Ashford Manor, Galway

Advantages: Historic, Picturesque, Charming
Disadvantages: Lot a lot of modern amenities

...is the most prominent. Part of this Norman Church dates back to the 13th century and its doors are usually open for visitors to wander around. Another prominent building in the Village is a large manor house known as the Rookery. This impressive house dates from the 1500's and not only has lovely ornate gardens it also has the River Wye flowing through its grounds. In 1941 this house became the principal home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, who own nearby Chatsworth House. The best way to explore Ashford is definitely on foot. It is quite a small Village and since it is situated on the Valley bottom next to the River the ground is flat. Exploring the Village on foot enables you to see many things that could easily be missed. I have been here many times and each time I always seem to spot something different. One recent discovery... Read review

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Advantages: breathtaking coastlines
Disadvantages: mobilhomes spoil the beaches

...target, the "Hodson Bay Resort", was completely full, they couldn´t even accept a reservation for their famous "l´Escale" seafood restaurant. So it was back to the city center where we got a room for a night in the not so Royal Hoey. The next day saw us heading for Ireland´s biggest lake, Lough Corrib. The destination was the little village of Cong, where famous Ashford Castle sits on the northern shore of the lake, surrounded by a magnificent park with a 9-hole golf course, tennis courts, equestrian facilities and – believe it or not – a school of falconry! In 1985 we were standing in front of the building for the first time and thinking about how it would be to stay in one of its stately suites, sip tea from Wedgewood in one of the lounges, where peat fire creates a noble atmosphere and dine French Style in Connaught Room with views... Read review

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Advantages: A great base for touring and a city full of life and vitality.
Disadvantages: Patchy public transport and some ugly ribbon building.

...We need to choose our holidays carefully, us pedestrians. Call us cautious, but we opted for Galway, mid-way up the West Coast of Ireland. Not that Galway feels 'safe' in a stodgy kind of way. We didn't go for the nightlife but there was a buzz about the place that hit us as soon as we stepped off the train. Now what is this thing called a 'buzz'? We couldn't quite work it out to start with, but then it dawned on us: we were a couple of dinosaurs abroad in a modern landscape. Galway is a young city, full of young people. It's a city too, with more than its share of teething troubles relating to its prosperity. Ugly ribbon built development sprawls along the coast through suburbs like Salthill, decked out like a junior Blackpool. Not that the other Galway is far away. All paths in Galway seem to lead back to Eyre Square... Read review

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