Connemara Chamber of Commerce

Brian Hughes - President of the Connemara Chamber of Commerce

If you’re thinking of traveling to the West of Ireland, and in particular Connemara, well then you’ve come to the right place. Clifden is the perfect base to explore Connemara’s rich landscape and heritage. Use our website to avail of special offers in Accommodation, Food, Shopping & Things To Do.

Feel free to contact me at 095 45949 with any questions you may have or email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . My postal adress is Sky Road, Clifden. Co. Galway.

This is a special year for Clifden, celebrating it's 200th birthday. Check out the website, http://www.clifden2012.org  for more information on this historic event. Also have a browse HERE of our wonderful commemortive booklet, which is available at various outlets throughout the town for just E3.00. Download our wonderful Clifden 200 Festival brochure Clifden 200 Festival Brochure- 10 days of culture, history and entertainment, commemorating our bicentenary

Clifden hosts Galway County Fleadh 2012 – 18th – 20th May 2012

  Clifden Comhaltas are delighted to announce that Clifden has been selected again for 2012 to host the Galway County Fleadh from the 18th – 20th May 2012. It's a great honour for the town to be selected again this year and we intend to further capitalise on the great event that was hosted in Clifden last year.

It's a great weekend of Music, song and dance and it brings in people from all over the County of Galway, Connaught and beyond. One of the main aspects of the Fleadh is the competitions. This is where people start their journey on the road to becoming an All Ireland Champion. The Competitions will take place on the Saturday and Sunday of the weekend in the Clifden Community School and West Connemara Leisure Centre and are open to the public to come out and sit in on the competitions. A small entrance fee is payable. These competitions are for all ages groups in kids and also Senior Adults. There are also Group and Band competitions with lots of local interest here.

A free shuttle bus will be in operation this year between the town and school to facilitate ease of traffic flow. This will run from 11-4 both days and all are welcome to use it.

The Fleadh will officially open on Friday the 18th of May in the Clifden Station House Hotel at 7pm and this will be followed by a free concert. There will also be a unique Fleadh Mass on the Saturday evening this year, in St. Josephs Church at 7pm.

One of the highlights also, will include a gig rig on the Square of the town running all Saturday afternoon from 2pm until 6.30pm and again from 7.45 – 10.15pm with visiting competitors and groups performing , with the main event at 7.45pm when the Swallows Tail Ceili Band will take to the stage for an outdoor ceili. A specially constructed dance floor will be on the town square for all dancers to show off their steps. With all the visiting and local musicians about, there is bound to be some great music sessions around the weekend to be heard.

The fleadh is linked in with Clifden 2012 and is part of the year round celebrations to celebrate the town's 200th birthday.

Clifden Branch of Comhaltas will also be producing a souvenir programme for the weekend, which will include local business advertisements, old and new stories, lots of photos, a full list of competitions and events and lots more.

For more info: log onto www.clifdencomhaltas.com for more details

 Clifden 200- Join us in celebrating our Bicentenary

Download our Festival Brochure Clifden 200 Festival Brochure

The Clifden 200 festival includes a traditional boats regatta with currach and Galway Hooker racing, artisan street markets, street theatre, an outdoor public concert of Irish singing and dancing, guided walks, coach trips, lectures, traditional craft demonstrations, workshops and family events. A "Welcome Home" street party will see many people with links to the town come together for craic, caint agus ceol. A host of music and dancing events will take place in various venues around the town over the ten days and will include Sean Keane, Matt Cunningham, The Dublin Baroque Players and the phenomenal dance show "Atlantic Steps" which features the Cunningham family from Cashel, Connemara. There will be opportunities to trace your ancestors, with workshops in genealogy, and a guide to discovering your ancestors being made available to visitors. For anyone interested in Connemara gardens, there will be a two day Connemara Garden Festival will include talks and visits to local gardens dating back to the early 1800s. Local school children are very busy practicing and preparing their part of the celebrations which will culminate in a dramatic re-enactment of the historical market place on the town square. The festival program includes lots of family fun and free events. Many more events will take place over the ten day festival and details of all events can be viewed at www.clifden2012.org by contacting the festival office on 087-6029467 or by email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 Connemara Chamber of Commerce run for a charity of your choice. This 10K road event with an entrance fee of €20 and boasting a prize fund of in excess of €1000 to include €500 to the first male, €500 to the first female and €50 to the first walker, first buggy and first fancy dress will be staged at 2.00 p.m. (Walkers start at 1.30 p.m.) on Sunday the 3rd of June 2012 (June Bank Holiday Weekend).

The route will take participants on a tour of the famed SKY ROAD which is widely acknowledged as the most scenic route in all of Connemara and indeed as one of the most scenic routes in all of Ireland.

The event is open to people of all ages and all levels of fitness, from walkers out to enjoy a Sunday stroll to competitive runners looking to really challenge themselves and as such the course will be officially measured and chip timing will be provided for all involved.

For more info, please call 0868549355 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it