The Great Famine - an Gorta Mór - that affected Ireland between 1845 and 1852 wiped out about one million inhabitants and it almost led to emigration 1,750.000 people, causing social, economic and political upheaval whose consequences are still felt nowadays.
Either people interested in history and traditional architecture or lovers of nature and landscapes can't miss a visit to Dan O'Hara Heritage Centre, approximately 8 km. from Clifden on the N59 leading to Galway. The center is well equipped and offers a tour by foot or on board of a picturesque wagon to reach the summit of the hill, where you can enjoy the view of a landscape of incomparable beauty, with wide views from Roundstone bog to the Twelve Bens range.
The beautiful scenery of Connemara has been a source of inspiration to many artists from the late 19th century on, such as Paul Henry, the great Irish painter who has beautifully depicted in his works the charming wilderness of this region. Actually, this area well represented a part of the country still untouched by the progress, far apart from the political riots and where the population - still Gaelic speaking - lived in withdrawn communities, leading a simple life, linked to ancient traditions jealously guarded and handed down from one generation to another.
Walking along the beautiful beaches of Connemara it is easy to meet large rounded rocks quite covered with a carpet of soft (and frankly a bit smelly ... ) seaweeds of the genus Ascophyllum nodosum, commonly called knotted wrack. In past centuries the shrewdness of local farmers exploited the economic potential of these vegetable masses, using them as a soil fertilizer: the movie fans will recall in this regard the sentence pronounced by Bull McCabe in the movie "The field" - "God made the world, and seaweed made that field". The seaweed harvesting is actually an aspect of traditional life that has come down to us almost unchanged, and even today many fishermen in the area supplement their main business with this occupation.
The Galway Hooker (húicéir in Irish) is a traditional boat distinctive to Galway Bay and Connemara coasts. This beautiful craft, sturdy and yet elegant and agile, has now become an accepted icon of the cultural heritage of Connemara. Specially developed to sail in the insidious waters of rugged Connemara coasts, the hooker has a shallow draught; the hull is generally half-decked, except in the smallest craft - the Púcán- which is an open boat. The internal ballast is made up mainly of local stones, carefully selected and skillfully arranged amidships.