| Connacht | |
 | |
Location  | |
Coat of arms and flag   | |
| State | Ireland |
|---|---|
| Surface | 17,713 km² |
| Inhabitants | 503.083 (2006) |
Connacht is one of the historic provinces ofIreland.
To know
The term Connacht means "descendants of Conn", a mythical ruler handed down from Irish legends with the attribute "Cétchathach" (Conn of a hundred battles). According to the myth, Conn would have undertaken countless battles against the king of Munster, eventually managing to get the better of his rival and kill him on the field.
The Norman invasions of Ireland in the twelfth century put an end to the small Gaelic-speaking kingdoms in which Connaght was shattered in the early Middle Ages, transforming them into counties with mere administrative functions. The successive colonizations (plantations) of the most fertile soils of Ireland and the consequent expropriation of lands sanctioned by various edicts of the Tudor kings, regularly resumed by the dictator Oliver Cromwell and other representatives of the House of Orange forced the Irish peasants to migrate towards these barren lands of the West that allowed them pure sustenance agriculture.
A testimony of these ancient migrations can be found in the language spoken by today's inhabitants of the region. Gaelic is the first language for more than 50,000 residents of Connacht. In addition, 18 elementary schools teach in the Gaelic language. Furthermore, the ancient Irish traditions are more alive than anywhere else: songs, dances and above all Irish folk music that also enlivens the pub in the most remote village of Connacht. These lands marked in the past by poverty and even destitution are now full of contrasts. The region is home to one of the most luxurious hotel complexes in Europe, Ashford Castle.
Territories and tourist destinations
- Galway County
- Leitrim County - Rude and wild
- County of Mayo -
- Roscommon County - Castles
- County of Sligo - Homeland of the poet W.B. Yeats with stunning coasts and beautiful mountain landscapes (Benbulbin, Ox Mountains, Knocknarea)
Urban centers
Galway County
- Galway - Capital of the county of the same name and fourth agglomeration of the country, Galway is very well suited for excursions to the bogs and wastelands of the neighbor Connemara National Park.
- Kinvara - Pretty village on Galway Bay.
- Portumna - Village of about 2000 inhabitants on the banks of Lough Derg. Base to go up the Shannon river.
Roscommon County
- Roscommon - Capital of the homonymous county.
- Boyle - Medieval village with interesting vestiges of its past.
- Strokestown - Famous for a large villa from the first half of the 18th century, set up as a museum together with the surrounding gardens (Strokestown Park House).
County of Mayo
- Carrick-on-Shannon - Capital of the county of Leitrim.
- Foxford
- Knock
- Sligo - Capital of the county of the same name.
- Westport
Other destinations
Galway County
- Clifden
- Lough Corrib - Located within the Connemara region, Lough Corrib is the largest lake in the Republic of Ireland. Its waters abound with trout and salmon that attract fans of freshwater fishing.
- Connemara National Park
County of Mayo
- Croagh Patrick - The sacred mountain of the Irish 8 km from Westport (Mayo).
- Céide Fields
County of Sligo
- Drumcliff
Islands
- Achill Island
- Clare Island
- Inishbofin (Galway)
- Aran Islands
- Lissadell House - Country house in County Sligo.
How to get
How to get around
What see
- Ashford Castle - 13th century castle that belonged to the Anglo-Norman family of "de Burgh". Around 1930 it was acquired by Ernest Guinness who transformed it into a luxurious hotel with golf courses and swimming pools. In 2012, Condé Nast Traveler magazine ranked Ashford Castle third on its list of the best hotel complexes in Europe.
- Abbey of Kylemore - Located in County Galway.
- Monastery of Kilmacduagh - Ruins of a monastery in an evocative landscape, even if hairless.
- Turoe stone - Granite stone decorated with Celtic scriptures, located in County Galway.
- Cathedral of Clonfert - Church of the sixth century AD in the village of the same name.
- Parke's Castle - Castle in County Leitrim.
