Boat and Ferry Travel

Corrib Cruises runs daily trips on Lough Corrib at 11:15 am year-round from the public pier at Cong, with great views of Ashford Castle and the Connemara mountains, and an optional visit to the monastic ruins on Inchagoill Island. The boat has indoor and outdoor seating and a licensed bar. From April to October you can board either at Cong or at Oughterard, on the opposite side of the lake. You can use the cruise as a ferry service from one village to the other, or opt for a historic cruise with guide (€20 from Cong, €28 from Oughterard in July and August).

The Inisbofin Ferry Company offers a regular, year-round, 30-minute service from Cleggan to Inisbofin for €20 round-trip.

Clare Island in Clew Bay and its smaller neighbor, Inishturk Island, are increasingly popular day-trip destinations with hikers and natural historians. Clare Island Ferry Company sails to Clare Island and Inishturk between May and September, leaving the mainland at 9:30 am (10:45 Monday and weekends) with last ferry returning at 6:15 pm (€17 round-trip). There is a scaled-down service from February to April and October; check the website for details. O'Malley Ferries is a year-round operator serving Inishturk. Both leave from Roonagh Pier at Louisburgh, a 35-minute drive west of Westport. Tickets can be bought at the Westport Tourist Office.

From April through October, Killary Cruises runs 90-minute trips around Killary Harbour (€23.50), Ireland's only fjord, in an enclosed catamaran launch with seating for 150 passengers, plus a bar and restaurant.

Contacts

Inisbofin Ferry. A regular, year-round service to the remote and stunning island of Inisbofin. Inishbofin Island Discovery Ltd., Cloonamore, Inishbofin Island, Connemara, Co. Galway. 095/45819; inishbofinislanddiscovery.com.

O'Malley Ferries. 098/25045; www.omalleyferries.com.