Welcome to Connaught
Macnas Festival Parade This Fierce Beauty
The province of Connaught lies in the West of Ireland with its coastline on the Atlantic Ocean. The counties of Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim, Galway and Roscommon make up this geographically diverse region with the Atlantic Ocean to its westerly boundary, and the midlands of Roscommon to the East. It is the least populated with a population of just over 400,000. Historically, Connaught has retained its rich Gaelic heritage and today still has communities where the Irish language only is spoken amongst them. But English is the primary second language. These regions are collectively called the Gaeltacht. The remote and beautiful Aran Islands off the mainland of County Galway are also part of the Gaeltacht. The primary business centre of Connaught, and the most densely populated area is the thriving city of Galway to the south of the province. Although Sligo City, Carrick on Shannon, and Boyle are all fine business and shopping centres in their own right. Galway city
Connaught has some Carrick on Shannon of the most scenic and unspoilt countryside to be found in Ireland, including the spectacular mountainous landscape of Connemara, the lock gates and river banks of the Shannon Waterway, the famed Galway Bay and the historic glens of County Leitrim. Couple these with the beautiful Ashford the holiest mountain in Ireland. The tradition Castle in Mayo near to Cong where the of pilgrimage to this holy mountain stretches film The Quiet Man was filmed, and the back over 5,000 years from the Stone Age to natural serenity of Lough Key Forest Park the present day without interruption. Croagh in Roscommon, and a tour of this region is a Patrick is renowned today for its Patrician must for all. Pilgrimage in honour of Saint Patrick, For those interested in a religious experience Ireland’s patron saint. It was on the summit Mayo is famed for Knock Shrine where on of the mountain that Saint Patrick is said to the 21st August, 1879, at about 8 o’clock, Our have fasted for forty days in 441 AD, and the Lady, St. Joseph, and St. John the Evangelist custom of trekking up the mountain has been are reputed to have appeared. The apparition faithfully handed down from generation to was seen by fifteen people whose ages ranged generation. Croagh Patrick is 5 miles from the from six years to seventy-five and included picturesque town of Westport, and its conical men, women and children. The shrine has shape soars majestically above the surrounding become so popular in modern times that the countryside with magnificent views of Clew Ireland West International Airport was built Bay beneath. especially in 1985 to cater for the hundreds So, whether it’s water activities on the Atlantic of thousands of pilgrims and visitors to coastline, cruising on the Shannon Waterway, Connaught. religious pilgrimages, chilling out amongst The county also features the pilgrimage site an unspoilt landscape or driving along roads known as Croagh Patrick, which overlooks where motoring is still a pleasure, Connaught Clew Bay in County Mayo. This is considered has it all. MARCH 2020 - TRAVEL IRELAND MAGAZINE
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