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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
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view large Trail Route map
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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.
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