In the past we have done the tour near the near the shores of Lough Corrib on bicycles but this time we used a friend’s boat. There are also boats for hire at several locations around the lough, and boatmen are also available. We headed out for a cruise into the Lough and had great views of the many islands and the multiformed Connemara Mountains. The lake (lough” in Irish/Gaelic) is famous for its salmon fishing and wild brown trout, with the added avantage that angling is free on Lough Corrib, which is 33 miles long from Maum Bridge to near Galway City, making it the second largest lake in Ireland with over 365 islands. After tea in the majestic Ashford Castle we later visited the adjacent Lough Carra and Lough Mask in county Mayo – stunning in fine weather and a most enjoyable area to visit.

We joined the boat at Lisloughrey Quay yesterday, in wind and rain. Nonetheless, this took nothing away from the hour-long cruise around the upper part of Lough Corrib. Our skipper, Patrick Luskin gave live commentary about the history of Ashford Castle, the environs and the lake itself. He is very knowledgeable and we are happy that we bought a copy of the super booklet he wrote, which was on sale onboard, as we have a memento now forever following a most enjoyable boat trip.