Connemara Trail
in Ireland

This ride will introduce the rider to the Gaelic richness of the Irish countryside passing by small thatched cottages and villages built around a stately manor or castle ruins. Ride through the wild bogland and rocky mountainsides of the Connemara region, an area renowned for scenery that changes with every passing cloud or ray of light. Rivers, lakes, mountains and the sea provide an unspoiled and beautiful contrast to the russet boglands.
In the heart of a contrasted landscape, where the mountains meet the sea, and green land surrounds the lakes you will find one of Ireland's most unusual regions: Connemara, a land both wild and tame. Connemara is a vast region where you will meet a very special man, Willie Leahy, who will be your guide during a week or more of trekking through the Gaelic west. For beginners and experienced riders alike, Willie provides a suitable horse and leads you to the discovery of the Connemara Trail.

IT-IRRT02     
Rates: All inclusive from Galway, all meals, lodging in B & B, 6 riding days, luggage transfer 
7 days/ 6 nights $ 1,850  Single: +$ 250
-- based on € 1,300 / € 175
 ...  add $70  (€ 50)  for trips in July & Aug.
- non riders 50% off
2008 Dates:
04/28-05/04    05/12-05/18    05/26-06/01
06/09-06/15    06/23-06/29    07/07-07/13
07/21-07/27    08/04-08/10    08/18-08/24
09/01-09/07    09/15-09/21
  availability & reservation

Same trip with overnights in 2/3 star hotels:   
IT-IRRT02-H     
7 days/6 nights $ 2,065  Single: + $350
-- based on € 1,450 / € 245
...  add $70  (€ 50)  for trips in July & Aug.

Meeting:    Galway
Airport:      Dublin or Shannon
Transfer:    from Galway included
Level:          Low intermediate+
Horses:       Connemara and Irish Hunter
Tack:           English and Western
Pace:  Moderate with trots and canters
Min/Max : 4-16 riders

Itinerary Connemara
Day 1: Monday   The riders meet at the Meyrick Hotel (formerly the Great Southern Hotel), Eyre Square, in the heart of Galway at 10am.  Here you are introduced to your guide and the back up team who are on hand to move luggage, bring the picnic and help with the horses.
There is a short drive, out of the city (approx 30 mins) to the start point of the ride, at Oughterard.  Here you will have your first sight of the horse or pony which is to become your companion for the week. The horses and ponies are assigned to the riders, according to the rider’s ability, weight, height etc. After tacking up the ride departs and heads straight into the mountains for a long ride that will finish at Maam Cross, the site of the famous October horse fair. The trail takes the riders past the ruins of cottages abandoned since the famine, in the 1840’s, which decimated the Irish population.  As the trail winds its way through the spectacular scenery the view is magnificent, spanning the horizon is the vast expanse of Lough Corrib, the largest lake in southern Ireland.
After lunch the ride continues through the mountains, traversing the bogs and rocks and wading through streams. Way below the trail is the ‘Quiet Man Bridge’, made famous by the John Wayne movie. The day ends with the first of many canters along the abandoned Galway to Clifden railway line. At the end of the day the horses are turned loose into a lakeside pasture while the riders travel to their accommodation.
Day 2: Tuesday   Having spent the night at the lakeside pasture at Maam Cross the horses are refreshed and ready to begin the ride from Maam Cross to Ballinafad. The first stage of the ride goes through Willie’s land at Maam Cross, where a path takes the riders alongside the beautiful Lough Sindle and past the remains of a long forgotten lime kiln, hidden in a grove of hazel trees. Some of the trees in the area are ancient, yet they remain tiny, bent by the harsh Atlantic winds that batter this area during the winter. Lunch is eaten on a small village green, while the horses graze.
After lunch it is back into the saddle for the final stage of the days ride, through silent woodlands and through the beautiful Inagh Valley.  On a clear day riders can see right over the spectacular Connemara landscape to the coast at Rosmuc. The day ends with another canter along the old Galway to Clifden railway line, before the horses are turned out in a pasture at Ballinafad, before the riders return to their accommodation.
Day 3: Wednesday   The horses are rounded up and saddled before the ride leaves Ballinafad. This morning the horses wade through a wide mountain stream before heading up into a short stretch of mountain above the ancient Ballinafad cemetery. The riders then go through the grounds of Ballinahinch Castle, enjoying a long canter through the woodland beforehand. The castle was once the home of an Indian Prince and also Richard Martin who founded the humane society for the protection of animals.
There is a long canter along the old railway line. The grassy track is great fun for a long canter. The horses are set free on the edge of  bogland close to Clifden while the riders eat lunch. Then it is back into the saddle for the afternoon ride which goes along a grassy track close to Clifden and then heads inland over the Roundstone Bog, site of the landing of the historic flight of Alcock and Brown, who piloted the first transatlantic biplane and the site of the Marconi wireless station.  Then we follow the coast to the seaside pasture where the horses will spend the next few nights. The riders then head to their accommodation in Clifden where they will spend the next few nights.
Day 4: Thursday   This is a full day spent on the fabulous Mannin Bay beach. There is mile after mile of sandy beach where riders can gallop and jump over the small stone walls and sandy banks. This is an unforgettable day. Riders are welcome to swim their mount in the clear water of the ocean. It is a unique and very special experience as the horse begins to swim under you. The horses dry off and rest in a beach side pasture while the riders eat a picnic lunch on over the beach over looking the ocean.  Then it is back into the saddle for another ride along the beach to discover more of the wonders of this coastline.
Day 5: Friday     The ride begins at the sea and ends at Toombeola, inland over the mountains. The ride follows the coastline, passing small farmsteads, where generations of small farmers have lived and worked. The coastline is beautiful, the water often the colour of a tropical sea. The ride continues into Errisbeg mountain along an old grassy track before our lunch stop, which is eaten in the mountains, overlooking the pasture where the horses eat. Then they are saddled for the ride that takes us high into Errisbeg mountain high above the seaside village of Roundstone. Watch out for the leprechauns that are known to inhabit this area. Below is the stunning scenery of Dogs Bay, which curves out into the Atlantic Ocean. The horses spend the night in a pasture at Toombeola while the riders travel back to Clifden for the night.
Day 6: Saturday     The riders are collected from Clifden for this, the final day of the trail. After the horses have been saddled the ride heads straight up into the mountains overlooking Cashel Bay. The trail today goes through the mountains right around the beautiful bay, past long abandoned villages, where the potato ridges still remain, a memory of a long forgotten way of life. Lunch is eaten close to the small village of Cashel while the horses graze.  Then the horses are re-saddled for the final leg of the trail which takes the riders through Cashel and then along the coastline around Cashel Bay to Willie’s Mountain, Shanndonnell, where the ride ends. The horses are unsaddled and set free into the mountain pasture while the riders travel back to Galway for a welcome drink.
Day 7:  Sunday  -  Departure after breakfast

  view large Trail Route map

HORSES AND TACK
Your host maintains approximately 200 horses, each very fit, willing to walk out and well suited for the terrain. These Irish Hunters and Connemara ponies of varying sizes are known the world over for their fantastic jumping ability, gentleness, intelligence and stamina. There is a horse to suit every rider’s needs whether a beginner or a rider with years of experience. The outfitter knows his horses well and is adept at matching horse and rider.
English tack is utilized. There are no saddle bags available, but there are D-Rings on the front of the saddle providing loops that a rain jacket or sweater can be tied to with leather thongs or string. Water is not provided on the trail and it is suggested that a waist pouch with a water bottle be worn.
The horses are not groomed as they live outside during the summer. However, riders are welcome to bring a small brush if they wish to groom before riding.

The first day will take at least an hour to select horses and get organized due to the size of the group. After gathering the horses, riders are asked to select a bridle and spend a brief time speaking with the outfitter about the size, temperament and preferences for a mount. Once a horse is chosen for the rider, he is asked to lead the horse to the tack trailer, select a saddle, saddle the horse and check the stirrup length and girth tightness. At lunch stops, the horses are untacked and are released to graze. After lunch, the horses are caught and tacked up.
In the mountains riders are advised to follow the guide rather their own path. The mountains can be quite boggy and rocky and the guide has years of experience in seeking a trail through them. The same applies on the beach, please stay behind the guide so that they can set the pace and route.

RIDER REQUIREMENTS
Participants must be able to:
• gather, catch, tack and untack the horses
• mount and dismount unassisted
• ride comfortably at a walk, long trots, canters and short gallops
• ride up and down rocky hills
• ride for 5-6 hours a day
• ride comfortably in a large group of riders
• be flexible; the outfitter does not run on a strict schedule
• be independent; there is little direction or instruction given while on the ride

Please note that there can be novice riders.

ACCOMMODATIONS AND MEALS
Start each day with a hearty Irish breakfast complete with hot porridge, fruit, yogurt, muesli, brown bread, bacon, sausage, eggs, and toast along with juices, coffee and tea.
Picnic lunches are provided along the trail. Picnics consist of bread, cheeses, cold meats, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, cookies and various sodas, tea and coffee.
Evening meals are at the hotel’s restaurant. Meals are wonderful and are typically four courses with a variety of dishes and choices. Vegetarian or other dietary requests can be accommodated with advance notice.

The hotel option has the following overnights planned:

Accommodations are in the following small quality hotels in the villages or towns along the route. Another option of staying in local bed and breakfasts is available upon request.

Sweeney’s Oughterard House is a Georgian country house that has been converted to a comfortable hotel. The hotel is surrounded with gardens and trees and is opposite the Owenriff River. The sitting rooms are adorned with antiques, period furniture and paintings by local artists. There are 20 bedrooms with telephone, television, hairdryer, tea and coffee-making facilities. The hotel offers a pub and laundry service and there is a post office and small stores within walking distance from the hotel.

Abbeyglen Castle Hotel. Romantically set in beautiful gardens with ponds, waterfalls and streams, it offers a panoramic view of Clifden and the bay with a backdrop of the Twelve Bens mountain range. The rooms are quite large with television, telephone, iron and hairdryer. Other facilities include a pub, same-day laundry service, stamps and postcards, post office drop box, outdoor heated swimming pool, tennis courts, sauna and billiards. It is about a 15-minute walk into Clifden.

Great Southern Hotel. A blend of 19th century elegance with today’s modern amenities overlooking Eyre Square in the heart of Galway City. There are 120 ensuite bedrooms each with a telephone, radio, hairdryer and television. There is an Oyster Room Restaurant, cocktail bar, pub, indoor heated swimming pool, steam room and sauna.
**HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS MAY CHANGE DUE TO AVAILABILITY.