ASHFORD CASTLE

Ashford Castle  (Now a Hotel)  is a medieval castle near Cong in Co Mayo located half your drive from Galway on the shore of Lough Corrib Ireland’s second largest lake. The castle was built in the 13th century by the Anglo-Norman de Bugos family.
Ashford was rebuilt and extended from the 1850s by Benjamin Guinness, and his son Arthur, Lord Ardilaun who took his title from an island on the lake. The Guinnesses sold it in 1945. It was first opened as a luxury hotel in 1939. Today the castle is a five star hotel, one of Ireland's finest.

The drive from Leenane to Cong, visit the castle and drive around Lough Corrib and back to Galway through Headford is a lovely drive

Killary Fjord.

42 miles NW of the Periwinkle B&B, Galway City Ireland.

 
Killary is Ireland’s only fjord and it separates County Galway from County Mayo. Its magic will be the high point of a rainy day. The Cruise includes visits to working mussel and salmon farms and potato ridges formed in desperation during the famine. Historically, the area was densely populated prior to the disastrous famine of the 1840s. The numerous isolated communities eeked out a meagre existence on the poor, stony soil which characterises the region, supplementing their modest incomes through fishing.

Evidence of past attempts to grow crops on the barren slopes can still be seen in the form of the many examples of the so-called “lazy beds” along the length of Killary Harbour. The ruins of small stone dwellings are also visible.

Sight seeing cruises on Killary are on board an all weather luxury catamaran which has a restaurant and in July and August has an evening “Cocktail Cruise”. It has four daily sailings march 28^th to Sept 30^th and five daily sailings 20^th July to 18^th August. Freefone 1800 41 51 51 The cruise starts at Nancy’s Point, 2km west of Leenane Village on the N59 route to Kylemore. www.killarycruises.com

DUNGUAIRE CASTLE.

Dunguaire Castle is a 16^th Century Tower House on the southeastern shore of Galway Bay in Kinvara.. The castle's 75 foot-tower and its defensive wall have been restored to excellent condition, and the grounds are open to tourists during the summer. It is thought to be the most-photographed castle in Ireland.

The castle was built by the Hynes clan in 1520, a family who may have been associated with the area since 662, when the site is believed to have once been the royal palace of Guaire Aidhne, the legendary king of Connaught and progenitor of the clan. Dunguaire Castle was transferred in the 17^th century to Oliver Martin, It remained in his family until it was purchased in the early 20^th century by the surgeon and poet Oliver St. John Gogarty. Gogarty began restoring the castle and established it as the meeting place for the leading figures of the Celtic Revival, such as W.B. Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Augusta, Lady Gregory and John Millington Synge.

The castle was acquired in 1954 by Christobel Lady Ampthill, who completed the restoration work started by Gogarty. It was later purchased by Shannon Development, an Irish corporation that manages numerous historic tourist attractions in Ireland. During the summer months when Dunguaire Castle is open to the public, a Medieval Banquet is held every night with costumed performers who recite Irish Literature and play traditional Irish music.

Thoor Ballylee

Thoor Ballylee, home of William Butler Yeats

Thoor Ballylee was Yeats's monument and symbol; in both aspects it had multiple significance. It satisified his desire for a rooted place in a known countryside, not far from Coole and his life-long friend Lady Gregory.To live in a Tower complemented, perhaps, his alignment with a tradition of cultivated aristocracy which he had envied and a leisured peace which he had enjoyed.

The tower or castle that Yeats bought was a sixteenth century Norman castle built by the family de Burgo, or Burke. It consisted of four floors with one room on each, connected by a spiral stone stairway built into the seven-foot thickness of the massive outer wall. Each floor had a window overlooking the river which flowed alongside. At the top here was a flat roof reached by a final steep flight of steps from the floor below

The tower had to be restored before Yeats could live in it. By the summer of 1919 Yeats and his wife and daughter had moved in. Yeats mentions Ballylee in a letter to Maud Gonne May 1918.

' We hope to be in Ballylee in a month and there I dream of making a house that may encourage people to avoid ugly manufactured things - an ideal poor man's house. Except a very few things imported as models we should get all made in Galway or Limerick. I am told that our neighbours are pleased that we are not getting 'grand things but old irish furniture'

The tower had to be restored before Yeats could live in it. By the summer of 1919 Yeats and his wife and daughter had moved in. Yeats mentions Ballylee in a letter to Maud Gonne May 1918.

' We hope to be in Ballylee in a month and there I dream of making a house that may encourage people to avoid ugly manufactured things - an ideal poor man's house. Except a very few things imported as models we should get all made in Galway or Limerick. I am told that our neighbours are pleased that we are not getting 'grand things but old irish furniture'

The tower had to be restored before Yeats could live in it. By the summer of 1919 Yeats and his wife and daughter had moved in. Yeats mentions Ballylee in a letter to Maud Gonne May 1918.

' We hope to be in Ballylee in a month and there I dream of making a house that may encourage people to avoid ugly manufactured things - an ideal poor man's house. Except a very few things imported as models we should get all made in Galway or Limerick. I am told that our neighbours are pleased that we are not getting 'grand things but old Irish furniture’ recorded commentary can be played on a push-button system. In addition part of the ground floor has been adapted for an audio-visual presentation on the years of Yeats's occupancy.

For information on the location of Thoor Ballylee  click here