Slieve League, Donegal, West Coast of Ireland

Slieve League and many other dramatic settings are featured on our hiking journey across western Ireland, with visits to the best sites from Connemara to County Mayo.

Photo by Irish Image Collection / ageFotostock

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Ireland's Wild West Coast

History and Hikes in County Galway, Mayo, Connemara, and Donegal

The wild northwestern coast of Ireland has some of the most intensely beautiful scenery in Europe—a spectacular meeting of golden beaches pounded by Atlantic rollers, dramatic headlands of towering sea cliffs, rugged green mountains, and storybook glens. Traditional ways remain strong here, and the Gaelic language is still widely spoken. Wild Connemara, beautiful Sligo—Yeats country—and lovely Donegal all welcome us into a true experience of Ireland’s incomparable landscapes and rich culture. Our trails lead past Celtic crosses, through Bronze Age forts, island?monasteries, historic castles, and to traditional villages set by the untamed sea. Throughout our journey, Ireland’s long and fascinating history is brought to life for us, while evenings at the pub are enlivened with traditional music and song.

Highlights

  • Climb Ireland’s holiest mountain, walk the dramatic headlands of the wild west coast
  • Discover ancient stone circles, Iron Age forts, Celtic crosses, historic castles
  • Experience traditional Irish culture in the company of our expert guides
  • Savor fine cuisine in lakeside lodges and country houses
  • Explore white-sand beaches and ancient ruins on Omey Island
  • Hike along the stunning cliffs of Slieve League and beside serene Killary Harbor

Details

  • 9-day trip begins in Galway and ends in Donegal
  • 8 nights in hotels and country houses
  • All meals included except 1 dinner
  • Moderate to strenuous hiking, 4-6 hours a day

Tour Costs

$4395 (11-15 members)
$4795 (5-10 members)

Single supplement: $495

Departures & Leaders

Jul 17-25, 2010  Ann Curran
Aug 14-22, 2010  Ann Curran

Suggested Reading

Reading list, click here.

Itinerary at a Glance
Ireland's Wild West Coast route-map

Days 1-2
Galway / Connemara

From Galway, capital of traditional Irish culture, we head north through bog and lakeland into the heart of Connemara and the mountainous area of the Twelve Bens. Hiking on an ancient pilgrim route through a pass in the Maumturk Mountains, we reach lovely Inagh Valley. The next day, we explore Omey Island, site of an early monastery and numerous ancient standing stones and circles, and enjoy beautiful seascapes as we stroll along its powdery white-sand beaches. At Killary Harbour, a dramatic deep-cut fjord, we hike a trail along the water’s edge to an abandoned village with a haunting “famine graveyard.”

Days 3-4
County Mayo / Croagh Patrick / Achill Head

Heading north into rugged County Mayo, a region rich in history and folklore, we follow a pilgrims’ path to the summit of Croagh Patrick (2,500'), a sacred peak that is a vast archaeological landscape of relics dating to the Stone Age. From the north shore of Clew Bay we reach Achill Island for a dramatic hike over Achill Head, an enormous headland with incredible views of mountain and ocean.

Days 5-6
Southwest Donegal / Ardara

Not far in miles but a world away is County Donegal, a scenic landscape of golden beaches, huge sea cliffs, rugged mountains, historic castles, and lush valleys. We hike to Queen Maeve’s grave, a huge unexcavated Stone Age cairn overlooking the landscapes of County Sligo, and along incredible 2,000-foot-high Slieve League, the highest sea cliffs of Western Europe. This is the land of famous Donegal Tweed, and we visit a local weaver in his home.

Days 7-9
Gaoth Dobhair / Horn Head / Glen Veagh National Park / Depart

In Donegal’s wild northwest, we hike past Stone Age dolmens and Iron Age forts, through lovely Glen Veagh National Park, and along the headlands at Gaoth Dobhair for sunset walks along spectacular beaches. This part of Donegal holds the greatest number of native Irish speakers and boasts an incredible richness of folk music, which we enjoy over a pint in the local pubs at days’ end. On Day 9 we depart from Donegal or Shannon.

This is the Itinerary-at-a-Glance. For the complete trip description, Download Full Trip Brochure