Connemara

The West is the heartland of the Wild Atlantic Way: In County Clare, the Cliffs of Moher plunge up to 214 metres into the Atlantic, behind which lies the karst landscape of the Burren. Galway is the West Coast's liveliest city and a gateway to the Aran Islands and the mountains and bogs of Connemara.Further north in County Mayo are the Georgian town of Westport, the pilgrimage mountain Croagh Patrick and Achill, Ireland's largest island. In parts of Connemara, on the Aran Islands and on Achill, Irish is still an everyday language.

Westport is a planned Georgian town on Clew Bay in County Mayo, with a tree-lined Mall along the Carrow Beg River, the Octagon, and lively pubs. On the outskirts lies the 18th-century Westport House mansion.West of the town rises the 764-meter-high Croagh Patrick, Ireland's most famous pilgrimage mountain; the ascent begins in Murrisk. On the last Sunday in July, Reek Sunday, thousands of pilgrims climb to the summit. From Westport, the 42-kilometer-long Great Western Greenway follows an old railway line via Newport and Mulranny to Achill.

Achill, covering around 148 square kilometres, is Ireland's largest island, linked to the County Mayo mainland via a bridge since 1887. Approximately half the island belongs to the Gaeltacht.Known for are Keem Bay with its bright sandy beach beneath steep slopes, the deserted village at the foot of Slievemore with the ruins of 80 to 100 stone houses, and the cliffs at Croaghaun, which are among Europe's highest sea cliffs. You can reach Achill by bike via the Great Western Greenway from Westport.

The three Aran Islands Inis Mór, Inis Meáin, and Inis Oírr lie off Galway Bay and are, with stone walls, barren limestone fields, and small villages, a piece of original Ireland. Most of the approximately 1,350 inhabitants speak Irish as their everyday language.On the largest island, Inis Mór, the stone fort Dún Aonghasa is perched approx. 100 meters above the Atlantic, right on the cliff edge. The ferry from Rossaveal, west of Galway, operates year-round and takes about 40 minutes; from Doolin, there are seasonal connections from April to October. On Inis Oírr, the wreck of the Plassey lies on the shore.

With around 86,000 inhabitants, Galway is the largest city on the west coast and was European Capital of Culture in 2020. Life revolves around the Latin Quarter near Quay Street, with pubs, street music, and small shops; on the riverbank stands the Spanish Arch, a remnant of the medieval city wall, right next to it the Galway City Museum.Eyre Square marks the center of the new town, and to the west, the Salthill promenade stretches about two kilometers along Galway Bay. The city is a starting point for Connemara and the Aran Islands, with year-round ferries departing from Rossaveal, located about 37 kilometers away.