6-night Equestrian Connemara Trail Tour
| Price From |
$3059 |
per person |
|
Visits:
Burren * Lough Corrib * Clifden * Ballynahinch * Mannin Beach * Cashel
Ireland Bus Tour Testimonials
Tour Details:
For Horse Riding Enthusiasts it does not get any better than this. A week long Inn to Inn journey on horseback led by expert guides over 100 miles of Ireland’s finest scenery. This tour is not just for experienced riders, but for anyone who would enjoy seeing dramatic Irish countryside from the back of a horse! And not just any horse, but Connemara Ponies and Irish Hunters bred to confidently travel the terrain.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Burren in Country Clare
Meet at noon at the Great Southern Hotel in Galway and drive to our starting point at Cloonabinna (20mintues). The ride will take us through unusual rock formations similar to those of the famous Burren in Country Clare. Late in the afternoon, we enjoy a stop for tea on the grounds of 13th century Aughnanure Castle, once home to the “ferocious O’Flaherrys.” Afterwards, we have a short ride to the horses’ pasture for the night and go on to our hotel in Oughterard. For non-riders: We suggest an easy day of sightseeing in the old city of Galway and it’s surroundings or perhaps a boat ride up the Corrib River to the lough.
Day 2: Lough Corrib, Oughterard
Leave the hotel around 10:30 for the impressive ride to Maam Cross. We will ride about six hours, with the mornings ride taking us up in the mountains for fantastic views of Lough Corrib and the chance to see an old farmsted abandoned since the famine of the 1840’s. After a picnic lunch, we will travel across one of the famed Irish bogs and end the day with a gallop on the old Galway-Clifden railway. For non-riders: There is golf at Oughterard’s Wiss Park and fishing on Lough Corrib. Oughterard is well known for it’s craft shops and the Voske carpet factory.
Day 3: Clifden
Start riding around half past eleven for a most beautiful seven-hour’s ride from Maam Cross to Ballynafad. We first have the chance to examine the Maam Cross bog at close range, thanks to a road Willie has built right through the middle. After lunch on a small village green, we head up in the mountains, where we’ll have beautiful views of hidden valleys. At the end of the day, we stop for a refreshing cup of tea our last gallop. We leave the horses grazing in Ballynafad and drive to Clifden, where we’ll be spending the next three nights. For non-riders: Be sure to take the opportunity to walk the bog at Maam Cross. Golfers and fishing can practice their sport all week long. You also may want to visit the scene of the film “The Quiet Man.”
Day 4: Ballynahinch
Six hours of riding offers a great variety in beautiful scenery and the opportunity for long gallops. In the morning, we’ll stop for a quick drink at Ballynahinch Castle, ancestral home of the Martyn family. Lunch will be by a small cottage on the old railway. The afternoon will take us past the Alcock and Brown memorial, landing sight of the first transatlantic flight, and on to Ballynahinch. We return to Clifden for the night. For non-riders: Suggestions would be Ballynahinch castle and its famous salmon fishing (by special arrangement), cycling, or walking across the moutains from Leenane by St. Patrick’s well, where the saint rested for a night.
Day 5: Mannin Beach
A full day on the fantstic Mannin Beach, cantering, optional jumping over small stone walls and sandy banks and swimming with the horses. This day is most enjoyable and we would like everyone, riders and non-riders alike, to spend the day together on the beach.
Day 6: Cashel
We spend this last day riding along the coast and then up into the mountains overlooking the sea. Our ride will end at a field near Cashel, where the horses will spend the weekend. We will drive back to Galway for the last night. Customers who have booked for two weeks might spend the next day exploring Galway or perhaps visiting the Aran Islands. For non-riders: Golf at the famous Ba