Galway, getting to waterfalls from the city.

greyed

Hi there Galway, Ill be visiting the city next month and thought it would be great opportunity to see some western scenery, I want to go here if possible, ashleagh waterfalls, and was wondering is it possible to get there from the city without a car? (Bit of a hike is grand). Is there a bus nearby, and how much would it cost? I have googled but there is not much info on this place.

If not this waterfall, than any nice one would be cool, bit of a waterfall freak, an odd thing maybe Can any of you fine galwegians help me out?

biko

There's a bus you can take and walk the rest
Search this page for Leenane www.buseireann.ie/inner.php?id=246
Another bus page here www.galwaytransport.info/2008/12/this-is-summary-map-of-regional-bus.html

There is a waterfall at Connemara National Park apparently

dolphin city

these are situated in Connemara and you would need to either bus it, or bike it.

greyed

Cheers lads! Unfortunately I rang the bus station to confirm the timetable and there is only one departure per week at 18.15 which doesnt suit

Would any of you know of any others? Was this the waterfall in connemara you were thinking of biko?

wet-paint

Twould be easy enough to thumb out to Leenane and back if you give yourself enough time. When you get out there, go up the left hand trail as you're looking at the falls, there are spawning ponds up on the right, and the staff don't like people (or maybe just don't like paddlers) going up that side.
In Clifden, the Owenglen has a few drops on it. Take the Roundstone road, and just leaving town, you'll cross a bridge. The drop is just back up the road twenty feet or so.

Further back upstream, before you hit Clidfen, it has a triple drop called Snap, Crackle and Pop. You gain access through the holiday village on the right, walk to the far right hand corner, and start hiking up, it's a few minutes upstream.

Also out that side, the Srahnalong river, which consists wholly of drops and slides and holes. It's a gnarly wee creek if there's water on it, but you need to be there when it's raining for there to be water on it.
It's 1km south east of Maumtrasna.

There's also a smaller one in Oughterard on the Owenriff. Get as far as Sweeney's Hotel on the Clifden side of town, and walk past the wee park, and there's a walkway going into and through the wall on the left, says Waterfall walk or waterfall way or something like that.

There's one on the Boluisce in Spiddal, but it's a bitch to get to if you didn't paddle there, and it's through private land. It's a kick ass drop though.

If you head south in to Clare, there's the Ennestymon Cascades in, well, Ennistymon. Viewable from the bridge just leaving the town for Lahinch.

greyed

Wow, some serious info there, thanks! I'll come back and reference that, but I only have a short time in the countryside this time, a day in fact maybe two if accomodation there isnt expensive.

Would any of these places be doable in that small amount of time? Is there any other nice spot nearby, I can concede on the waterfalls :P just anywhere nice and secluded.

inisboffin

It could be doable if you hitch. There's also buses to Clifden and on around to Letterfrack (you could hitch from the latter to Leenane too). Citylink.ie is the company that do it. A few good hostels around, I'd recommend the Old Monastary (right next to Connemara National Park) in Letterfrack. Dormitory beds about 15 euro. Have fun

wet-paint

If you hitch out to Clidfen, you'd get in Oughterard and both sets of drops on the Owenglen in the one day.


And as far as the Old Monastary goes, check out some of the reviews on tripadvisor, for that place. Yer man is bat sh1t insane. Like running people out of the hostel with a knife insane.

And with a cricket bat.

And takes pleasure in fúcking people out of it in crude and public ways.

inisboffin

wet-paint wrote: »

If you hitch out to Clidfen, you'd get in Oughterard and both sets of drops on the Owenglen in the one day.


And as far as the Old Monastary goes, check out some of the reviews on tripadvisor, for that place. Yer man is bat sh1t insane. Like running people out of the hostel with a knife insane.

And with a cricket bat.

And takes pleasure in fúcking people out of it in crude and public ways.

Hahaha! Are you sure you're not mixing it up with Letterfrack Lodge? :P

OP, the Hostels can be - emm eccentric in that area. I think you will find people are passionate about that particular hostel either way. Wet-Paint, I have read some wild tales, but I always actually have found the owner to be really sound, and have only good things to say about the place. I've stayed there and brought groups there.

I read that 'cricket bat' review Wet Paint, and have my own take on what may have happened. The owner doesn't suffer fools. If you are acting the maggot, drunk and making noise at 3am he will let you know. Perhaps not politely, but this is also his home. Any time I've been there it is really chill and a lovely atmosphere, people drinking wine and chatting by the table. He knows a lot of guests are hikers, so there is no all night parties like some 'fun Irish' hostels think is the norm. A balance, and fair play to him.

The hostel is 'odd' to be sure, part of the charm, but I will say it seems to have been recently repainted and looks great. I recommended it as I stayed there really recently. There's 3 hostels in Letterfrack, if it's not a busy time, pop in for a look, and only stay if you like it. You have choice. It's one of my favourite hostels, and I have hostelled all over the world as well as working in them.

Some reviews, and a fair mix are here

Oh and review sites are interesting in themselves.. I worked in one particular hostel overseas that got a lot of traffic and online reviews. It too had a larger percentage of good than bad votes, but had more 'terrible' than 'brilliant' votes. People who on to post a complaint seem to give things the worst vote possible, but most reviewers who like things usually go to 8 or 9/10 (I monitored the reviews at work as part of my job!).

Anyway OP, you've a good amount of suggestions to go on I'd say. Leave yourself time if you are hitching, as it is of course unpredictable.

wet-paint

I've stayed there with a group of about thirty older people, mean age was about forty, with people their sixties and seventies.

We came in from the pub (where he'd been drinking too), and went in to the common room for drinks and songs and craic. I threw a couple of briquettes onto the dying fire, and got a beer fro mteh fridge in the kitchen, to come back in and hear him berating the entire crowd. "F**K F**KF**KF**K stay the F**K away from the F**King fire, it's not your F**King turf, you F**king F**Ks.... etc etc"


and then he took the smoking briquettes out of the fire with tongs, and carried them into the fireplace in the jacks. I had a mind to send him a bale of briquettes and tell him there's your pound of flesh you little pissant, until I heard the following.

A mate of mine works in the tourist office, and had a couple of German tourists come back to him and complain. They were given two beds in an otherwise empty eight bed dorm. They came back in from the pub that night, and went to bed, only to have him run them from the hostel with a carving knife, because they got into the wrong beds.
He followed them to their car to make sure they left.
He's a f*cking psycho.

But anyways yeah, woo waterfalls.

inisboffin

You touched the....fire???? eeeeek! :P

He is touchy about the fire, but in fairness that fire a marvel in itself, the old slow burn and ash stack with briquettes. It burns evenly all day without being fed, and if you poke it or add stuff to it (which in fairness people who don't know that method, are used to doing to other fires) you ruin the thing completely. It is almost on a 'natural timer' with it dying down, but not out, around midnight, so it can be left unattended when the common room is on 'quiet time' (usually by 1). There used to be a 'please don't touch the fire' sign, but I'm not sure if it is there.

Oh, and from working in a hostel, if you are given a bed, and decide to take another one, despite having been given a specific one for a reason.... it makes everyone's life miserable if someone who is allocated a bed arrives late at night, in the dark and thinks they have nowhere to sleep. I've seen sane Australians lose their sh!t after people do it for the 100th time

I'd just be wary too of slagging off a local Galway business owner on boards, based on heresay. I think linking to the review sites is allowed, but even though it's not Galway City, I think it's the same as badmouthing a business here without proof, no?

I'm really sorry you had a bad experience though, because the place has great memories for me. Maybe go back, wear shades, and try it again? But don't touchhhhh the fire! :P

wet-paint

I've no problem saying what I did, but I can see that Boards.ie might, so I'll just stand by what I myself saw and heard.
There was no sign by the fire when we were there, and a bale of briquettes beside a fire invites tending from the guests. He's a retard if he thinks otherwise.
And as regards being touchy about the fire, him living in the hostel itself, or any other matter, nothing at all excuses swearing and roaring at little old ladies.

inisboffin

wet-paint wrote: »

I've no problem saying what I did, but I can see that Boards.ie might, so I'll just stand by what I myself saw and heard.
There was no sign by the fire when we were there, and a bale of briquettes beside a fire invites tending from the guests. He's a retard if he thinks otherwise.
And as regards being touchy about the fire, him living in the hostel itself, or any other matter, nothing at all excuses swearing and roaring at little old ladies.

I'm not doubting what you say at all, but by hearsay I meant that I think boards.ie even includes us and our experiences as heresay. It's our word on a forum. If we call a local business person a 'F*cking Psycho' for example, that's pretty subjective. The mods have asked us to edit posts for way less.

Again - sorry you had a s*it experience, I can see how someone could not know about the fire if there was no sign.
We're rambling off topic though, and probably scared the OP off either way!:o

greyed

inisboffin wrote: »

Again - sorry you had a s*it experience, I can see how someone could not know about the fire if there was no sign.
We're rambling off topic though, and probably scared the OP off either way!:o

Haha, no, just very busy with college ...ye have scared me off the old monestry though

Ok, so if I can change direction here and ask about the cliffs of moher? There seem to be some good deals in getting there and the boyfriend always wanted to go, so it seems like a good idea. Its a little more on the beaten track but ill leave my adventure for when I have more time :P

What do you make of the tours though? Are they ****e and cheesy, filled with american elderly or can they be good fun, any experience with these? Was wondering if I should go with an operator or just take a bus eireann? The route on the tours seems to be deadly (scenery wise), how long do ye reckon we would need there? Are there quiet places to hang out or is is flooded with tourists?

Great info so far lads, cheers!

inisboffin

greyed wrote: »

Haha, no, just very busy with college ...ye have scared me off the old monestry though

Ok, so if I can change direction here and ask about the cliffs of moher? There seem to be some good deals in getting there and the boyfriend always wanted to go, so it seems like a good idea. Its a little more on the beaten track but ill leave my adventure for when I have more time :P

What do you make of the tours though? Are they ****e and cheesy, filled with american elderly or can they be good fun, any experience with these? Was wondering if I should go with an operator or just take a bus eireann? The route on the tours seems to be deadly (scenery wise), how long do ye reckon we would need there? Are there quiet places to hang out or is is flooded with tourists?

Great info so far lads, cheers!

That's what I meant! Scaring you off the old Monastary! Hate to think boards is contributing to lack of traffic to a Galway business due opinions on a person/owner as that's subjective (whether allowable here or not, personal experiences are valid enough, as people can read in to the events as they like). I know we have all had different experiences, but I did mention it as it in the first place, as it is one of my favourite hostels, full stop. Maybe give it a try another time OP, when the fear wears down? :P

On the cliffs, there are day trips from Galway, I believe about 20 quid. As far as I can tell, they're as good, if not better a deal than getting a Bus Eireann out. You'd have a harder time hitching out to Cliffs than to Connemara to be sure

On weekends, yup it's very touristy in the summer, but less so weekdays.

I generally hate touristy 'centres', and all my memories are of The Cliffs in the old days, when you could run along the edge and have a picnic (not recommended though, we were young and daft!). However I went along with a friend and her son and thought the interpretive centre was quite good. Particularly for kids though. With anything, it depends what you are into. Scenery is gorgeous. lallytours.com is one of the ones I was thinking about.

You could always stay in Doolin and Lisdoon, in one of the hostels there (Aille River is good, but dunno about any psycho/non-psycho staff, as it's been a while since I've been ) and walk up to the cliffs, or *near* centre, but not the official part. That, I *think* is doable on the path, and free

greyed

inisboffin wrote: »

That's what I meant! Scaring you off the old Monastary! Hate to think boards is contributing to lack of traffic to a Galway business due opinions on a person/owner as that's subjective (whether allowable here or not, personal experiences are valid enough, as people can read in to the events as they like). I know we have all had different experiences, but I did mention it as it in the first place, as it is one of my favourite hostels, full stop. Maybe give it a try another time OP, when the fear wears down? :P

Haha, maybe next time so Im not a fussy traveller, so 'interesting' staff dont bother me really, can even be a plus :P

Thanks for the information though, big help! I might try a tour alright if they allow for a long enough stop to get a decent walk in. I'll stay well away from the center though I think, not my thing, especially if its pay in :pac:

Mrs OBumble

OP, check out Sleepzone Hostel: in summer time, and maybe other times too, they run a Connemara-loop-bus, which may be helpful for you. I haven't used it myself, so can't give any more advice than that.