Connemara

On narrow roads along the coast and in the neighbourhood of the cone-shaped Twelve Pins and Maamturk Mountains, this section of the Wild Atlantic Way leads through Connemara, the wild heart of Ireland. The entire region has always been influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, its waves and currents and, of course, the forces of the wind.

Today, almost half of the remaining Irish-speaking population lives in this Gaeltacht region in the far west. The Irish language, tradition and culture are omnipresent. Here, the heritage of the ancestors is intensively cherished and cultivated.

The ferry to the wonderful Aran Islands departs from Rossaveal (also from Doolin, County Clare) or you can take a plane from the Connemara Regional Airport. The Aran Islands are a place of tranquil beauty and traditional lifestyle. One of Irelands Nobel literature prize winners Seamus Heaney asks in his poem „Lovers on Aran“: „Did sea define the land or land the sea?“ This question which begs an answer is not possible to respond to with regard to the islands of Aran as there is a oneness, a unity, a co-existing harmony mutually dependent on each other.

The Signature Discovery Point of this section is Derrigimlagh, a stretch of unique blanket bog south of Clifden, where the history of human achievement and natural wonders are interwoven. Here, a monument that looks like the nose of an airplane commemorates a pivotal moment in aviation history - the place where Alcock and Brown's first transatlantic flight came to a bumpy end. This landmark not only symbolizes a milestone of innovation, but is also a gateway to the wild, untamed beauty of Connemara.