Places near here
Photo credits
- Jason Keane, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Brian Nevin, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
- National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
- Rasbak at Dutch Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
- No machine-readable author provided. Bogman assumed (based on copyright claims)., Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.5
- C O'Flanagan, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
- undefined, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Church IslandIslet · 1556 ydExplorer Tom Church Island has a ghost who is too lazy to haunt it properly because he’d have to walk all the way up the hill and back down again, which is exhausting. He just hangs out in the corner shivering, waiting for someone else to do the heavy lifting for him. Practise your Irish on it, it won't correct you.
Portumna Forest ParkForest · 1.0 miExplorer Tom Portumna Forest Park is stuck in a feud with the clouds over who owns the best view of the valley. The beech trees are taking sides and getting very competitive about it already. Best enjoyed with a bag of chips and no plans.
Stonyisland BayBay · 1.2 miExplorer Tom Stonyisland Bay in County Galway has a running feud with the rain because it keeps getting soaked when it wants to be clear. It's trying to maintain a serious reputation but the constant drizzle is making it look more like a puddle than a bay. Look for the ghost, then pretend you didn't.
Friar's IslandIslet · 1.4 miExplorer Tom Friar's Island has a long-standing grudge with the weather; it thinks the clouds are just jealous of its solitude. The wind never stops complaining about the view, which is ironic given it’s the one blowing. Bring the dog, it'll have opinions.
Cloonmoylan HouseHouse · 1.6 miExplorer Tom Cloonmoylan House in Galway has its front door in the gable, which is very odd for a serious house. The builder probably just ran out of ideas halfway through the garden wall. Have a sandwich here
IndicatedFairy fort / earthen ringfort · 1.8 miExplorer Tom This Fairy fort or earthen ringfort in Portumna Demesne overlooks Lough Derg and has trees growing inside it, which is very natural. It looks like the council forgot to prune it for centuries. Have a nosey, politely, before the landowner notices your presence there.
Cloondadauv CastleCastle · 2.0 miExplorer Tom Cloondadauv Castle has a ghost who is far too lazy to haunt the place properly; he just sits in the corner sipping tea and watching you struggle with your map. It’s less of a spooky fortress and more of a cozy waiting room where the staff have gone on strike for eternity. Get there early and have it all to yourself.
Enclosure in SawnaghEnclosure · 2.0 miExplorer Tom Enclosure in Sawnagh is basically a rectangular garden that forgot how to be private. It’s got bushes on every side, so it probably hears every secret whispered about the neighbours. Toast it with a cup of tea and move on to the next.
Common Juniper2.0 miExplorer Tom Common Juniper is tough as old boots, shrugging off zombie attacks with a sneer and a few prickly needles to prove its point. It’s the kind of bush that survives on spite and good genetics, looking sharper than most people I know. Perfect place to be dramatically windswept.
Portumna CastleCastle · 2.1 miExplorer Tom Portumna Castle arrived beside Lough Derg dressed in a style Ireland had hardly seen. Richard Burke, Earl of Clanricarde, had it built around 1610 to 1617 for a reported £10,000. The house is carefully symmetrical, three storeys over a basement with square towers at the corners, showing Renaissance ideas that were still unusual here. I would have insisted on a crooked turret so visitors knew I had helped; mercifully nobody invited me. Portumna Abbey lies nearby, while the River Shannon enters the lake just along the shore, giving the grand house a fine setting and a useful position. The castle is a managed historic attraction, so check current opening and tour arrangements before setting out. Stand squarely in front of it and see how every corner answers another. Even my complaints cannot knock the design out of balance.
Castle (in ruins)House, fortified house · 2.1 miExplorer Tom Castle in Portumna Demesne is a Jacobean show-off that got gutted by fire in 1826. It’s still trying to look grand despite the scorch marks. Ring your granny and tell her where you are before she worries.
Christ Church (Lickmolassy)Church/chapel · 2.2 miExplorer Tom Christ Church (Lickmolassy) thinks it’s fancy because James Pain drew its blueprints. It has more windows than a shopping mall, all dressed up in stone. Pretend you’re a lost aristocrat who just needs directions to the exit.
More islands in County Galway · All of County Galway
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