Oughterard is a small town in County Galway, on the shores of Lough Corrib 26 km northwest of Galway city. It's on the edge of the Connemara hills and has accommodation and other visitor amenities; it's a commuter town for the city and its own population in 2022 was 1800. Although it's best known in film for the stone bridge seen in The Quiet Man, Oughterard and its denizens also inspired The Irish RM, published from 1899 and televised 1983-85.
Get in
[edit]
See Galway for long distance routes. From the city, highway N59 runs west to Oughterard and Clifden.
Citylink Bus 923 and Bus Éireann 419 between them run every hour or two from Galway to Oughterard and Clifden. Four per day continue to Cleggan (for Inishbofin ferry) and four to Letterfrack.
The bus stop is in town centre on the main road.
Get around
[edit]The bus will take you along N59, you need your own wheels for anywhere else.
O'Halloran Taxi is on +353 91 550 451.
See
[edit]
- 1 Aughnanure Castle, Oughterard H91 PX20, ☏ +353 91 552 214. Mar-mid-Nov daily 9:30AM-6PM. Well preserved 16th-century tower house in a picturesque setting by the shores of Lough Corrib. Adult €5, child €3.
- 2 Brigit's Garden, Rosscahill H91 CC90, ☏ +353 91 550 905. Daily 10AM-5PM. Brigid was a Celtic goddess of spring, who morphed into the Christian St Brigid of Kildare (451-525 AD). These are botanic gardens heavily dosed with Celtic mythology. Adult €11, conc €9.50, child €7.
- 3 Glengowla Mines, Glengowla, Oughterard H91 PX22, ☏ +353 87 252 9850. Mar-Oct Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM. These were active 1851-1865, mining galena: lead sulphide, from which the lead is easily extracted. The ores also yielded silver and a little gold. Entry to the mines is by guided tour: it's on a farm where they also demonstrate sheepdog handling. Adult €15.50, child €8.
- 4 The Quiet Man Bridge is the picturesque stone arch bridge used as a location for the 1952 film starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. Further west towards Maam was "White O'Morn" cottage: this is nowadays a ruin, but there's a replica in nearby Cong where most of the film was shot.
Do
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- Gaelic football is played on the pitch east end of town.
- Oughterard Golf Club is south side of town towards the castle. White tees 5860 m, par 72.
- Fishing on Lough Corrib is free but you need to hire a boat.
Buy
[edit]- A clutch of stores in town centre: Centra (aka Keogh's, daily 8AM to 11PM), Tesco Express, Sullivan's and Mace.
Eat
[edit]- Powers Thatch, Main St, Oughterard H91 CVY3, ☏ +353 91 557 597. Daily noon-midnight. Great little bar and restaurant, often has live trad music.
- Connemara Greenway in town centre is open W-Sa noon-2:30PM, 6-10:30PM, Sa noon-3:30PM.
- Supermac's & Papa John's is a fast food place on Main St just east of the centre, open daily noon-10PM.
Drink
[edit]- Faherty's and Angler's Bar are in town centre.
Sleep
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- Connemara Lake Hotel, Main St, Oughterard H91 TNH5 (town centre), ☏ +353 91 866 016. Comfy welcoming place on main road. B&B double €170.
- Crossriver B&B is on Glann Rd 500 m north of Connemara Lake Hotel.
- Riverwalk House is a B&B on Carrowmanagh, west end of town.
- 1 Woodlands, Cregg Rd, Oughterard H91 TR62, ☏ +353 91 557 783. Quiet spacious B&B south of town. B&B double €110.
- 2 Carrown Tober House, Billamore, Oughterard H91 A78P, ☏ +353 91 552 166. Grand little B&B east edge of town. B&B double €130.
- 3 Waterfront House, Golf Course Road, Oughterard H91 PW89, ☏ +353 91 552 797. Pleasant relaxing B&B by lough. B&B double €110.
- Corrib View is a B&B on Golf Course Rd just before you reach Waterfront House.
- Ross Lake House Hotel was destroyed by arson in 2023 when it was rumoured that it would house asylum seekers. It's not known if it will be rebuilt.
- 4 Ross Castle is a 17th-century mansion built over the earlier castle, and available for events and self-catering lets. In the late 19th century it was the home of Violet Florence Martin and Edith Somerville, who co-wrote the Stories of an Irish RM.
- 5 Currarevagh House, Glann Rd, Oughterard H91 X3C2, ☏ +353 91 552 312. Upscale hotel in a Victorian sporting lodge, first-class cooking. Open April-Oct. Double (half-board) €370.
Connect
[edit]As of May 2025, Oughterard and the Galway-Clifden road have 4G from Vodafone, and 5G with Eir and Three.
Go next
[edit]- West on N59 to the resort of Clifden. Follow the scenic lane to Cleggan for ferries to Inishbofin Island.
- Turn north at Maam Cross to reach Leenane, a fjord, and a mountain that English mapmakers didn't care to name correctly.
- The lane southwest comes to Costello and Rossaveel, which has ferries to the Aran Islands.
- Lively Galway city is only half an hour's drive.