Connacht, Western province in Ireland.
Connacht is a province on the western seaboard of Ireland that covers the counties of Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon, and Sligo along the Atlantic coast. The territory features a rugged shoreline, wide expanses of bogland, and many lakes that give the area its varied landscape character.
The province was home to the Kingdom of Connacht for centuries, which existed under the rule of the Uí Briúin Aí dynasty from the 9th century until the first half of the 13th century. Following internal power struggles, Norman settlers moved into the region, gradually reducing the political influence of the Gaelic ruling families.
The province maintains strong ties to Irish language traditions, with 39.8 percent of residents speaking Irish, particularly in the Gaeltacht regions of Galway and Mayo.
Galway City serves as the provincial capital and offers regular bus and rail connections to other parts of the country as well as Shannon Airport. Many of the smaller towns across the province are easiest to reach by car, as public transport networks are limited outside the larger urban centers.
In County Mayo lie the Céide Fields, a stone-age field structure thousands of years old that has been preserved under a thick layer of peat. Off the coast sits Achill Island, the largest island in Ireland, which is connected to the mainland by a bridge.
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