 loop - may well be the highlight of your trip. Connemara is, by far, the most scenic region in Ireland. It also includes Connemara National Park and the Twelve Bens (or Pins) Mountain range. Absolutely gorgeous.

I also recommend taking the R344 south through the Inagh Valley (just west of Kylemore Abbey), a totally serene ten-mile stretch with only a few small houses, a hotel, a lake and little else except you - and being nearly nose-to-nose with the sweepingly-steep Maumturk Mountains.

From Galway Town, head northwest to Oughterard, then bear left at the "T" in town to continue west to Maam Cross (sometimes spelled "Maum"), Recess, Clifden, Letterfrack, Leenane and back to Maam. It's just 86 miles in all. From Maam, you could return to Galway Town or head south along small back roads and through some Irish-speaking villages. And Rossaveel - along the coast road due west of Galway - is the ferry embarkation point for Inishmore.

You can drive the entire N59 route in one or two days, giving you plenty of time for stops, hiking and just soaking up all the beauty around you. Clifden, 49 miles west of Galway, is a lively small town with a number of B&Bs, eateries and pubs for listening to trad over some filling pub grub.

And, by all means include the village of Leenane (east of Kylemore) in your travels. It sits in what, in my experience, is the most beautiful spot in Ireland - between three mountain ranges at the end of Killary Harbor and the country's only fjord. The village has a few B&Bs and one grand eatery, The Blackberry Restaurant: www.blackberryrestaurant.ie. Reservations recommended.