Lough Corrib: Oughterard, Inchagoill, Cong and the Joyce Country

Oughterard's lake pier lies about 2 km from the town square; Corrib Cruises sail from it in summer, so leave their berth clear. Head north across the upper lake to Inchagoill, a wooded island halfway to Cong whose early church site is a National Monument. A flagged path links Teampall Phádraig with Teampall na Naoimh and its carved 12th-century doorway, and the Lugnaedon pillar stone is often called the oldest Latin-alphabet inscription in Ireland. We have no information on landing private boats, so ask locally before you go alongside. Then on to Lisloughrey Pier, given a floating pontoon and new slipway in 2023; keep clear of the cruise boat at 11:15 and, in summer, 15:00.

Walk the 1.3 km into Cong for the morning. The abbey was refounded for Augustinian canons in 1138 by the High King Turlough Mór O'Connor, and beside the river stands the little Monks' Fishing House. Much of The Quiet Man (1952) was shot on the Ashford Castle estate, a hotel since 1939; its pier belongs to the hotel, so come by road. After lunch, cruise west under the hills to the bay below Cornamona, an Irish-speaking village with a public pier, a shop and a pub. The pier is about 2 km up the Cornamona River, which OpenStreetMap marks as closed to boats; our distance ends at the river mouth, so ask locally about the depth before you go up. This is remote, rock-strewn water far from help: keep to the marks and arrive in good time.

West of Cornamona the long arm runs on to the head of the lake below Maam, past Hen's Castle, a medieval tower house on a half-acre island. By our estimate that is about 17.5 km each way from Cornamona's bay, and the slipway at Maam Bridge lies another 1.6 km up the Bealnabrack River, so it is not part of this plan. Head back east and south across the upper lake to Oughterard. The town is known as the Corrib's chief angling centre, holds a four-day fishing festival every May and fills up with anglers when the mayfly hatches; the brown trout season runs from 15 February to 30 September. In the afternoon visit Aughnanure Castle, the O'Flahertys' tower house on a rock above the Drimneen River, 3.5 km away off the Galway road, with guided tours (adult €5 in 2026) from late February to mid-November.