Connemara and Cong

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Saturday, January 24, 2015 - Two of my roommates and I took a day trip to Connemara (northwest of Galway) through the Galway Tour Company. The bus ride itself was very scenic and we were able to see a few lakes and drive through the mountain passes of Connemara National Park. The main sites that we were able to see included the Kylemore Abbey, a Victorian-walled garden, and a gothic church. The abbey was originally a castle and home to Mitchell Henry and his wife, Margaret in the 1860s. In 1920, it was taken over by the Irish Benedictine Nuns and the castle was converted to an abbey. In 1923, the nuns opened up a school that was open to international women and closed in June 2010. Today, it is open to the public for viewing. It was gorgeous inside and the grounds were equally as beautiful. After Connemara, we drove to the town of Cong for a coffee break at a café in town before heading back to Galway. I would definitely recommend this trip and it was much more relaxed than our previous two trips (Cliffs of Moher and Aran Islands).

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