Drumkeary: Discover Nature and Architectural Heritage

Nature and cultural heritage meet in the area around Drumkeary: a protected area, St Patrick’s Well and the country house Eagle Hill. Each gives the surroundings a distinct character, from protected landscapes to a well described as holy and a piece of architectural history. Galway, the wider travel destination, adds further walking trails and cultural sites to these local highlights.

Natural surroundings near Drumkeary

The Slieve Aughty Mountains Special Protection Area 004168 extends wholly or partly across the townlands of Drumkeary East and Drumkeary West in County Galway. It was designated as a protected area in 2012. Another local landmark is the Drumkeary Stream, a tributary of the Duniry River. The protected area’s name, the townlands and the waterway connections each offer a different way to understand the natural surroundings of Drumkeary.

Eagle Hill and St Patrick’s Well

Eagle Hill is a detached, two-storey country house built around 1750. Its façade has five bays and a shallow central projection: a slightly projecting central section. Curved end elevations frame the building; it also has a two-storey stairwell extension with a curved end and a single-storey extension to the northwest. This combination of features makes the architecture a tangible point of interest for anyone interested in historic houses.

St Patrick’s Well in Drimkeary is described as a holy well. The area thus brings architectural history and a place of religious significance into focus. If you would like to visit Eagle Hill or the well specifically, check their accessibility in advance.

Galway: trails with different character

In the wider travel destination of Galway, two trails in Coole Park are easy to compare by length and scenery. The Family Trail is an easy 1.75 km walking route. It passes the site of the former house and goes through the walled garden to the Autograph Tree. The Seven Woods Trail is 4.5 km long and passes a viewpoint overlooking Coole Lake and extensive wetlands. The choice there ranges from a shorter, easy route with specific stops to a longer trail with lake and wetland scenery.

The 6.5 km Diamond Hill Walk in Connemara National Park offers another option. It leads to the 445 m summit of Diamond Hill. Portumna Forest Park covers almost 450 hectares, adding an extensive forest park to the natural attractions of the wider Galway area.

Culture and history in Galway

Dún Aonghasa is more than 3,000 years old. The visitor centre is open year-round and offers guided tours. A 1 km footpath starts at the centre and leads to the clifftop fort. The walk to the fort and its great age offer a different experience from the marked trails in Coole Park.

Kylemore Abbey also combines history with several places to visit. The estate began in the 1860s as a lakeside castle built by Mitchell Henry for his wife Margaret. One admission ticket covers the abbey, church, mausoleum, woodland and lakeside trails, and the Victorian Walled Garden. This makes for a cultural and historical highlight that stands apart from the walking trails and their varying distances.

Choose a holiday apartment to suit your itinerary

When looking for a holiday apartment, it helps to start with one decision: should Drumkeary and its surroundings be your main focus, or would you also like to include other places in the wider travel destination of Galway? The trails mentioned vary in length and scenery, while Dún Aonghasa and Kylemore Abbey are historic destinations with their own attractions. Choose the location of your accommodation based on the places you actually plan to visit, and select the type of holiday that best suits your interests.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Salthill, Tuam, Farmerstown, Inishmaan, Maam Cross, Monard, Ballyshrule, Indreabhán.

For the wider travel overview: Galway.