Sruffaunboy Nature Trail

Connemara National Park, Ireland

     The very name Connemara invokes visions of lonely glens, cloud-veiled mountains, and moorlands dotted with mysterious loughs—Connemara National Park, established in 1980, protects almost 20 sq km of this unique Irish ecosystem.

     Situated in the heart of the West of Ireland in County Galway, Connemara National Park provides hikers with miles of trails across scenic mountains, bog expanses, grasslands, heaths, and woodlands—one such trail, the 1.5km Sruffaunboy Nature Trail, allows glimpses into the park’s varied terrain as it loops around the lower slopes of Diamond Hill.

     The trailhead, located near the park’s Visitor Centre, is well-marked with a sign detailing the route—follow the track by climbing the surfaced path past grazing pure bred Connemara Ponies and colorful flora such as golden gorse, purple moor-grass and lavender ling, aka heather. The higher you climb, the more incredible the views become—Diamond Hill looms above the trail and a viewpoint near the apex provides a panorama of Ballynakill Harbor, Barnaderg Bay, and Tully Mountain.

     From the apex of the trail, the path begins to descend back towards the Visitor Centre—looping past the intersection with the Lower Diamond Hill Walk, an old stone circle, a stream, and a grassy pond to complete the circular route.