Small Group Kylemore Abbey, Sheepdog Demo & Connemara Tour
Recommended by 99% of travelers
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Galway, Ireland
- 7 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Book this hassle-free small-group tour to see some of the best of West Ireland, where all your transport, guides, and logistics are all taken care of for you. You have several activities in this tour, including a trip to Aughnanure Castle, spending time in Connemara and its surrounding villages, and a chance to watch a sheepdog demonstration.
- Enjoy round-trip pickup from hotels in Galway
- Learn about Ireland’s sheepdog heritage from a demo
- Visit several villages and experience the local lifestyle
- Stop for lunch in Leenane to see Ireland’s only natural fjord
What's Included
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Local Guide
- Hotel pick-up (contact the operator directly at least 24 hours before the tour to request)
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- HYDE HotelForster St, Galway, H91 PY7E, Ireland
We meet outside the HYDE Hotel, Forster Street, at 10.15am. Look out for the Lally Tours Team in their blue jackets!
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.10:30 am
Itinerary
1
Maum
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Connemara (Pass By)
2
Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Garden
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
3
Leenane
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Joyce Country Sheepdogs
1 hour 10 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 1 hours of travel. In this case confirmation will be received as soon as possible, subject to availability
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there is not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 170 reviews
Megan_A, Jul 2026
From go, this was such a great tour. Michael was our tour guide and he gave us so much great information. The views on the drive and in Connemara are just amazing. Michael made stops along the way for photo opportunities and to take it all in. Kylemore Abbey, the gardens and the entire location was beautiful. Pictures can’t really capture the true beauty, but we took many! Then Michael took us to meet Farmer Joe - what a nice guy! He did the sheep dog demonstration, which my family loved, and we also enjoyed his puppies and sheep! And the sheep - they are everywhere throughout the drive.. up on every hill. It’s a wonderful trip to take!
Michael_C, Jun 2026
A great day - the abbey is worth the trip - and the sheepdogs are a hoot
The driver.provided plenty of interesting and informative dialogue
Kristine_Y, Jun 2026
We enjoyed the day visiting the abbey and the sheepdog demonstration as well as the stops to take in the beautiful views along the way. The tour guide Kenny was very friendly and provided great information about the sites visited. The time at each stop was adequate and we never felt rushed. The tour group size was a full van of 15. Highly recommend to see this area of Ireland, time well spent.
Maryann_H, Jun 2026
Our tour guide was Michael and just wonderful. It was an incredible day with spectacular vies of Connemara and the sheep herding was the cherry on top,,,,just a wonderful day for my two young adult grandchildren and me…thanks so much
Nicole_D, Jun 2026
Michael was a great guide!
Be sure to visit the gardens, we enjoyed them more than the abbey!
The sheepdog visit was awesome!
Nancy_C, Jun 2026
This tour is a long day but there are several stops along the way. The abbey was beautiful - it was a private home for a long time and that was of more interest to me. His gardens were amazing for their time. Be away that the lower cottage was under construction and not worth the walk down. The shuttle to the gardens was most welcome - it's a long walk when you have limited time. The food was awesome. Our stop for the sheep herding was awesome. The puppies made it even better. Kenny was an excellent guide. He talked non stop and sang in the way home
Kristen_S, Jun 2026
The highlight of this tour for my daughter and I was the sheepdog mountainside demonstration at Joe Joyce’s place! We got to hold 1mo old puppies and feed bottles to baby sheep.. Joe is so friendly and even Jennifer Aniston, Owen Wilson, Calista Flockgart, and Harrison Ford have been there too!
The Kylmore Abbey - make sure you go downstairs to the kitchen. That’s where kitchen scenes from Downton abbey were filmed! Take the walnut to the gardens if you can. The trees and plants are stunning and from all over the world. I could finally breathe there the air is so full of oxygen! Definitely eat there at the abbey.
We made some stops along the way for pictures but it was a lot of driving. Countryside is stunning with lots of history.
If you can figure out the logistics (train from Galway to Connemara), I would do a pony ride on the beach in Connemara, play 9holes, check out the town for lunch, 1.5hrs at Kylmore Abbey, and go see the sheepdog demonstration.
Victoria_R, Jun 2026
Michael is an excellent guide - knowledgeable, personable, a wealth of information, and was able to make small adjustments based upon the interests of the group. Joe Joyce’s sheep dog demo was a definite highlight - puppies, lambs, and laughs!
Tamara_D, Jun 2026
This was a great tour! Smaller group with
special attention and time for everything! Our guide, Michael was fabulous!!
David_C, Jun 2026
The tour of Kylemore Abbey was absolutely amazing. The landscape during the drive to the Abbey was stunning. The sheep dog demonstration was exceptional. Plus we got to play with some of the 10 week old puppies which was a big hit with the family. Our guide, Richie, was very knowledgeable and ensured we did not miss anything.
Natalie_C, Jun 2026
The bus ride is comfortable and Michael, the driver and guide is a safe driver and very knowledgeable. The views are spectacular throughout the tour. He took us through some small towns and told the history. Kylemore abbey is stunning. But you’ll just be allowed to tour the downstairs. The gardens are lovely, the lunch was very tasty at Mitchell’s. The sheepdog demonstration was very entertaining. Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience.
william_t, May 2026
Connemara is a beautiful place and our driver offered nice commentary. Kylemore has an interesting history and can be heard by a staff member in the house. The sheepdog demo was excellent. Joe is the farm owner and he is a delight. The dogs are rockstars.
Sharon_W, May 2026
Torch’s was out driver and tour guide for this amazing experience and she was wonderful. This is an all day trip and is so worth it. Kylemore Abbey and the gardens was so beautiful, as was the drive through the mountains and fjord. But the highlight was the Joyce sheepdog farm with lambs and puppies. Then we stoped in Cong to see where the movie The Quiet Man took place. It’s a long day but I can’t recommend this tour enough. And definitely ask for Sorcha. She is a fabulous driver and wonderful tour guide. This tour was a highlight of our trip to Ireland!
Ed_B, May 2026
No matter the weather when you leave Galway be sure to always pack your rain coats and proper waterproof footwear. I would also suggest taking some cleansing wipes as you may be handling muddy puppies and sweet baby lambs.
Joseph_O, May 2026
Incredible experience for the family. Plenty of time to explore the whole grounds at Kylemore Abbey and the sheep dog experience was incredible. Joe Joyce was an amazing host and it was a pleasure seeing the relationship he has with his dogs.
Mariane_C, May 2026
Beautiful day trip. Very happy I picked this particular tour. Conveniently leaving from center city Galway (other sheepdog demonstration options didn’t leave from Galway). All stops were breathtaking.
Anne_T, May 2026
Michael was a fun, informative guide. He drove safely and narrated facts and famous locations as we went. Enjoyed the trip.
Mary_C, May 2026
Awesome experience with knowledgeable guide.
We learned a lot about the history of the region.
The sheepdog demo was fun and interesting.
Riley_M, May 2026
Highly recommend. Such a lovely day. Seeing the sheepdog demonstration was remarkable. Lunch at Kylemore was delicious. The landscape is phenomenal.
Michael_B, May 2026
This tour is a great way to experience the Connemara region. Michael was a great tour guide and we really enjoyed his depth of knowledge and great sense of humor! The sheepdog demonstration was definitely the highlight!
Lauren_H, May 2026
We loved the tour. Our tour guide was informative and professional. The sheep dog demonstration was a lot of fun, interactive, and engaging. Connemara was picturesque and our guide stopped at a lot of photo opps. The only disappointment was the lunch at Kylemore Abby and the amount of time we got there, which was not enough to see everything. The lunch was expensive and resembled school cafeteria food. Also, there is a castle seen in previous photos of tours that the tour no longer goes to which was misleading. Overall, it was a great experience, though and we would recommend.
Cody_M, Apr 2026
Our guide was absolutely fantastic and provided an incredible experience. 10/10 would recommend to anyone visiting.
Kathryn_W, Apr 2026
We had the best time on our tour with Michael! This has been one of the highlights of our stay. You get to see such an amazing part of Ireland.
NoelleDollar, Apr 2026
Such a wonderful tour! I am a single mom and did this with my 3 kids, aged 9-13. Everyone had a wonderful time and even got to meet puppies and lambs which was an unexpected surprise..Even without this, it would have been lovely. Would recommend!!
Eric_M, Oct 2025
Stunning scenery in Connemara, a very cool castle tour, and the sheepdog demonstration was awesome. Highly recommend this tour for a way to see a very unique part of Ireland that’s easily accessible from Galway.
Amelia_K, Oct 2025
I went on this tour with a friend and we truly had the best time - it was the highlight of a perfect week in Ireland and we cant wait to go back. We were lucky and the weather was perfect. But we were also lucky to have Richie Forde as our tour guide. He is a wealth of information about the geography, culture, and animals of the area - and he was truly bubbling with passion and joy for this beautiful picturesque place he gets to call home. The castle was beautiful and fun to explore. The sheep dog experience was spectacular. The dog, Rex, was such good dog. The handler was wildly attractive. Everyone was very approachable for questions. Definitely worth it. I would go on the tour a second time if/when I go back and because I'm sure I'd learn more every time - especially with Richie as our guide. Between the entertaining and informative nature of his stream of conscious storytelling and the breathtaking views, nobody could be bored.
Victoria_F, Sep 2025
This was truly a great trip and highly recommended for anyone looking to get out of the city. Getting to experience the countryside and witness sheepdogs doing what they do best was incredible! If you are thinking of booking this, DO IT!
Vicki_S, Sep 2025
Fantastic experience -- Michael, our guide and driver, was awesome! He gave us alot of great information and kept us moving along. Such beautiful scenery. But by far, the highlight was going to Joyce Country Sheepdogs with sheep herding.
cindyjones, Sep 2025
Extensive and so informative . Dogs were daring and impressive. Castle guide was
so knowledgable about the details.
Brian_O, Sep 2025
Amazing tour with Michael. The weather played with us a bit, but Michael made it feel like the weather didn’t matter - and it really didn’t. We saw so much beautiful scenery and learned to much history. The dog demonstration did not disappoint. I highly recommend this tour!
From $122.38
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