Best Day Out in Ireland: ‘Wake up in Connemara’

The Irish Times is on the hunt for Ireland's best visitor attractions, and we've asked our readers to help, by recommending great ways to spend a day in Ireland. Jody Pollington has some ideas for an unforgettable day in Connemara . . .

Wake up anywhere in Connemara, to the enchanting sound of the dawn chorus. Be rudely interrupted by the slow drone of cattle lowing from nearby meadows. Whether you’re climbing from a four-poster bed or untangling yourself from a sleeping bag, it’s the same clean fresh air, infused with happiness, that hits you when you step outside.

Stop, stretch, inhale and let yourself go. Welcome to Connemara.

Now get yourself to Cleggan to meet Clare, your coasteering instructor at Real Adventures (www.realadventures.ie) for the day.

Hidden from the main thoroughfares, lie breathtaking cliffs and theatrical waves. The fun starts here.

Under the guidance from Clare, you will jump off cliffs, roll with the waves, clamber over rocks and wander through caves. Each challenge is a new cocktail of fear and fun. It’s a thrilling and exhilarating safari where the Atlantic Ocean meets the rugged west of Ireland coastline.

It ends too soon. But by now you will have worked up an appetite. Locally caught lobster anyone? I know just the place!

Get yourself to the Lodge Restaurant in Letterfrack. The menu is a tease of delicious feasts, from the local mountain lamb burgers to the seafood pizza. The selection of mouthwatering meals encourages indecisiveness, insuring you will return again tomorrow.

But for now you have one more stop to make before bed.

Off to Connemara National Park to climb The Diamond. This two-hour walk promises the most spectacular panoramic views in all of Ireland. From the top, you can see Connemara at its best, the Twelve Bens Mountains and the tranquil Bay of Ballinakill.

And at this time of the evening your descent may coincide with a spectacular sunset, turning the sky and ocean into mesmerising shades of pink and orange.

As the day draws to a close, your bones will feel old, but your heart will feel young and you’ll be glad to lay you head on your pillow – although maybe just one pint of the black stuff first.

Jody Pollington

[ www.irishtimes.com/bestdayout ]

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