studentsineurope

Review: Sleepzone Connemara, Ireland

View from Sleepzone's breakfast room

Sleepzone Connemara is easily the most beautifully situated hostel I’ve ever stayed in. The first time I stayed there was on a whim in 2006 while traveling by myself, and I loved it so much that I took my best friend back there when he visited me in Ireland in 2008.

Connemara is one of Ireland’s most rugged, westerly regions, with barren hills that strike up out of tufts of brown grass dotted with bits of bright emerald green. It is known for being one of the few Irish-speaking regions left in the country, and driving around the back roads there, you will often spot directional signs with no English on them. Connemara might possibly be my favorite place in the world. Ever. Full stop.

Sleepzone runs three hostels in the west of Ireland – the first in Galway City is their flagship hostel, and I’ve styed there, too (it’s very nice). The second is located in County Clare, not far from the Cliffs of Moher. Sleepzone Connemara completes the company’s trilogy and is easily the most scenic hostel I’ve ever had the pleasure of staying at. Located at Killary, Ireland’s only fjord, Sleepzone Connemara overlooks the 12 km stretch of water between the nearby village of Leenane and the Atlantic Ocean. A few cottages dot the edges of the fjord, but basically, you’re alone out there.

The hostel is very well set up, but it is remote. As I said, the only village within a 5 km radius is Leenane, which is possible to walk to on a good day, but it is more like a 30 minute overland hike (with spectacular views, I might add) to get there. Basically, if you’re going to be staying at Sleepzone, pack in food (they have a huge kitchen and fridge you can use) and visit the ATM before you leave Galway, because there is no ATM for miles around.

The hostel is a reconverted hunting lodge

The hostel itself is a reconverted hunting house with more than 100 beds in beautifully lit dorms or private rooms, all of which have their own bathrooms. There is a massive common breakfast room with the most beautiful view of the fjord, and breakfast is free, as is the tea they give out all day long to warm you up from the Connemara cold. There is a sitting room with a TV and lots of DVDs and there is free internet (but it’s a tad dodgy). There’s also a mini-pub with a sweet old upright piano and a fireplace, and plenty of solitary walking and nature to be found. At the top of Sleepzone Connemara’s driveway, you find the Killary Adventure Company, which runs all types of outdoor adventure sports, like wall climbing, trekking and ropes courses. Nearby, you will also find Kylemore Abbey, an insanely beautiful old Benedictine abbey seated primly on a small lake, as well as plenty of amazing Western Irish scenery including Connemara National Park and places for scuba diving. The cute town of Clifden, an idyllic place to stroll, shop and admire the ocean, is only about 30 minutes away by car.

Getting to Sleepzone Connemara is fairly easy, even for backpackers. Sleepzone runs a free shuttle from their Galway City location to the Connemara location everyday. If you’ve rented a car, you can simply drive to Sleepzone Connemara and park in their free lot. The hostel hires out bicycles which can be nice for exploring the local hills and natural surroundings during the summer.

Both times I stayed at Sleepzone Connemara were during the winter. I spent St. Patrick’s Day 2006 there and met some very good lifelong friends, drank in the bar and went down to the local pub in Leenane for St. Paddy’s celebrations. In 2008, my best friend and I stayed at Sleepzone Connemara and there were virtually no other guests. We had a dorm room + bathroom to ourselves (it was slightly cold, admittedly). The guy running the desk (who was also the groundskeeper, maid service and breakfast attendant) opened the bar up for us each night and we sat next to the fire and chatted with the 3 other guests of the nearly empty hostel to the wee hours of the morning.

It was awesome.