Spiddal Voyage Tips and guide

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Spiddal is a village on the north coast of Galway Bay in Connemara, County Galway. With a population of 254 in 2022, it's not so much the largest, more like the least tiny, of the little settlements that straggle along R336, all described on this page. To the east, see Galway for the city itself and everything along the road through Salthills as far as Silverstrand. To the west, see Carraroe for the area from Costello down the Carraroe peninsula and across the chain of islands to Lettermore and Lettermullan.

Spiddal in Irish is An Spidéal, "the hospital", in that word's older meaning of a place of shelter or hospitality. It would be a most welcome stop in bleak Connemara, with night coming on, the rain lashing down and your horse limping. Inland from the highway there's farmland but mostly a wilderness of stones and bogs. South is the Bay, with views towards County Clare and the Aran Islands. Most visitors are just passing through along the highway, but Spiddal and its neighbouring villages are congenial places to relax for a day or two.

R336 is the lane west along the coast from Galway through 53.244-9.3061 Spiddal to Inverin, Rossaveel and Costello. From there R343 branches south down the Carraroe peninsula, R374 goes west to cross the chain of islands, while R336 continues north to Maam Cross.

53.232-9.472 Connemara Airport at Inverin (Indreabhán) has flights by Aer Árann to all three of the Aran Islands: Inis Mór (the usual destination), Inis Meáin and Inis Oírr. See those pages for details, but they fly daily year-round and a day trip is feasible.

There are no flights from Connemara or anywhere else to Inishbofin Island, where the expensive taxpayer-funded airport remains unused.

53.267-9.563 Rossaveel is the usual ferry port for the Aran Islands, see that page for details. Ferries also sail from Doolin in County Clare.

Bus Éireann 424 runs hourly from Galway to Salthill, Barna, Spiddal (35 min), Inverin (passing within one km of the airport), Rossaveel (connecting with the ferries), Costello and Carraroe. Six buses a day continue to Lettermore and Lettermullan on the chain of islands.

You need your own vehicle.

Most travellers follow the road west from the city.

• 53.26-9.1211 Silverstrand is on Rusheen Bay, which empties out at low tide to leave an extensive beach. See Galway city for amenities here.
• 53.251-9.1522 Barna (Bearna) is a fast-growing village with lots of accommodation. Traditionally Irish-speaking, its residents are fighting a rearguard action against the encroaching commuter belt of the Anglophone city.
• 53.25-9.2253 Furbo (Na Forbacha) is where you definitely enter the Gaeltacht, as 80% of all its housing developments are reserved for Irish-speakers. There's a good beach, and Padraicins large seafood restaurant has rooms.
• Spiddal itself starts unpromisingly with an industrial zone, then you come to the beach and village centre. The chapel by the pier was built in 1776.
• 53.246-9.3654 Knock South has accommodation, a supermarket and a beach. It's sometimes described as being in Inverin (Indreabhán, mouth of the river) but most of that is further west, with industry supporting Connemara Airport.
• Rossaveel is short of accommodation, there's one B&B and one pub if you miss a connection. O'Cualann's is a thatched pub 2 km south.
• 53.288-9.555 Costello has no facilities beyond a small store. From here the roads fan out to even more remote places - how are you for petrol? See Carraroe for the peninsula and chain of islands through Lettermore.

• Galway Bay Fishing will take you out sea-fishing. They're based in Spiddal and open daily.
• It's a great area for sailing in all categories of craft, including Galway Hookers, but this is for experienced sailors with their own boat. It's not like a pedalo, you don't just rock up and hire one for an hour.

• Centra supermarket is open daily 8AM-10PM and has a filling station.
• Spiddal Craft Village is opposite Centra. Most artisans within it are open M-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su noon-5PM. The cafe is open F-Su 11AM-5PM.

• Fiordigrano Pizza on Main St is open W-Su 4-10PM. There are two other pizza takeaways.
• New May Flower next door is a Chinese takeaway open daily 4-11:30PM.
• An Cruiscin Lan Hotel (see Sleep) has a public bar and restaurant.

• An Nead ("The Nest") in village centre is open daily noon-11PM.
• Cois Cuain (formerly An Droighneán Donn) is open Su-Th 3-11:30PM, F Sa 3-12:30AM.

• An Cruiscin Lan, Spiddal H91 F853, ☏ +353 91 553148. Comfy old-fashioned small hotel in village centre. Some street noise, try for a room at the back. No lifts to the rooms. B&B double €160. (updated May 2025)
• 53.2476-9.30571 Ard Eoinin, Spiddal H91 RP80, ☏ +353 87 792 5870. Friendly B&B. B&B double €100. (updated May 2025)
• 53.2552-9.30552 Spiddal Caravan & Camping Park, Spiddal H91 A271, ☏ +353 87 760 7698. Basic place 1 km inland, open May-Oct. (updated May 2025)
• Ardmor Country House is a pleasant small hotel 500 m west of village centre.

As of May 2025, Spiddal and the coast road have 4G from all Irish carriers. 5G peters out at the west edge of Galway and has not yet reached this area.

• Take a ferry from Rossaveel to the Aran Islands.
• West takes you past Carraroe peninsula and the chain of islands to the resort town of Clifden.
• Back to lively Galway whenever you've absorbed enough bleak Connemara countryside.
• Wild Atlantic Way is a motoring itinerary right around the coast from Donegal to Kinsale in Cork.