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Oughterard

Town  Team



shaping our future


together
 

Our Town Centre First Town Team is a passionate group of residents, business owners and community representatives working in partnership with Galway County Council to drive regeneration, celebrate our heritage, and build a vibrant, sustainable future for everyone who lives, works, studies and visits our town.

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Oughterard holds a unique strategic position as the primary transition town where the urban sphere of Galway City gives way to the wild, rugged terrain of western Ireland. Located 26 km northwest of Galway City along the N59 road, the town serves as a vital geographical, ecological, and recreational hub through three distinct designations

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Gateway to Connemara

  • We sit on the western shore of Lough Corrib at the Gateway to dramatic mountain landscapes and "savage beauty" of Connemara.

  • It serves as the literal starting point for the spectacular scenic drives to JCWLGeopark, Connemara and the Wild Atlantic Way.

  • We are Home to Aughnanure Castle, the ancestral late-medieval fortress of the O’Flaherty lords who historically ruled Connemara.

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🪨 Entry Point for the JCWL Geopark

  • The town occupies the southern edge of the Joyce Country and Western Lakes Geopark, which spans north Connemara and south-west Mayo.

  • Sitting on the western shore of Lough Corrib, it is the premier angling and water-boundary centre for the Geopark's expansive lake system. [1, 2]

  • Industrial Heritage: The surrounding terrain includes historic features like the Glengowla Mines, highlighting the region's unique 19th-century lead and silver mining geology. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

 

🚴 Major Junction for the Galway to Clifden Greenway

  • The planned 76km traffic-free Connemara Greenway has a major junction at Oughterard.

  • Phase 1 (Westbound): Connects the 52.4km wilderness route from Clifden to Oughterard along the dismantled Great Western Railway line. We do not know hen this will happen.

  • Phase 2 (Eastbound): Connects the upcoming commuter and leisure corridor from Galway to Oughterard back to the city. We do not know when this will happen.

  • Global Network: As the central convergence point of these two phases, Oughterard is a vital link on the 11,000km EuroVelo 1 Atlantic Coast route connecting Norway to Portugal

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Contact Information

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