Historic Sites in Spiddal

"This 16th-century tower house is one of over 200 in Galway county, located in Oughterard on the banks of the Lough Corrib. Throughout most of medieval history, the land was controlled by the O’Flaherty clan. Around the time of its build, the castle was declared the legal property of the English crown and was taken from the rightful chief, Donal an Chogaidh, and given to Sir Murrough ne doe O’Flaherty."

"Aughnanure Castle is a well-preserved Irish tower house, probably built in 1256 by Walter de Burgos, first Earl of Ulster. Aughnanure means “field of yews” and there is an ancient yew tree nearby. The battlemented castle stands on a low cliff above the Drimneed River, once an essential source of fresh water with boat access for supplies."

"The 'Fighting O'Flahertys' were based at this superbly preserved 16th-century fortress 4km east of Oughterard. The clan controlled the region for hundreds of years after they fought off the Normans."

"Dún Aonghasa on Inis MorInis Mor The easiest way to get to Inis Mor is by taking a ferry from Ros a' Mhíl/Rossaveal, which is located about 50 minutes from Galway. You can either drive yourself to Rossaveal, or take advantage of the shuttle bus that leaves from central Galway about 1.5 hours before sailing in the morning."

"Almost hanging over a 100-metre cliff edge on Inishmore, one of the Aran Islands, Dún Aonghasa is thought to be at least 2000 years old. It consists of four concentric circles, their walls sometimes as much as 4 metres thick. Yet for all its obvious defensive might, the fort is thought to have been largely ceremonial."

"A ‘show mine’ that plays tribute to the days of mining in Connemara, West Galway, a trip to Glengowla brings you below ground to explore the dangerous extraction methods of 19th-century silver and lead mining. As well as the roughshod mining buildings and cave below, Glengowla is now home to an open farm, which is popular with local families. Glengowla Lodge, Glengowla East, Oughterard, Co."

"Claregalway Castle is a fully-restored 15th-century Norman tower house, situated on the banks of the River Clare. It was the chief fortress of the powerful Clanricarde de Burgos family, also known as the Burkes, who were descendants of the original 13th-century Anglo-Normans invaders. The castle has a long, bloody history, which you can learn all about on the regular tours at the castle!"

"Now fully restored, Claregalway Castle is a 15th-century tower house on the banks of the scenic River Clare. Its main claim to fame is as the original home of the Brian Boru Harp, Ireland’s national symbol now on display in Trinity College Dublin. Take a guided tour of this Anglo-Norman tower house, former home of the illustrious Clanricard Burkes."

"A post shared by Veronica Bilotta (@veronicabilotta) on Aug 31, 2018 at 3:48pm PDT. The fully-restored castle will make you feel like a King or a Queen for night, as it has lodging options fit for royalty. The friendly welcoming hosts and the expert guides will help you learn more about the rich history of the castle."

"These two reserves, through their combination of deciduous woods, limestone reefs, lakes and turloughs, constitute one of the most interesting Irish vegetation and faunal complexes still in existence. The Coole-Garryland reserve contains a variety of floral habitats including well-formed high forest on deep pockets of soil, dwarf woodland on limestone pavement and a turlough complex in the Callows and Coole Lake. A large portion of this reserve was formerly owned by Lady Gregory, co-founder with W.B."

"One hour south of Galway City is a great place to take the kids for a day out in nature. Covering an area of approximately 400 hectares is the wetland and woodland nature reserve of Coole Park. The two reserves constitute woods, limestone reefs, lakes, and turloughs where you can see interesting Irish vegetation and fauna."

"James Lynch Fitzstephen was the mayor and magistrate of Galway in 1493. So the story goes, when his son was condemned for the murder of a romantic rival Spanish merchant sailor, Lynch Sr personally acted as..."

"Galway’s contemporary arts hub, the Galway Arts Centre is another revolving exhibition space that takes in an incredible array of local art and entertainment, including theatre and visual arts. The gallery is equally fluid, with a penchant for cartoony modern art and statement sculpture. There are classes, too, if you feel like getting your hands dirty."

"One of Ireland's most famous prehistoric grave sites, Gleninsheen lies beside the R480 7km south of Ballyvaughan. It's thought to date from 4000 to 5000 years ago. A magnificent gold gorget (a crescent of beaten gold that hung round the neck) found here and dating from the late Bronze Age is now on display at the National Museum in Dublin. Note: the access gate to the tomb is sometimes locked, and signage is poor."

"While only two of the ancient buildings at this site are actually churches this was one of the earliest Irish pilgrimage sites ever."