THERE’S NOTHING like hitching a bus ride through the Burren
for a spur-of-the-moment weekend getaway and checking out small-town Clifden,
which just happens to be throwing an arts festival. This sleepy village is
about an hour to the northwest of Galway along the coast. After absorbing the
natural limestone beauty of the Burren countryside, a group of us hopped off in
Clifden to stay a couple nights.
We booked a room at the Clifden Town Hostel directly on
Market Street, at which the six of us had our own private room. The hostel
staff set us up with maps to nearby attractions, such as the Errislannan Riding
Centre & Connemara Pony Stud, as well as Clifden Castle.
Pony Riding
Most people would scoff at riding a pony, but I assure you:
they are as spirited as their bigger brethren. My parents enrolled me in a
horseback riding camp when I was little, and I remember being upset because
everyone else in the class got a horse except for me—I got a fat white pony.
However, when they had the end-of-camp races, my little pony broke into a
gallop the moment a tall mare tried to pass her. Yeah, I wasn’t really in
charge of the horse.
However, I’ve always sought out horseback riding
opportunities whenever I can, and this was a no-brainer. The Errislannan Manor
Riding Centre offers horseback rides along the rugged emerald coastal cliffs of
Clifden Bay, which then dip down to a trek across the sand. The more
comfortable riders could even take their steed for a dip in the ocean—an
ultimate dream of mine! The stables had beautiful grey-duns, white and flea-bitten
grey mares, and chestnut geldings, Connemara ponies all who looked right at
home along the mist-shrouded green coast.
My horse was named Barnaby, a big brown bloke with a white
mark on his forehead. He mostly ambled along and followed the pony ahead of
him; this trail was nothing new to him. Several times I had to scold him for
stopping to eat saplings, but he was a good reliable horse. When we got to the
beach and the guide let the experienced riders gallop, Barnaby showed off his
stuff with an exhilarating canter across the damp sand. Then came the ride
through the ocean with the surf curling up around his knees—fun! We meandered
our way back to the stables, the ride taking around 3 hours for 70 euros.
Clifden Castle
This old manor ruin is hidden deep in the countryside to the
west of Clifden, overlooking Clifden Bay. This was before Smartphones so it
took us a while to find it! We ended up going on a little adventure of our own,
through pastures where sheep and horses grazed, over and under barbed wire
fences. Several times we feared we were trespassing; other times we
were ambushed by a herd of beautiful gray mares and colts who assumed we were bringing
them dinner.
The sky darkened late afternoon. We were getting worried
about finding the castle, when one of us spotted a dilapidated courtyard. We followed
it around to behold an ivy-clad fortress spearing the mists. All of us took shelter inside the ruins just in time; the skies opened up and rain came
pelting down. We explored the castle until the showers passed and then took a
nice leisurely stroll back to Clifden for dinner—this time along the designated
path.
Clifden Arts Festival
Our last night in Clifden took us by surprise, as festivities
commenced for Ireland’s longest running community arts festival. And boy, did
they! The 10-day festival launched off with artistic showcases, street performers,
parades, and musical sets in the pubs, topped off by a surprising fireworks
display. This country town hosts a number of festivals throughout the year,
such as the Arts Festival in September and the Traditional Music Festival in
April. As I watched the fireworks cascade overhead while enjoying a pint and
some delicious clam chowder, I knew we couldn’t have accidentally picked a
better weekend to visit.
To be continued here.
Disclaimer: the above
is presented as fiction, not fact.
