Is Cong Worth Visiting?
Simple surprises awaited us on our way from Galway to Westport; some were restrained and others extravagant. Cong was an interesting place to visit.
Author & Photographer: George Mitchell
Our advice is derived from our personal experience and knowledge, gained from living in Europe for seven years and studying its art and architecture. Our recommendations are not influenced by affiliate links – we do not have any. Ireland is one of our favourite destinations.
All of our recommendations are top-rated by Google Maps Ratings, which is based on everyone, not just tourists. Each place recommended in our posts and custom maps is appended with a Google Maps Rating (G0 to G5).
Conquering Cong
We left Galway in the miserable rain. It was only our fourth truly rainy day. We were 23 days into our trip so far. Thanks to advance warning, we already did our original itinerary to get to Westport — the spectacular Leenaun to Doo Lough segment — as part of the Kylemore to Connemara post.
So today we headed off to the tiny village of Cong with low expectations.
Quiet Man
Our first surprise was a statue of John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara (2013). The movie The Quiet Man (1952) was filmed here. The statue depicts John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara in a tender moment from the film. It attracted the attention of the few tourists who came here in May.
Bog Oak Sculpture
The next surprise was the sculpture at the end of the same street, with a view of the Cong River in the background. The Bog Oak Sculpture features a carved bird of prey framed by beautiful flowers. The sculpture is made from black bog oak, showcasing the artistic talent of the sculptor. This beautiful sculpture is located in the middle of a wishing well and an attractive flower bed. But how many people notice that there is a bronze bird hidden in the foliage?
Cong Abbey
The 7th-century abbey became an important center for spirituality, education, and culture in medieval Ireland. At one point, it housed up to 3,000 monks who engaged in various scholarly activities, including manuscript illumination and metalwork.
The original abbey was rebuilt by the Augustinians in 1138. This OPW-run site is considered one of the finest examples of medieval ecclesiastical architecture in Ireland. It is associated with significant figures in Irish history, including the last High King of Ireland.
Cong Abbey suffered from the dissolution of monasteries when Henry VIII broke away from the Catholic Church. The dissolution of the monasteries occurred between 1536 and 1541. Henry VIII closed and confiscated all Catholic monasteries, priories, convents, and friaries in England, Wales, and Ireland, as part of his Reformation efforts.
Arthur Guinness, founder of the famous beer, preserved the remains of the abbey in 1855, when he bought Ashford Castle. Cong Abbey today is like a park with suggestive Gothic arches, a quiet cloister, and the round tower. The rain seemed to stop as soon as we came to a photo opportunity!
We particularly liked the intricate carvings and the well-preserved cloister. The abbey is celebrated for its Romanesque and Gothic architectural styles, featuring ogival Gothic and semi-circular Romanesque arches.
Walk through the forest towards the stone bridge over the river. One of the most interesting features is the monks’ fishing house, a small stone hut that stands on a bridge over the River Cong. The hut has a trapdoor that allows the monks to fish from inside.
Ashford Castle
Tourists can only visit this castle if they have dinner reservations or pay €10 for a tour.
We met someone who worked at Ashford Castle, taking care of the children of the rich and famous. She told us that some of the kids were very spoiled; others were down-to-earth.
She said that rooms cost up to €5000 per night! Recently, a couple bought the castle from the Guinness family for €88 million and have to spend €22 million to improve it.
But, she also told us we are allowed to walk from the abbey along the golf course road until the old stone bridge leading to the castle. The walk was very pleasant and there were even good views of the castle. The gorgeous green grass contrasted with the grey stone castle. At the moat bridge, there were guards in beef-eater costumes to prevent the riff-raff from entering.
Beef-eaters are Yeomen Warders, who originally (15th century) were responsible for guarding the Tower of London and its treasures. The term “Beef-eater” likely originated from their historical role in providing food, particularly beef, to the king.
Lough Corrib
While looking for a lunch stop along Route R345, our maps.me app told us to take a one-lane shortcut. While normally annoying, this time we got better views from the high up farmland than we did from the stop near the lake (lough). The islands and brighter skies made this a special sight.
From here, we drove to Leenaun and the fjord. The next segment of the highway was lined with purple rhododendrons, the same flowering trees featured in many earlier photos. It was simply spectacular, but alas, no pull-offs to enjoy it.
The trees looked like this photo in Connemara:
Final Comments on this Itinerary
This is a quiet place offering a pleasant break on the road from Galway to Westport. The places we recommend are all highly rated by local people, as shown by the high Google Map Ratings. Remember, the most important “destination” is meeting the people.
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Itinerary Maps & Guides
Ireland West Map – our custom Google map
Ireland North Map – our custom Google map
The Celestial Cong route is one way to travel between Galway and Westport. It is part of our Ireland West and Best Places for 2 Weeks in Southwest (SW) Ireland itineraries.
If you have more than a week, then combine this tour with nearby places in the Ireland West and Ireland North itineraries below.
Google Maps Ratings
Google Maps provides a rating from 0 to 5 for all sights, hotels and restaurants (but not cities). All of our recommendations are appended with the rating (prefixed with a G) from Google Maps. As it is based on feedback from tourists and locals, it is much more reliable than travel booking websites. We consider a score of 4 to 4.39 to be Very Good; 4.4 to 5 to be Excellent.
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