Entry Points: Shannon Airport, and Knock Airport
Widely regarded as Ireland’s cultural heartland, visiting the West lets you enjoy the vibrancy of Galway city and take the time to experience mystical Gaelic Connemara, the raw beauty of County Mayo and the secrets of County Roscommon.
Some things to do and see
- Galway City: a vibrant artistic paradise, with lively street theatre, music and culture
- Ceide Fields Visitor Centre: a vast prehistoric landscape, perfectly preserved
- Croagh Patrick: Ireland’s holy mountain has magnificent views over Clew Bay
- Westport: a heritage town and one of Ireland’s best-loved tourism destinations
- Aran Islands: boasting rich culture and stunning scenery, these islands on Europe’s edge will take you back to an Ireland of Celts and early Christians
- Knock Shrine: Ireland’s world-famous national Marian shrine
- Strokestown Park House: an 18th-century mansion, faithfully restored, where visitors can browse freely through the stately surroundings
- Kylemore Abbey: a picturesque abbey and gardens, with magnificent views in the heart of Connemara
- Lough Key Forest Park: 350 hectares of mixed woodlands complemented by lakes with boat hire
- The Connemara National Park: one of the last unspoilt regions in Europe
- The Atlantic Drive, Achill: a coastal rollercoaster drive through some of the most wild and remote scenery on the edge of Europe, with spectacular beaches
- Westport House: situated in a magnificent parkland, with a lake, terraces and gardens overlooking Clew Bay
- National Museum of Ireland Country Life: a walk through Ireland’s rural past
- Portumna Castle and Forest Park: one of the most important castles in Ireland with extensive gardens including a maze