We visited Carrowholly Stables in Ireland, located just a short drive from Galway. Despite the rainy weather that is typical of Ireland, Carrowholly Riding Stables provided us with an incredible horseback ride through the countryside and along the shores of Clew Bay. Helena, our guide, was not only kind and helpful but also provided clear instructions. While my husband, who is a beginner, required a bit more guidance, I was still able to trot a little. Although the clouds obscured some of the views, we were fortunate enough to catch glimpses of a rainbow, various shorebirds, and even some seals that Helena pointed out to us. Carrowholly provided us with boots and helmets. For future visitors, I highly recommend bringing gloves, a waterPROOF raincoat and pants to ensure that you stay dry and comfortable. Never let a little rain dampen your spirits and prevent you from having a great time.

It was gorgeous! We loved Killarney National Park. Part walking and part riding in a horse drawn jaunty. Beautiful and so much fun!

An amazing ferry ride over very smooth sailing. The island itself is a thing of beauty, round every corner there’s breathtaking scenery, wild animals to try and spot along with beautiful old and new architecture.

Fantastic tour! We had enough time on Cape Clear to gave a driver show us the island. Seeing Fastnet Lighthouse was an awesome experience. Our boat circled it several times so we could really see and get fantastic pictures. The staff was friendly and very helpful.

This experience was terrific. The ride was 3 hours long and we covered a lot of distance, even though my husband and I are pretty inexperienced riders. I was sorry that we kind of held the rest of the group back (true riders) but Peter (the head guide and owner of the farm/business) was really great about everything. The views are truly breathtaking and the camaraderie was strong. The weather was changeable throughout (windy, foggy, rainy) but somehow that just added to the amazing-ness of the experience. I told Peter at the end of the ride that it was an experience of a lifetime and I meant it.

I travelled with my wife the tour having been suggested by Trish from Cork harbour cruises who gave us the contact numbers. The trip was fantastic the views amazing and boat great fun to be in on the open sea. We stopped over on Cape Clear for a few hours on the journey back and enjoyed the walks and had lunch. It was a perfect day and we would recommend it for any group adults and children.

I had ridden years ago but not recently. My tour guide Ashley gave a great commentary about the park as we rode and Clive was sweet and fun to ride. Rainbows, red deer, mountains and lakes it was amazing. Wish I had signed up for the two hour tour.

Book it now, what an awesome experience. The weather was wonderful, the shipmates could not have been more helpful about explaining the surrounding area. The cliff's were breathtaking. Last time in April it had been cancelled, this time was perfect.

As someone who is an experienced rider, I really enjoyed this 2 hour trail ride through the Killarney National Park. The staff were kind, treated the horses well, and the sights were lovely. Most of the ride was walking with a few points of trotting. Upon arrival, you sign in to the left of the barn (main office) and are instructed to try on helmets and boots to find some that fit (to the right of where you walked in/straight out of the check-in area). The staff match you with a horse that should be well-matched to your experience (or lack thereof) level. In my group it seemed they follow the concept of the most experienced riders go in the back of the group and the least experienced closest to the front, which is typical for trail rides with mixed experience. So don't fear of being left behind if you've barely or never ridden! :)

Gabriel was an entertaining guide and certainly knew the island. Other than that it was the worst value tour I have taken in years and that includes private tours in Italy, Scotland, France, Norway, and Sweden. We prefer private tours but in this case the Hop On Hop Off would have been the better choice.

Great time on the water! Beautiful scenery and courteous staff. Ride up top and enjoy the sea spray! Dress warmly and wear a poncho.

Overall we had a lovely time, but there were a few things that sort of irked us. First, the trip was supposed to start at 11:30 a.m., but people were late and we didn't get underway until almost noon. The way I see it, it doesn't make sense to hold up dozens of people who were thoughtful enough to arrive on time just to accommodate four people who weren't. Next, we sat on the top deck, thinking we would have an excellent view. Instead, the seats are so close together, and the rows so narrow that it's nearly impossible to see when people on the end seats stand up and take photos. If you were in the middle seats and wanted to stand up and go to the rail, you'd have to fight your way through people who didn't want to stand who were sitting on either side of you. We were lucky to encounter a pod of dolphins, and the captain stopped the boat while they swam around us. Problem was, the people in the end seats would stand at the rail, and so we couldn't really see them. In the company's defense, they did have signs posted on the rail, asking people to not block other people's view, but they said nothing to them when they did. Some information given in the pre-recorded narration was not correct. As we were passing the coastline on our way to Slieve League, it said that the Cunard liner, LUSITANIA, had called there. Being an ocean liner enthusiast and the author of several books on ocean liners - not to mention a collector of ocean liner memorabilia, including items from LUSTANIA - I'm 100% certain the ship did not call anywhere in County Donegal. The only Irish port LUSITANIA called at was Queenstown (now Cobh), where she anchored off Roche's Point. The ship would also occasionally call at Fishguard in Wales on her way to and from Liverpool. County Donegal would be nearly 400 nautical miles out of her way. Having said all this, I will say the crew were super friendly, and we felt perfectly safe. Slieve League is incredible, and although we've seen it from atop, it was amazing to see it at sea level.

Just a glorious and exciting day out. We were very fortunate with the weather (Ireland Wild Escapes' Cathy had kindly messaged to postpone for two days as our first date's forecast was somewhat "iffy") and, on the way out, enjoyed a relaxed half-way, 2 hour stop to explore some of Cape Clear Island's features. The icing on the cake, though, was a long enough stop, circling really close to Fastnet Rock Lighthouse whilst listening to a very detailed and interesting commentary. The operator, Cape Clear Ferries, was totally professional and helpful, with polite, friendly staff and well-kept boats, especially the larger, faster one out to Fastnet.

Absolutely wonderful experience! I spent the whole ride with a smile on my face, the horses, the views, the very nice expert ladies who guided us, everything was just splendid. I want to do this again next time I visit, and I recommend you do the same!

A fantastic up close experience with a knowledgeable guide . We have done the Dublin tour but i would say this tops it . The tots of whiskey and drink at the end are worth the admission fee alone