2020 Wilderness Travel Catalog of Adventures

Treasures of Ireland’s West Coast HIKING GALWAY, MAYO, AND CONNEMARA

BRIAN MCGILLOWAY

We’ll get an insider’s perspective from Trip Leaders Con and Ann as we discover Ireland’s rugged west coast. PHOTO: GARETH MCCORMACK

HIGHLIGHTS • Hike on gorgeous Clare Island, with its iconic lighthouse and dramatic cliffs • Explore Connemara on a hike with a local historian, meet a sheep farmer and his border collies • Hear the lilting sounds of the Gaelic language in the Aran Islands • Savor the farm-to-table Irish food scene, with specialties including oysters, scallops, and fresh wild salmon • Enjoy lodgings of character: an 18th century manor house, a Victorian-era fishing lodge, and a guesthouse on the Aran Islands DETAILS • 9-day trip begins and ends in Galway • 8 nights charming inns and hotels • All meals included except 1 dinner

The rugged west coast of Ireland, long the haunt of artists, holds some of the country’s

most dramatic scenery and finest hiking. With our extraordinary Trip Leaders Con Moriarty and Ann Curran, it’s also a profound experience of Ireland’s culture. Con and Ann know this land as few others do, introducing us to farmers, foodies, and musicians as we hike

“ Having Con as a trip leader is like coming for a visit with your long-lost Irish cousin who wants to share the best of Ireland. He makes a magical place even

DAVID LYONS

Days 3-5 County Mayo / Clare Island / Westport In County Mayo, we hike up Croagh Patrick (2,507'), a pilgrimage site for thousands of years. Ferrying to Clare Island, once the domain of a Gaelic clan and its pirate queen, Grace O’Malley, we hike along one of Ireland’s finest cliff ramparts, visit a sheep farmer to see his border collies in action, and hike to Clare Island lighthouse. One night we join locals for an introduction to Irish poetry. In the market town of Westport, known for its traditional music, we enjoy a festive pub evening. Days 6-9 Connemara / Aran Islands / Galway / Clifden Hiking a pilgrim route into the Maumturk Mountains brings us to our lakeside Victorian lodge in a wild region of Connemara. In the otherworldly Aran Islands, where Gaelic is still spoken, we explore a landscape of stone- walled fields and sea cliffs. Back on the mainland, we’ll hike in Connemara National Park, with a picnic on Omey, an island with fascinating archaeology. Our final trails lead along Killary Harbour and to the rocky peaks of the Twelve Bens, with a farewell evening in the company of musicians. Depart on Day 9 via Galway.

more magical.” Jerry C., Chicago IL

DATES Jun 6-14, 2020

Aug 3-11

Jul 11-19

Sep 19-27

and explore from the pilgrims’ mountain of Croagh Patrick to the dramatic Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, and the spectacular Aran Islands. Along the way, we savor the burgeoning Irish culinary scene, with locally sourced food wonderfully prepared in our island guesthouses and lakeside lodges. Days 1-2 Galway / The Burren Our hikes begin in the karst landscape of the Burren, whose limestone hills and hidden glens hold 10,000 years of human history, from Bronze Age burial sites to standing stones, Iron Age forts, and Celtic high crosses. At the towering Cliffs of Moher we’ll watch a magical sunset by the sea.

TRIP COST $5395 (11-15 members) $5895 (4-10 members) Single supplement: $470

TRIP LEVEL 1 2 3 4 5 6 A mix of moderate walks and hikes, 3-6 hours a day, van support

ON OUR WEBSITE A NORTHERN ARC ACROSS IRELAND Hiking and cultural discovery in fascinating and less-traveled realms of the north, from Belfast

to wild Donegal and Sligo. May 4-13, Oct 12-21, 2020. From $5895.

COMBINE ANY TWO EUROPE TRIPS FOR A $400 PER PERSON DISCOUNT! 68