August 2012

Doonloughan is a beautiful beach located in splendid isolation in the wilds of Connemara. It takes a bit of effort to get there, but it’s more than worth it.

The beach is wide and sandy but with a deep inlet. There are rocks at one end and beyond these some other smaller beaches to explore. This is a great place for children to splash and play. When the tide starts to come in it leaves a shallow area which is ideal for kids to mess around in, and when the tide is out there are some pools to explore.

When we visited the water was beautifully clear but wavy, even though it was a calm day. It was lovely to swim in. However, if you plan to stay for a while you might be advised to bring a windbreak. This is a place with loads of room and on a sunny day in August the place was packed with at least a dozen people!

You can walk across the grass from the road to get to the beach or else there are well worn tracks to drive across if you want to get closer. The beach is buggy accessible but not for wheelchairs.

Doonloughan is a lovely spot and highly recommended.

Directions:

From Clifdern take the R341 to Ballyconneely. At the village take the right fork signposted for the golf club and smokehouse. After a couple of kilometres watch out for a small crossroads with a small sign saying ‘Doohloughan Road’. Turn right here and stay on this small, twisty road for about 4 kilometres. Eventually you will come to the grassy dunes and will see the beach on your right hand side.

Ordnance Survey Map No. 44