Clifden

Clifden is a small town in the north west of the County Galway in West Ireland. It is a local hub of commerce for Connemara, and retains a lot of authenticity despite it being bombarded by tourists in the summer. It has numerous hotels, pubs and restaurants, as well as good bus routes to Galway, and local villages. This makes it quite a good starting point for an exploration of the surrounding areas.

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Get in

By car

Clifden is accessible via the N59 from either Westport to the north west, or Galway to the south east. It is part of the Wild Atlantic Way.

By bus

Bus Eireann and Citylink provide daily coach services between Clifden, Galway, Shannon Airport, Dublin city and Dublin Airport.

Get around

Clifden Town is accessible around by foot. Citylink and Bus Eireann provide daily bus services to Galway City. There are also taxis and hackneys available locally for private hire.

See

Take the Beach Road and do a beautiful walk passing Clifden Bay, the beach and D'Arcy's castle and take a trip to the old Marconi Station and Alcock and Browne historical Monument sites.

• Derrygimla Bog, Ballyconeely (10km south of Clifden on the R341). Site of the Alcock & Brown trans Atlantic landing. On Sunday June 14th 1919, the first transatlantic flight ended in the Derrygimla Bog, about two miles from Ballyconneely Village. Capt. John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown had flown their Vickers Vimy plane from Newfoundland, Canada, in just over sixteen hours. Alcock and Brown, both British, experienced extreme flying conditions - fog, drizzle and a broken radio. 

Tourist Attractions in Clifden outlines major attractions and activities in Clifden. Also details the islands of the coast of Clifden.

Do

Outdoor Activities: John Ryan fishing tours and Mannions Cycling for scenic cycle routes.

• Clifden Boat Club, Beach Rd (1.km past pier, beside the beach). Offers Sailing lessons during the summer, also a small friendly bar restaurant offering good food and craic. 

Buy

Eat

• Vicker's Restaurant (at the Alcock & Brown Hotel in the town centre). 
• 🌍 Mitchell's Restaurant, Market St, ☎ [phone]. (updated Apr 2016)

Drink

• Mullarkeys (In Foyle's Hotel), ☎ [phone]. Bar with plenty of live music. 
• 🌍 Mannions Bar, Market St, ☎ [phone]. Great food, early and late music sessions. 
• 🌍 Guys Bar & Snug, Main St, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Great food, early and late music sessions. (updated Apr 2016)

Sleep

Hotel

• 🌍 Alcock & Brown Hotel, Town Square, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Family run hotel in the centre of town. Very popular restaurant. 
• 🌍 Foyle's Hotel, Main St, ☎ [phone]. (updated Apr 2016)

Bed & Breakfast

• 🌍 Buttermilk Lodge, Westport Rd, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Family run Bed & Breakfast close to the centre of town. 
• 🌍 Kingstown House B&B, Bridge St, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. 
• 🌍 Ben View House B&B, Bridge St, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. 

Hostel

• 🌍 Clifden Town Hostel, Market St, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. 
• Brookside Hostel. 
• 🌍 Ben Lettery Hostel (east of Clifden on the southern leg of the N59), ☎ [phone]. Check-in: 5pm – 9pm. This HI/YHA hostel is situated in an ideal location right in the mountains of Connemara. It serves as a good base for hikes in the region, including that around the 12 Bens. 

Splurge

• 🌍 Abbeyglen Castle Hotel, Sky Rd, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. 
• Self catering- Connemara Rentals, Church Hill. A collection of really nice and unique holiday homes available to rent on a self catering basis on the edge of town. 

Go next

Ballyconneely: Connemara Golf links.

Dun Gibbons Walking Centre: Twelve Bens hill walking.