Ervallagh

Ervallagh  (pr. Ereloch) is a small collection of houses, around a sandy beach and drying harbour, about one and a half miles from the village of Roundstone, in Connemara.  The harbour is used by local fishermen and visitors to the area, for fishing, sailing and visiting the islands.  The beach is sandy and shelves very gradually, being safe for small children.  At high tide the harbour fills and the pier makes an excellent diving board for braver swimmers.

Beyond the beach and to the left as you face the sea, there is a rough path which leads to a long inlet with rock pools, and a small rocky island which can be visited at low tide.  (Watch for the tide as you can get cut off and have to swim home, or wait for the tide to fall).  It is possible to walk to Roundstone via the coast this way, and takes about half an hour.

The Local Area

There are several beautiful white sandy beaches nearby.  The closest are Gurteen and Dogs' Bay; two long, child-friendly beaches backing onto each other, with a large, headland full of wild flowers in between.  They can be reached on foot from the house in about twenty to thirty minutes, or ten minutes in a car. Gurteen has a  watersports centre where kayaking, windsurfing and water-skiing can be arranged during  the summer months .

Behind Ervallagh and the village of Roundstone is Errisbeg hill, about 950 feet high and with a marvellous view of the coast from the top.  This is just one of many hills in the area, explore the  twelve Pins (or Bens) or the Maumturks for more challenging hikes.

Roundstone Village

Roundstone, or Cloch na Ron meaning 'the stone of the seals', provides most necessities; food, a butcher (Woods), gas, petrol, and a post office (in Ferrons shop). There is also a local doctor and a doctors' surgery.

The IDA park, on the site of a former monastery, down a small road on the left as you leave the village, has craft shops, a musical instruments shop and a good pottery.

There are plenty of pubs, some with traditional music nights in summer and there are various festivals throughout the year. There are some good restaurants in the village; the bar food at O'Dowds and the Roundstone House Hotel is excellent, with lots of seafood on offer.

If you're keen on catching your own fish, in summer there are deep-sea fishing trips leaving from Roundstone Quay daily.

If fly-fishing is more your thing, salmon fishing on the beautiful Ballinahinch River can be arranged through the fishery at Ballinahinch Castle.

There are plenty of excellent golf courses in the region, and the  Connemara Links Championship Golf Course is 13 kms from Roundstone.

Clifden and beyond

Half an hour's drive from the house is the town of Clifden, where you can get most things. There are some good craft and clothes shops specialising in Connemara tweed, the most notable of these being Stanleys and Millars.

Clifden also has several supermarkets including a Lidl, and an Aldi as well as a large SuperValu.  There are two banks, two chemists, doctors' surgeries andsports shops.

If you are keen to explore further afield Connemara has plenty of things to do and see.

The area is famous for its ponies, with riding and pony-trekking offered throughout the region. For more on local activities, try www.connemara.net, which  has details about canoeing, kayaking and ponies to ride, among other things.

A day trip to the Aran Islands is a great adventure, with ferries from Rossaveal to Inis Mor, the largest island, several times a day.  Once there you can hire bikes and explore the island, including the amazing Iron Age fort of Dun Aengus.

Inisbofin is a smaller island reached by ferry from Cleggan. It is possible to walk right around it (about 5 miles), passing some beaches on the way...