Connemara is a peninsula in County Galway on the western coast of Ireland. It is a rugged, scenic region that lies between Lough (Lake) Corrib and the coast of the North Atlantic Ocean. Connemara’s lush landscape features a patchwork of beaches, bogs (marshes), lakes, mountains, and valleys. It also has areas of pastureland divided by traditional dry-stone (made without mortar) walls.
The name Connemara comes from the Irish term for Inlets of the Sea. Coastal roads wind around the region’s numerous small bays, coves, and hidden beaches. They travel through such towns as Clifden, Leenane, and Roundstone. Narrow Killary Harbour juts about 9 miles (14 kilometers) inland and forms part of the border with County Mayo. The harbor is believed to be Ireland’s only fiord (long, narrow sea inlet). Within Connemara, Lough Inagh and the Inagh Valley separate the peaks of the Twelve Bens from the dark beauty of the Maumturk Mountains.
Tourism, fishing, and seafood production are the region’s most important industries. Connemara ponies, a popular breed of athletic pony, are native to the area. The Connemara Pony Show is a major event in Clifden each summer.
Spiddal, or An Spidéal, on Connemara’s southern coast, is the center of one of Ireland’s most important Gaeltacht, or Irish-speaking, communities. The people there have preserved Irish music and folklore traditions, along with such traditional crafts as the making of wool sweaters. Connemara is also the home of Irish-language media. The Irish-language television station TG4 has its headquarters there.
See also Galway, County .
