Re: Clonmacnoise Accommodations

Subject:

Comments:
: : : : : : : Hello, : : : : : : : I've been researching the web and haven't yet found a place to stay near Clonmacnois that jumps out at me as just right. I'm looking for a small guesthouse or larger b&b/farmhouse type accomodation that is comfortable, non-smoking, and has a friendly character to it. We will be driving from Clonmel to Connemara and wanted to see the abbey and perhaps the bog railway, so thought we would stop for the night near Clonmacnois rather than make a rushed journey. Any suggestions? : : : : : : Laurie, : : : : : : We've stayed at Castledaly Manor in Athlone twice and love it. It is a rennovated manor house about 6 miles outside of town in the hamlet of Castledaly. It's a B&B that serves dinner and has a pub that several area residents consider as their "local," so you can get the whole experience in one location! It is convenient to both the sites you mentioned and is very comfortable. Non-smoking it isn't, but I have no idea how much luck you'll have with that anyway. : : : : : : You should also know, however, that it is American owned and they've been fairly successful at pretty much filling up the place every week with Midwesterners like me. You can see the place at www.castledalymanor.com and find the Milwaukee contact info for further questions. : : : : : : Eric : : : : : Dear Laurie, : : : : : Thanks to Eric for his recommendation of Castledaly Manor to you, based on his experiences. Sounds good to me. : : : : : You can also get my recommended B&Bs by going to my Ireland Guide and clicking Shannon Region, Favorite Places to Stay - Co. Offaly. : : : : : With regard to Clonmacnoise, I am sure you realize that there is no "abbey" there in a contemporary working sense - it is all ruins, so you can tour it well on a 45-minute guided tour. There is also a 23-minute A/V. All in all, you may not need to spend more than about one hour there unless you have special interests. : : : : : So, what I am saying is that you really could push on to Galway (about an hour's drive) and stay the night there, putting you in a good position for Connemara the next morning. : : : : : Hope this helps. : : : : : PAT : : : : Thanks for your help, Pat!!! If we leave Cashel in the morning, it sounds like we could take a look at the abbey ruins and maybe the bog railway midday,and then head on towards the coast. Another option might be to skip Clonmacnoise and instead do a leisurely exploration along Lough Derg? If we spend the night near Loughrea or maybe even farther north would it make a good introduction to Connemara to come in via Tuam and Cong? : : : Dear Laurie, : : : It seems that you are "thinking out loud" trying to decide if your should drive straight to Clonmacnoise or meander along Lough Derg. Either way, I still recommend aiming for Galway. It makes a much better intro to Connemara than Tuam and Cong -- they would be taking you out of your way from the N59 route. It all depends on what you want to do - most people want to get out into Connemara and visit Kylemore Abbey, Clifden etc. You may prefer to aim for Cong for other reasons, however (to see the Quiet Man locations etc). If that is the case, then go by way of Cong. I get the feeling you are inclined to avoid Galway City, but let me assure you, that you will love Galway and only wonder why you did not allocate a few days for it. : : : Hope this helps. : : : PAT : : Hi Pat, : : We're hoping to put one night and most of two days into Galway on our way from Connemara to Burren, which is why I wasn't really thinking about it on the way to Connemara and if we stay in Roundstone for four days, we'll be well placed to explore the coastal areas of Connemara. It's the route to Connemara that has me flummoxed. I'm a bit uncertain about judging time and distances, and want to err on the side of reducing distances between overnight stops, so that we can take the smaller roads and stop and explore things that strike our fancy along the way. : : That said, is it worth taking a bit of a northern detour so for a look at Lough Corrib and Lough Mask and the Cong area? : : Thanks again, : : Laurie : Dear Laurie, : Since you are only planning one night in Galway on the way back, you could use another night at the beginning of your time in Galway. It just makes more sense and there is so much more to do and there is a great toruist office on Forster St. that you really should visit before you begin your four days in the area. : Take time to explore a bit of the city on that morning and then drive north to Cong, look around and continue into Connemara after lunch. Head to Roundstone and relax. This way, you will have gotten that spur over with and can concentrate on the Galway Bay coast, Clifden, Kylemore, Leenane and just relaxing for the remainder of your time in Connemara. From Cong, it will only take less than 3 hours to get to Roundstone in a leisurely drive. Of course, you can extend it and take lots of sidetrips along the way, but you can still reach Roundstone easily before dinner. So, why not combine a taste of Galway with Cong en route to Roundstone. This way, you will also have a feel for Galway and know your way around (get street maps at the Galway tourist office) so you can make the most of your remaining time there. : Hope this helps, : PAT

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:
Optional Image URL: