Carraroe – County Galway

Carraroe is a quaint village in an Irish-speaking region of Connemara in County Galway. Its population is widely dispersed over An Cheathrú Rua Peninsula between Cuan an Fhir Mhóir and Cuan Chasla. Carraroe is one of the most important places promoting Irish culture involving both language, song, and dance. 

Carraroe is a very popular holiday destination for both Irish-speaking holiday makers and tourists looking to explore this picturesque part of Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way. Galway city is located 42 km east and Clifden town is located 52 km northwest of Carraroe village. There are several grocery shops including a petrol station serving all the essentials for a comfortable self-catering holiday in Carraroe. Three main pubs open daily and have live music most nights throughout the summer months. 

There are two summer schools, Coláiste Aodáin which teaches Irish to English-speaking secondary-school students from all over Ireland, and An Cheathrú Rua a centre for the Irish-language media. The main national Irish-language newspaper Foinse had its head office in the village and the Irish-language radio station, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta is located nearby in Casla. The Irish-language TV station TG4 is also based at Baile na hAbhann, a few kilometres east of the village. Catholic church services are in Irish only and all school lessons are conducted in Irish too. 

Galway Hookers 
The area is famous for its traditional fishing boats known as Galway Hookers, a distinctive form of native Irish boat, and An Cheathrú Rua is an important centre for these boats. Every August An Cheathrú Rua hosts Féile an Dóilín, the largest Galway hooker festival in Ireland. It is also one of the largest maritime festivals in the country, always a great family day out in Galway. The main boats are the larger Báid Mhóra or big boats and Leathbháid or half-boats, which in earlier times were used for hauling turf. Today the main activity of all these boats is racing, and every year there are several regattas along the Connamara coast. 

Currach racing is held on Loch an Mhuilinn, the lake close to the village and near our holiday accommodation in Carraroe. Every year at the festival of Cruinniú na mBád, a large fleet of traditional Connemara boats races across Galway Bay from An Cheathrú Rua to Kinvara a seaport village located in the southwest of County Galway. 

Carraroe’s Blue Flag beach, Trá an Dóilín is located near the village, noted for its very fine coral. The beach is made of coralline algae known as maerl. This biogenic gravel beach is rare and of great conservation importance. This beach is set in an area of great natural beauty. There are lots of little rock pools to explore, as well as excellent scuba diving, and snorkeling opportunities for self-catering holiday guests visiting this region. 

Carraroe is the ideal base from which to explore Casla Bay and Greatman’s Bay, but also the whole series of islands composed of Lettermore, Gorumna, and Lettermullen, Which are all joined by a causeway to the mainland. Or visit the Aran Islands one of the region’s top tourist attractions. You and your self-catering guests can jump on the ferry at Rossaveel. Ferries depart from Rossaveel port in Connemara, 7 km west of Carraroe village.