Weekend break: Ballynahinch Castle, Connemara

Noel Welch travels west to the Ballynahinch Castle Hotel and Estate, where fly fishing for salmon and trout, clay shooting, and walking are among the many outdoor pursuits on offer.

CONNEMARA has long been regarded as the real emerald of Ireland and to experience this picturesque countryside, I headed west out of Galway City and along the N59 on the 1h 12m drive to the beautiful Ballynahinch Castle Hotel and Estate, a fairytale castle in the woods, overlooking the Ballynahinch River.

From the rugged Twelve Bens, also known as the Twelve Pins mountain range in the north, through lake-rich Roundstone Bog to the golden beaches reaching out into the Atlantic Ocean, you’ll know you’re in Connemara by the light that constantly changes the mood and tone of the landscape.