Conn O'Mara

Name: Conn O'Mara
Address: Market Street, Clifden, H71DA24, IE
Telephone: +3539522838

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Conn O'Mara

Conn O'Mara: Part-time mascot, full-time adventurer; regardless of the weather🌦️

Shop my tees, hoodies and other goodies in-store and online!🌍

Conn O'Mara was born in 2001. A friendly chap who enjoys life. With Conn the glass is always half full. Life is grand even when he is being chased by a cloud of Midges. He is happiest running through the mountains or beaches of Connemara usually in the company of his trusted sheep Seamus. So keep a lookout for him when you are out and about and if you do meet him his big smile will be sure to remind you that life is grand in Connemara.

10/04/2026

Ya can’t have Clifden, without the ceol.

Clifden is known for a lot of things and music is for sure one of them.

For the last 15 years, the Clifden Trad Fest has been on in April and this year’s festival is in full swing right now.

If you’re wondering ca bfuil an seisuin? Where is the session? Sure there’s seisuins in pubs and bars all over the town.

There’s a busking competition on Saturday afternoon.
And then Saturday at 7:30pm, live on the Gig Rig, The Pipers Cross Ceili Band are headlining.

You might have heard of them because they were crowned All-Ireland Senior Céilí Band Champions at The All Ireland Fleadh 2023.

If you are going to the Clifden Trad Fest, you might like my Ca Bhfuil an Seisuin hoodies and tees.

I’m open til 6pm every day and if I don’t have the colour you want, I can print it while you wait.

-Conn O’Mara

03/04/2026

If you’re fortunate to find yourself in Clifden for the weekend, what are your plans?

This is what I plan to do…

Eat rings around myself hopping between all our lovely restaurants in the town.

A stroll to the Happy to Chat bench and to the beach for a picnic.

I’ll go for a swim in Clifden Station House Hotel and check out the Seaweed Baths.

Go for a sing-song until my voice is gone.

After that I’ll plonk myself in front of the fire.

I might climb Diamond Hill on Sunday, we’ll see. Sure, it’s a walk in the park 😊

I saw there is an Easter egg hunt down at the Connemara Pony Show Grounds tomorrow, Saturday, 12pm-2pm so I’ll pop down to that.

And sure if you’re here too, be sure to call in to my shop on Market Street.

-Conn O’Mara

27/03/2026

Is there a train station in Clifden?

There was but…

A train hasn’t left the station since 1935.

The train station opened in 1895 and before then, people and goods travelled by cart, stagecoach or sea.

By 1935, the railway line was in a right state altogether.

And the powers that be at Great Southern Railway closed the line. The last train pulled out of Clifden on Saturday 27th April of that year.

It was felt that the railway could not compete with the growing number of cars and road transport and so it was decided the cost of repairs was unjustified.

And that was that.

You can still see the bones of it today.

The old station house is now a hotel and museum at and you can see glimpse into what was with some of the original features on show.

But sure, if you have any old stories about the railway line, I’d love to hear them.

You know where to find me on Market Street 😀

Conn O’Mara

20/03/2026

Small street. Big characters 😀

You’ll find me on Market Street!

- Conn O’Mara

13/03/2026

If you go out the road as if you’re heading towards Ballyconnelly, you’ll see the sign.

Ya can’t miss it.

Park her up and walk about 500m to the Marconi gate.

You’d be forgiven for thinking this is just another bog but this is the site of the Marconi wireless station where the world’s first transatlantic wireless transmission took place in 1907.

But that’s not all.

In 1913 the owner of the Daily Mail offered £10,000 for the first non-stop transatlantic flight.

So Captain John Alcock and Lieutenant Arthur Whitten Brown took off from Newfoundland on Saturday June 14th 1919.

The lads were aiming to land in London but thick fog changed their plans.

They spotted the Marconi wireless tower and decided to land in what they thought was a flat field.

Now, when you see where they landed it’s impressive they managed to land safely at all at all.

And it’s just as well they landed in June and not January or they might have needed a boat for the bog.

Round these parts, we were used to fisherman and farmers, not flyers!

Can you image sitting in mass on a Sunday morning hearing the roar of a Rollys-Royce engine overhead for the first time?

So when the locals gathered around the landing site in Derrygimla, you’d get it if they thought that’s a funny looking boat!

Over 100 years later there’s no doubt Alcock & Brown have left their mark on Clifden for generations to come.

You can pick up a copy Alcock and Brown The First Non-Stop Transatlantic Flight by Kathleen Villiers-Tuthill in 🙌

If you’re in Clifden call in and say hello to me 😀

Conn O’Mara

06/03/2026

So you know the way Clifden was founded in 1812 by John D’Arcy, well, do you know how Clifden got its name?

There is evidence of settlers in the areas in and around Clifden for thousands of years. Especially of early Christian settlers.

In 1830, St Joseph’s Church was built on the site of an ancient clochan or stone hut shaped like a beehive.

The Irish for Clifden is “An Clochán” which translates to stepping stone or stone cell.

And so, many believe this is where Clifden takes its name from.

I love learning about the history of Clifden and Connemara so if you’ve stories you think I’ll find interesting, call into my shop on Market Street.

I’m always up for a chat!

-Conn O’Mara

20/02/2026

Are there public swimming facilities in Clifden?

Short answer is yes!

Do you know the beach?

Well, it’s nowhere near that 😊

There is an 18m pool in ya can’t miss it. They even have a whirlpool bath, steam room, sauna and a separate paddling pool for kids.

If you want to go all out there’s a fully equipped gym with all the bells and whistles.

If you’re a guest at the hotel you can use the pool and the gym for free.

If you’re not staying at the hotel, you can buy a 3-day or 7-day pass. And you don’t need to use the days consecutively.

While you’re there, you can treat yourself to a treatment at the hotel’s Renew Spa.

Tell them I sent ya 😊

Conn O’Mara

13/02/2026

Have you met Seamus?

You know him. With the hair and the head.

You’ve almost certainly seen me with him and him with me.

He’s not the best musician but he gets a 10 for effort.

Seamus is my sheep.

His hobbies are grazing and roaming. Sometimes you’ll find him strolling in the hills by himself or cruising with his friends by a lake.

No one knows the hills around Connemara like Seamus.

I got lost once on Diamond Hill and only for Seamus I’d still be there now 😊

The mist set in and I couldn’t see my hands in front of me.

But sure, it was grand.

Seamus led the way like he was wearing night vision goggles.

He knew every rock and slope of the land. And he knows almost every other sheep you met on our travels.

If you see Seamus on your way, be sure to wave and say hello!

Conn O’Mara

06/02/2026

I’m falling out of my standing with excitement for my next adventure.

Do ya have any guesses what I’m up to? 😜

- Conn O’Mara

30/01/2026

What is Clifden known for?

I’m asked this almost once a week.

Now, some will say it’s the capital of Connemara and while there’s no official capital, there’s no doubt Clifden lives at the heart of Connemara.

So do ya know what I say?

I tell them Clifden is famous for its magic.

It’s not just the freshest seafood.

Or the crisp Atlantic sea breeze.

Or the smoothest coffee. Or the best seisiúns. Or the hotels with the best views.

And it’s not even the jaw-dropping backdrops around every turn.

To me it’s all of that plus the potent mix of the personalities of the people of Clifden.

The characters of Clifden.

You’ll be hard pushed to find a sounder bunch 😊

If you’ve been to Clifden, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

And if you haven’t been yet, well you’ll just have to experience it for yourself.

Conn

24/01/2026

Have you met Conn?

I’m quite the character.

I was created in Clifden almost 25 years ago. I know, you’d never think it because I’ve hardly a full head of hair as it is sure.

I’m everywhere and nowhere but you’re most likely to find me in Connemara 😊.

Think of me as an ambassador.

And I’m on a mission to share Connemara with the world.

I love a seisiún
I love a stroll
And I love a swim.

In my opinion, Connemara is better than the Grand Canyon.

Why?

Well, for starters you won’t find the black-tailed rattlesnake or the Arizona bark scorpion around these parts.

But you will find sheep on the hills and on the road…I’m not codding ya you’d want to keep your eyes out for them when you’re driving.

You don’t just look at Connemara, you feel it. The mountains, the mist and the magic.

And once you do, it has a habit of staying with you long after you’ve left.

So if Connemara’s calling, follow it.

And if you find yourself on Market Street in Clifden, you might find me too.

Address

Market Street
Clifden
H71DA24

Telephone

+3539522838

Website

http://www.connomara.com/

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