A roofless Gothic Revival manor built in 1818, Clifden Castle stands ivy-clad among grazing fields at the start of the Sky Road, reached by a 1km walk from its stone gateway.
From the small parking pull-in on the Sky Road, pass through the old stone gateway and follow the gently winding gravel track about 1km down through horse pastures and fields to the castle. The track is uneven and can be very mucky and wet after rain.
Along the walk you pass five standing stones that D'Arcy had erected as 19th-century landscape decoration to imitate genuine prehistoric monuments, rather than Bronze Age originals.
The castle sits at the start of the famous 16km Sky Road loop, one of Connemara's finest coastal drives, with views out over Clifden Bay and the Atlantic.
Built around 1818 for John D'Arcy, the founder of Clifden, the roofless manor still shows pointed arched windows and doors, towers and two round turrets. It is in ruinous condition and on private land, so admire it from outside rather than entering.
Clifden, the Connemara capital that D'Arcy founded, is a 5-minute drive away with places to eat such as Off The Square. Eyrephort Beach and Kylemore Abbey are short drives further on.
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