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Overview
An area of uplands and forest in County Galway in the west of Ireland including a small stretch of coastline makes up this park. It is 2,957 hectares in size and was established in 1980.
The northern slopes of the Twelve Bens, glacially formed mountains with rocky outcrops reaching 730m, form part of this small national park. The main habitats are moorland, grassland and extensive areas of blanket bog.
Birds
Notable Species
The range of habitats support a varied avifauna with upland birds such as Northern Raven and Merlin and woodland species like Woodcock and Eurasian Sparrowhawk.
On the grasslands there are Eurasian Skylark, Meadow Pipit and Northern Wheatear and the wetter areas have Red-breasted Merganser, Common Snipe, Grey Heron and wintering Whooper Swan and Greater White-fronted Goose.
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
Whooper Swan, Greater White-fronted Goose, Red-breasted Merganser, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Kestrel, Merlin, Common Snipe, Common Swift, Eurasian Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Barn Swallow, Northern House Martin, Northern Wheatear, Hooded Crow, Northern Raven, Reed Bunting
Other Wildlife
Mammals found in the park include Feral Goats and ponies, Badger, Red Fox, Stoat and Otter, Red Deer have been re-introduced.
A wide range of plants occurs including Pipewort, found elsewhere in the British Isles only on the Scottish islands of Skye and Coll, also Oblong-leaved Sundew, Lusitanian Butterwort and Bog Pondweed. Along with Common Ling, Bell Heather and Cross-leaved Heath, St Dabeoc's Heath occurs here at ats most northerly European outpost. Orchids include Early Purple, Spotted, Pyramidal, Green-winged and Dense-flowered. St. Patrick's Cabbage, a Hiberno-Lusitanian saxifrage species, can also be found in the Park.
Site Information
History and Use
To do
Areas of Interest
To do
Access and Facilities
- Entry to the park is free
- Visitor Centre ~ open 9.00am-5.30pm daily
- Exhibition on the Connemara Landscape (multi-lingual)
- Audio Visual Show (multi-lingual)
- Information Desk
- Connemara Ponies
- Picnic Areas (indoor and outdoor)
- Nature Trails
- Children's Playground
- Diamond Hill Walks
- Tea Room
The park is easily reached by road from Galway on the N59 to Clifden and is best visited in spring and summer. It has nature trails, an information centre and research laboratory.
Accommodation in the area ranges from luxury hotels to guest-houses and youth hostels and there are campsites at nearby Tullycross and Lettergesh.
Contact Details
Connemara National Park
Letterfrack, Co. Galway
- Tel: +353 95 41323/+353 95 41054
- Email: [email protected]
External Links
Content and images originally posted by Steve
