Spiddal Village
An Spidéal is a small seaside village full of amenities and services which include shops, service station, bank, various restaurants, traditional pubs, hotels, church, hairdressers, beauty salon, bookmakers, craft centre and Gaa pitches. The village is famous for its film and television locations (Ros na Rún set) and recording studios, and traditional Irish music. There are many activities to keep you entertained – shore fishing, angling, canoeing, sailing, scenic walks and golf courses close by.
Connemara and the Aran Islands are by your doorstep and to the east, the bustle of Galway city is only a short drive away. Spiddal is very accessible and easy to find as it is on the coast road out west from Galway, the R336.
Spiddal Beaches
Trá na mBan, An Sean Chéibh (Wild Atlantic Way Discovery Point), An Chéibh Nua – Ideal location for swimming, sunbathing and watersports, i.e. canoeing, surfing, sailing. There is a beautiful walkway along the shore connecting all these three beaches.
Craft Village
Fáilte, welcome to Ceardlann an Spidéil, Spiddal Craft Centre and Café in Connemara at the edge of the Atlantic. We are situated directly across from Spiddal Beach or Trá an Spidéil which looks across the great expanse of Galway Bay to the unique Burren region, the Cliffs of Moher and the Aran Islands. Come and see our arts and craft people working (find us here) and bring home beautiful gifts for yourself, friends or family. When one of our craftspeople features in the above slideshow click on the photo and you learn more about that person and his or her work.
Ceardlann. Craft Village and Café.
Location: Spiddal Village
Telephone: +35391897847/+353870670897
Website: www.spiddalcrafts.com
Shops
Standún, Spiddal Craft Centre – An Ceardlann
Website: www.ceardlann.com/news.htm
Standún, Spiddal Craft Centre – An Ceardlann
Spiddal Service Station - Texaco
Petrol Station, Fuel Centre, Deli, Off-Licence
Main Street, An Spidéal
Adventure & Seashore Haven
Lasmuigh - Spiddal Paddling Learning Adventure & Seashore Haven
Location: Spiddal Village
Telephone: +35391897745/+353852029094
Website: www.lasmuigh.ie
Email: gaillimh@lasmuigh.ie
Lasmuigh have provided safe & fun watersports & marine based activities for over 15 years. All Lasmuigh instructors / Guides are qualified to activity NGO standard; hold Rescue & Emergency Care qualification & are Garda Vetted. The Activities Manager Paula Ní Ríogáin holds instructorships in sea-kayaking, snorkelling, sailing & mountain leadership, VHF Radio licence & Passenger boat P5 licence. She is REC 3 certified and is the designated liaison person for Child Protection matters within Lasmuigh. Paula also holds an MA in E-Learning and a diploma in Project Management Full Public Liability insurance cover is provided & letter of indemnity may be provided on request.
Restaurants
Builin Blasta Award Winning Café at Craft Centre
Co La La, Newly opened Asian Restaurant
The New Mayflower Chinese Takeaway
Pizza Fiordigrano - Pizza Cafe Primi, Takeaway,
Supermacs Restaurant and Takeaway
An Cruiscín Lán Hotel & Restaurant
Fishing
There is sea fishing from our local Pier, Lake and river fishing from the Boluisce River that runs through our park.
Walking & cycling
There is plenty of country-side roads ideal for scenic walks, beaches and a walkway along the sea-shore
Pubs
Tigh Droighnéain
An Nead
An Crusicín Lán
Irish Colleges
Cóláiste Connacht and Cóláiste Lurgan and more Irish Colleges in the locality
Film and Television Set
Spiddal is the village where the Irish-language television soap - Ros na Rún - is located. Spiddal is used as the fictional village of “Ros na Run” and also has a specially made set in the village. Many local actors are stars of the programme. There are also recording and sound studios located in the village.
Nearby Attractions
Galway City
Galway (/ˈɡɔːlweɪ/; Irish: Gaillimh, pronounced [ˈɡalʲɪvʲ]) is a city in the West of Ireland in the province of Connacht. Galway City Council is the local authority for the city. Galway lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay and is surrounded by County Galway. It is the fourth most populous urban area in the Republic of Ireland and the sixth most populous city in the island of Ireland.
Aran Islands
The Aran Islands has a lot to offer: The three Aran Islands, Inis Mór Island (Big Island), Inis Meáin Island (Middle island) and Inis Oírr Island (East island) are situated in a north westerly, south easterly direction at the mouth of Galway Bay, Ireland
Leisureland
Location: Salthill, Galway
Telephone: 091 521 455
Website: www.leisureland.ie
Email: leisureland@galwaycity.ie
With 3 swimming pools to choose from Leisureland is the place to be for serious swimmers to a fun, family splash about! With a 6 lane competitive , deck level pool complete with a thrilling 65m water slide giant Commando Run Inflatable Obstacle Course and cool paddle boats.
Connemara National Park
Location: Letterfrack Co. Galway
Telephone: +353 95 41054
Website: www.connemaranationalpark.ie
Email: cnp@ahg.gov.ie
Situated in the West of Ireland in County Galway, Connemara National Park covers some 2,957 hectares of scenic mountains, expanses of bogs, heaths, grasslands and woodlands. Some of the Park's mountains, namely Benbaun, Bencullagh, Benbrack and Muckanaght, are part of the famous Twelve Bens or Beanna Beola range. Connemara National Park was established and opened to the public in 1980.
Much of the present Park lands formed part of the Kylemore Abbey Estate and the Letterfrack Industrial School, the remainder having been owned by private individuals. The southern part of the Park was at one time owned by Richard (Humanity Dick) Martin who helped to form the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals during the early 19th century. The Park lands are now wholly owned by the State and managed solely for National Park purposes.
Lakes
Lough Corrib and Lough Mask
Lough Corrib is 42,000 acres in size and stretches in length from within 4 miles of Galway City to within 2 miles of Maum Bridge, a distance of 33 miles. The Lough is renowned for its wild brown trout and salmon fishing. Brown trout fishing is usually good from the first day of the season and the salmon fishing for grilse is best from around the end of May. Trout can be caught on wet fly from opening day, Feb. 15th.
Lough Mask is a large limestone lough of 22,000 acres in area and, along with Lough Corrib, is one of the best known brown trout fisheries in Ireland. The lough produces good catches to wetfly from about mid-April. Dapping the mayfly, daddylonglegs or grasshopper can bring about excellent results during the various months of the season. The lough continues to produce more trout with every season, last season been one of the better ones even though weather conditions were very unsuitable from July onwards.
Kylemore Abbey
Location: Kylemore, Connemara, Co. Galway
Telephone: +353 95 52001
Website: www.kylemoreabbeytourism.ie
Email: info@kylemoreabbeytourism.ie
Kylemore Abbey and Victorian Walled Garden is open daily from 9.00am to 6.00pm with last entry to the estate at 5.30pm. Please visit the tickets and info section for more information on opening hours and ticket purchase. Visit the restored rooms of the Abbey and learn about it’s history and tales of tradegy and romance. Explore the 6 acre Victorian Walled Garden with it’s magnificent restored buildings. Discover great walks through the grounds.
The Twelve Bens Mountains
Location: Connemara County Galway
The Twelve Bens, or Twelve Pins (Irish: Na Beanna Beola), is a mountain range of sharp-peaked quartzite ranges located northeast of Roundstone in Connemara in the west of Ireland. Dedicated fell runners attempt to hike all twelve peaks in a single day. Topographically, this range is partnered with the Maumturks range on the other side of the lonely Glen Inagh (and the route of Western Way long distance path). Frequent rainfall and steep-sided mountains produce an abundance of small trickles and streams which descend into wide-bottomed valleys below the Twelve Pins to join larger streams with riffles and pools. The highest point in the Twelve Bens is Benbaun at 729 metres (2,392 ft). They provide excellent walking and climbing opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts.
Clifden
Location: County Galway
Website: www.connemara.ie/en/connemara/clifden/
Set between the Atlantic Ocean, 12 Ben Mountains and preserved boglands, lies the town of Clifden on the Coast of Connemara.
An area at long last recognised as a new popular destination and not just a place to 'breeze through'. Enhanced by spectacular scenery, championship golfing, horse-riding, walking, cycling, hill walking, beaches, fishing, scubadiving, painting, national parks, abbeys, castle ruins and over 5,000 years of living history.
Peruse the many shopping choices in Clifden from sweater shops, quality gift shops, boutiques to antique and souvenir shops. Lunch in tea-shops, pubs and in the evenings, indulge in Clifden's emerging reputation as the West's 'Gourmet Capital' by dining in its fine restaurants, hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs. And finish the day by enjoying a tipple in the towns many hostelries, from the genuine 'quaint-Irish' to the more trendy. Music is also to be found on your rounds.
The Burren
Location: County Clare
Telephone: +353 65 7088030
Website: www.theburrencentre.ie
Email: info@theburrencentre.ie
The Burren, from the Gaelic word “An Bhoireann” is an area close to 125 square miles of limestone rock covering imposing majestic mountains and tranquil valleys with gently meandering streams. This is a geologically distinctive landscape on the Western seaboard of Ireland and has been inhabited for over six thousand years.
With its innate sense of spiritual peace, extraordinary array of flora and wildlife, and megalithic tombs and monuments older than Egypt’s pyramids, the Burren creates a tapestry of colour and a seductively magical aura which few people leave without wanting to experience again.
The Cliffs of Mohar
Location: Liscannor, Co. Clare
Telephone: +353 65 708 6141
Website: www.cliffsofmoher.ie
Email: info@cliffsofmoher.ie
The Cliffs of Moher in County Clare are Ireland’s most visited natural attraction with a magical vista that captures the hearts of one million visitors every year and are a Signature Discovery Point in the heart of the Wild Atlantic Way. They stretch for 8km (5miles), as the crow flies, along the Atlantic coast of County Clare in the west of Ireland and reach 214m (702 feet) at their highest point at Knockardakin just north of O’Brien’s Tower. Here you can have a world class one in a million visitor experience.
Glengowla Mines
Location: Glengowla, Oughterard, Galway
Telephone: +353 91552360
Website: www.glengowlamines.ie
Email: glengowlamines@eircom.net
Glengowla Mines offers a fun day out for all the family! Mine is now open for the summer season, last tour is at 5pm. Buried beneath the Connemara Mountain lies a way of life long abandoned and almost forgotten just waiting for you to explore! Come join us on a unique underground tour of Connemara's only show mine. Glengowla is also home to a working farm where you can meet ‘Bob’ the sheep dog, say hello to the Connemara Ponies, pet the lambs and see turf being saved from the farms peat bog.