Ireland's Galway and Clare Inn-to-Inn Trail
Day 1: Arrival in Shannon Airport and transfer to your guesthouse or hotel in the Whitegate\Mount Shannon area at the shores of scenic Lough Derg. In the evening, you will get to know all your fellow riders for the week.
Day 2: Riders can then get used to their own horse for the week by brushing and tacking up–don’t worry there are always lots of helping hands around you! You will ride into the surrounding peaceful forests of the Slieve Aughty Mountains. For the lunch break, you will be back at the An Sibin Riding Centre. In the afternoon, the horses will bring you through the rural farming land in County Galway and the huge area of heather and bog land using the old tracks of the historical Sarsfield Ride. You leave the horses in a field, where they stay overnight.
Day 3: Today’s ride brings riders up over the hills of the Slieve Aughty Mountains with fascinating views over the majestic Lough Derg and River Shannon. About 150 years ago many farms and villages were left because of the Famine. This was the time of the severe potato disease, which destroyed the sole source of food supply for Irish peasants and their stock. Later you will pass local farmers cutting and drying the turf in the traditional way. A Neolithic dolmen–with the legendary name Oisin’s and Grainne’s Grave–beside the track proves that this area was already mystified about 5000 years ago. Much younger (about 9th cent.) are the ruins of a monastic settlement on Holy Island, which you can easily spot by the well kept typical round tower.
Day 4: Leaving the sheltered pasture, riders are heading this morning for the top of the hills again overlooking endless woods and grazing land to the north, west and south. Long before you get there, you can spot way under you the sandy shores of Lough Graney where riders are heading. The beach invites you to canter along the water and on the trail, which goes right across the refreshing lake! Later in the afternoon, the ride takes you through the typical farmland of rural Ireland with its green fields and endless old stonewalls surrounding the grazing sheep and cattle.
Day 5: Today’s wood tracks take you further westwards overlooking Glandaria to the fertile valley of the River Shannon, where Ireland’s kings preferred to settle. After the lunch break, near a typical mountain river, you will cross the boggy uplands. County Clare unfolds all around you up to the distant rising hills of the famous Burren National Park. On a clear day you can get a glimpse of Galway Bay.
Day 6: After breakfast you will be transferred back to the airport or if taking the extended program continue to your next trail ride.
The totally different and unique scenery of the world renowned Burren will accompany you for the next two days. The moon like landscape of this limestone area bears not only an immensely colourful flora and fauna with a large number of very rare species, but also reveals a stunning variety of prehistoric settlements. Dolmens and Wedge Tombs line up next to Norman stone fort ruins and Celtic ring forts. Close to a fulacht fiadh, an ancient cooking site, is where you will enjoy your lunch. The next two nights you will be staying in the Lisdoonvarna area, which is famous for the traditional music.
Day 7: Today you head westwards through the Burren, learning about the impressive Poulnabrone Dolmen, and the huge cave systems in this special area. Riders rest for lunch overlooking the rocky landscape. After the break you lead your horse up the last hill for the breathtaking view over the Atlantic, the famous Aran Islands and the rugged Connemara Mountains. The shore of County Clare stretches out before you for the last gallop. In the glittering afternoon sunlight the impressive silhouette of the Cliffs of Moher rise in front of you. Near the ruins of the Ballinalaken Castle your ride ends.
Day 8: After breakfast you will be transferred back to the airport. Flights should be booked for afternoon departures.
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