Ashford Castle Walks
This walk explores the historic Ashford Castle in the village of Cong, on the borders of County Galway and County Mayo.
The castle dates back to the medieval period and is now run as a hotel. Non residents can visit for afternoon tea or to book an activity including the popular hawk walks. These one hour walks give you the opportunity to take a Harris Hawk around the grounds under the guidance of an expert instructor. See the more information link below for full details and prices.
In the estate there's also pretty gardens, a fountain and some pleasant woodland trails to try.
After exploring the castle grounds you can then follow trails north along the Ashford Castle Lake and River Cong to visit the attractive village of Cong. On the way there's views of an ancient stone circle and a medieval abbey. There's also some peaceful woodland trails in the adjacent Cong Woods if you'd like to extend the walk further.
The castle sits on the Galway side of Lough Corrib, the largest lake in the Republic of Ireland. For more details on the lough and a walk at the southern end from Oughterard see the Lough Corrib Walk page.
See the BBC video below for more information, history and a wonderful look around the castle.
Postcode
F31CA48 - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locationsPlease click here for more information
Ashford Castle Open Street Map 
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Ashford Castle Open Street Map 
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Further Information and Other Local Ideas
To the south of Lough Corrib there's the Oughterard Wind Farm Walk. The scenic circular walk explores the expansive Galway Wind Park, Ireland's largest on shore windfarm.
To the north of the lough there's the climb to Mount Gable where you can enjoy some wonderful views back down to the lough and to the coast.
Less than an hours drive to the west there's more fascinating local history at the 19th century Kylemore Abbey. The popular estate includes loughside trails, a Victorian walled garden, woodland paths and views of the surrounding Twelve Bens Mountains. Near here there's also the stunning Killary Fjord. There's some wonderful scenery here with the fjord flanked by the mountains of Mweelrea and Ben Gorm.
Near here there's also Clifden Castle to explore. There's a nice circular walk around the early 19th century ruined manor house, the surrounding farmland and Clifden Bay. You can also pick up the walk along the scenic Sky Road to the coast.
To the north west there's the climb to the holy mountain of Croagh Patrick. There's a Pilgrimage Trail to the summit where you can enjoy glorious views over Westport Bay, Clew Bay and the Mayo mountains.
To the north is Castlebar where there's a lovely waterside circular trail around Lough Lannagh. The long distance Great Western Greenway can also be picked up here.
Head south and there's the attractive city of Galway where there's pleasant trails along the River Corrib and the coast.
Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby
Photos
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Ashford Castle,Cong,Co.Mayo,Ireland
Rear gardens of Ashford Castle, Cong
River Cong
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Fountain at Ashford Castle at Cong
Fast Flowing River beside Abandoned Churches in Cong
House belonging to the Doctor in the Quiet Man Movie in Cong. Cong was the filming location for John Ford's 1952 Oscar-winning film, The Quiet Man, featuring John Wayne. Much of the film was filmed on the grounds of Ashford Castle. The town and castle area remain little changed since 1952, and Cong's connection with the movie make it a tourist attraction. The village was also the home of Anglo-Irish landlord Sir William Wilde, who was a historian and father to prominent playwright, novelist, poet, and short story writer Oscar Wilde.
Ashford Castle in County Mayo
Ashford Castle Old Schoolhouse