Small Group Kylemore Abbey, Sheepdog Demo & Connemara Tour
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
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 119 reviews
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!
Becky_C, Sep 2025
I very much enjoyed this tour. Our tour guide was incredibly well-versed in all things Ireland, and also funny. The size of the group (13 people) was perfect. September visit so it was rainy, but that didn’t stop Rex, the sheepdog, from doing an awesome job. I enjoyed the village we stopped in for lunch only wish we had a wee bit more time to look around. Other than that, it was a great day. The castle was beautiful as well overall this tour offered a little bit of everything and it was a really lovely time.
Amanda_A, Aug 2025
We had such a good day with Michael. He made the trip entertaining for our 9 year olds. Everyone enjoyed.
Cheryl_L, Aug 2025
This was a great way to see this part of Ireland. Let someone else drive you to see the beautiful country side, stop for lunch and shop, enjoy the sheep dog demo, and see the most amazing views that I have ever seen in my entire life…and I’ve seen many. We were blessed with sunshine and high visibility. Wonderful experience with 8 people total on our trip so not too many.
Kellie_M, Aug 2025
This tour was fantastic. Our tour guide/driver was Mike. He was so very informative. We learned so much in our 7 hour tour. Our favorite part was the Joyce Sheep Harding Farm! We got to see sheep herding demonstrations and hold ten week old puppies! Mike was the best tour guide/driver on our entire trip!!!
Craig_F, Aug 2025
Great day with a small group of other travelers. Richie, our tour guide, was absolutely the best, and had a great deal of knowledge about west coast of Ireland! He was a safe and cautious driver as well. We ended the day hanging out with the puppies, border collies, and sheep. It was a remarkable tour and we will have a lifetime of memories! This day was the best day we had over our 8-day visit to Ireland!
Rachel_C, Aug 2025
This was a wonderful tour. The castle and grounds were beautiful and so far the sheep dog demonstration has been one of our favorite things. It was nice to see a little of the way of life instead of just attractions.
Jensen_T, Aug 2025
The bus driver was very informative and with a small group it was so fun! So much fun for history lovers and to see the scenery driving thru the mountains of Connemara. Joe’s sheepdog demo was awesome! Very informative and lovely, you can see he takes care of all of his animals very well and lovingly. You get opportunities thru the drive and tour to take pictures at beautiful scenic places and areas that you may have not been aware of before, we got to take amazing pics at the Killary Fjord! Long day but 100% worth it and an amazing must do tour, it’s been almost a year and I still talk about it!
Adam_F, Jul 2025
As it turns out while we must give 24 hours notice that we want to cancel the tour providers can do so with less than 24 hours. And that is what happened to us. To be fair the tour operators offered us two other tour options but neither would have worked for us due to timing and already having booked one similar and, with less than 24 hours notice (which was during time we were already doing another tour so we weren’t looking for a cancellation) we couldn’t make the change so they also offered a refund which is the option we had to take.
All that to say if you don’t fancy potentially having your tour canceled because too few people signed up then I would not recommend this one.
Kathleen_R, Jul 2025
The Aughnanure Castle was one of the highlights of our trip. After a short bus trip we arrived at the castle and were handed off to a docent who may be one of the best storytellers in the business. He captivated our small group (even our 11, 9 and 7 year old kids) while he told us the history of the castle. After we had the background we were free to explore and had plenty of time to climb the levels of the castle and run around the grounds.
The trip to Connemara was relaxing and beautiful. We stopped for a few photo ops and counted sheep on our way to the Killarney Harbour and the fjord. We had a couple of options for lunch at the fjord before heading to the sheepdog demo - the highlight for the kids!
It's an amazing thing to watch those dogs in action. We were at that stop for about a half hour or so and had the opportunity to pet the dogs, the sheep and even a couple of goats on the property. It was all fun and interactive.
John_P, Jul 2025
Our host was knowledgeable and didn't run anyone over! The Sheepdog demo was the bomb! Thank you so much!
amanda_b, Jul 2025
We drove through wonderful quaint villages, saw the castle, the fjord, sheepdogs (and sheep and goats) and our driver michael was fantastic!
Sarah_S, Jun 2025
Mike was funny, knowledgeable, and genuine, all the while maintaining a professional demeanor. We thoroughly enjoyed the trip and highly recommend.
Alina_L, Jun 2025
Wonderful tour through Connemara! Such a beautiful region steeped in history. The highlight was no doubt the visit to Joyce Sheepdogs and the demonstration as well as being able to interact with the pups and sheep, goats.
Karla_C, May 2025
Absolutely the best tour we were took. Loved the whole tour. The tour at Auguhnaure castle was the perfect amount of time, our guide knew exactly where to stop and let us soak in the sights. Lunch was a lovely place on the Fords. However the highlight was the sheep dog demo at joyce sheep dog farm was beyond anazing. Learned alot about the economics of sheep farming, the way of life, past and present. Small group made it so nice. Our guide was fantastic
Rebecca_K, Apr 2025
We loved this tour! I went with my adult sons. We enjoyed the castle and the many stops along the way for photos. The scenery was beautiful. The highlight of the tour was the sheep herding demonstration-- what a great end to the day. All the animals were amazing. Our tour guide Michael narrated throughout the day and we learned so much - he was the absolute best!
Anonymous, Apr 2025
Great afternoon and one of the highlights of the trip for our family! Smaller personal tours are the best!
Monica_S, Oct 2024
This is a really nice tour! The sheepdog experience and castle are the highlights and make it worth the trip. The guide was very informative and the views of Connemara were spectacular - even on a rainy day.
Cora_H, Oct 2024
Great Guide with fun stories and history. The trip was pleasant, well timed, a great set of adventures and beautiful scenery. The sheep dogs were great and learning about Connemara was wonderful as well. We had stops to stretch our legs, feel the breeze and the driver was happy to help us find the best photos.
Alyson_L, Oct 2024
The sheepdog demonstration was wonderful! Lots of talk of “The Quiet Man,” which would’ve been cooler if I’d seen the movie.
Bonnie_B, Oct 2024
The highlight of our trip. The sheepdog demonstration was exceptional! Amazing to see a castle from the 15th century. Highly recommended.
Mary_C, Sep 2024
The beauty of the scenery was amazing.
Michael did an outstanding job. He was knowledgeable, friendly and kind. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Kate_S, Aug 2024
I booked this tour last minute, and wow, I am SO glad I did! Loved the small group atmosphere and was thrilled to have Mike as our driver/guide. Lots of opportunities for photos and breathtaking sites. Prepare yourself to see fjords, mountains, lakes, wildlife, and incredible villages. The cong abbey is well worth exploring. The sheep dog demo was a highlight - Joe and his dogs will blow you away.
Carlinda_S, Aug 2024
This tour was one of the best we’ve had so far. Our tour guide so informative on our drive and allowed us to stop at photographic sites! He explained the history of Connemara. We visited a sheepdog demonstration which was awesome! Joe had a couple of litters of puppies to play with but the dogs doing the shepherding were great!
Excellent tour and would highly recommend it!
Marian_L, Aug 2024
We loved this tour. The scenic landscape to Connemara is lovely. The Leenane and Cong Villages are quaint to see. The sheepdog demo and all the puppies we got to see was so much fun.
From $125.06
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Small Group Kylemore Abbey, Sheepdog Demo & Connemara Tour
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