Inishbofin — Inis Bó Finne, 'island of the white cow' — sits about 8km off the Connemara coast and is reachable only by ferry from Cleggan, Co. Galway; there is no bridge or causeway. This trail gathers the island's layered history: a 7th-century monastery founded by St Colmán after he left Lindisfarne, a harbour guarded by the star-shaped 'Cromwell's Barracks' (built where local tradition places an earlier pirate stronghold linked to Grace O'Malley), an Iron Age promontory fort, the island's three-quarter settlement pattern of East End, Middlequarter and Westquarter, its Famine-era population collapse and 1872-73 transfer from Co. Mayo into Co. Galway, and its present status as a Special Area of Conservation for the corncrake. Because every stop here sits across open water from the mainland, GPS positioning may drift during the crossing — this trail uses a wide trigger radius spanning the ferry route and the island itself, so give location a moment to settle once you're aboard or ashore. Looking for things to do in Connemara Coast? Start here — no car, no ticket, no booking.
Opens the free interactive app — point your phone at each stop and hear it speak, in 12 languages.
Stops on This Trail
Inishbofin Harbour & Ferry Pier
Cromwell's Barracks
St Colmán's Monastery & Graveyard
Dún Gráinne
Dún Mór
The Three Quarters: East End, Middlequarter & Westquarter
Famine, Isolation & the 1872 County Transfer
Inishbofin Special Area of Conservation & the Corncrake
For Schools
This trail is also available as a free printable classroom worksheet or full trail booklet — no site visit required. See how Classroom Prep Mode works →