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Major city · Ireland

CongConga

Give Cong one night, two at most: the abbey, the Quiet Man museum and a walk take half a day, and Ashford Castle is the reason to stay.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
EUR
Best months
May–Sep
avoid Nov–Feb (wet, many places closed)
Airports
NOC · DUB
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 8Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗Neither the UK nor Ireland is part of Schengen: days spent here do not count towards the 90/180-day Schengen limit, and a Schengen visa does not admit you to either country.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗The island of Ireland runs on two currencies: euro in the Republic, pound sterling in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Carry a card that pays in both without fees.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗Both islands drive on the left. Speed limits are in miles per hour in the UK (including Northern Ireland) and in kilometres per hour in the Republic of Ireland.
  • Ireland ↗Ireland is in the EU but not in the Schengen area; it sets its own entry rules and a Schengen visa is not valid for Ireland. Check Irish immigration for your passport.
  • Ireland ↗Ireland and the UK form the Common Travel Area, with no routine checks on the land border. Visitors who are not Irish or British must still meet UK rules (including the UK ETA where it applies) to enter Northern Ireland.
  • Ireland ↗Driving is on the left; rural roads are narrow with hedges and few passing places.

Cong is a small village of about 150 people on the isthmus between Lough Mask and Lough Corrib, in County Mayo. It has a ruined Augustinian abbey, a museum devoted to The Quiet Man (much of the 1952 film was shot here) and Ashford Castle, now a five-star hotel. The village itself is a two-hour walk; the surrounding lakes, caves and stone circles fill a full day. Most visitors come as a day trip from Galway or Westport, or stay one night to see the village after the coaches leave.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Cong, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee€3–4.50 (≈ US$4–6)
  • Sit-down mealPub main course€15–25 (≈ US$18–30)
  • Street or quick mealPub soup and sandwich€10–15 (≈ US$12–18)
  • BeerPint of stout€5–6.50 (≈ US$6–8)
  • Taxi, about 5 kmTaxi, Cong to Clonbur€12–18 (≈ US$14–25)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week€10–20 (≈ US$12–25)
  • Museum or sight ticketQuiet Man Museum entry€5 (≈ US$6) adult, €3 (≈ US$4) child
  • Budget bedHostel or camping bed, a night, per person€25 (≈ US$30)
  • Mid-range bedB&B double room, a night, per room€130 (≈ US$160)
  • High-end bedB&B double room, a night, per room€180 (≈ US$250)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget €60 (≈ US$70) · Mid €110 (≈ US$130) · High €250 (≈ US$300)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Cong AbbeyThe Quiet Man film locationsAshford CastleLough Mask and Lough CorribThe Quiet Man Museum
Airports
NOC Ireland West Airport Knock (About 1 h by car; buses to Cong are limited, check connections.) · DUB Dublin Airport (About 3 h by car; bus and rail via Galway or Castlebar.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Cong: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

8°C

3°C

18 rd

Feb

9°C

3°C

15 rd

Mar

11°C

4°C

16 rd

Apr

13°C

5°C

14 rd

May

16°C

7°C

14 rd

Jun

18°C

10°C

13 rd

Jul

19°C

12°C

15 rd

Aug

19°C

12°C

16 rd

Sep

17°C

10°C

15 rd

Oct

14°C

8°C

18 rd

Nov

11°C

5°C

18 rd

Dec

9°C

4°C

18 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Cong is walkable: the abbey, the museum and the pubs are within 5 minutes of each other, and Ashford Castle is a 1 km walk. Clonbur is 6 km west. Without a car you are dependent on the Bus Éireann 422 (three times a day) and local taxis; the caves, stone circles and Mount Gable need a car or a taxi.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Clonbur and Mount Gable

go

Door to door: About 2–3 h

Car or taxi 6 km west, then a walk from the car park 2 km west of Clonbur

Mount Gable is 417 m; Lough Coolin at its foot has the cottages of an abandoned village.

Ballinrobe

go

Door to door: About 20 min

Car on the N84, about 15 km

Race meetings April–September; check the fixture list.

Westport

go

Door to door: About 50 min

Car via the N84 and N5, about 45 km

A full day: the town, Clew Bay and Croagh Patrick.

Galway

go

Door to door: About 1 h by car

Car via Headford, about 45 km; or Bus Éireann 422 to Headford then Burkes Bus

The bus connection is slow and infrequent; check times.

Knock

caution

Door to door: About 1 h

Car via Ballinrobe and the N17, about 55 km

A shrine and pilgrimage site; little else in the village.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Cong village centre

Pubs, B&Bs and the abbey within a 5-minute walk; best for one night without a car.

Quay Road (by the camping park)

Camping, glamping and B&Bs about 1 km from the village; quieter, near the lake shore.

Ashford Castle estate

The castle and its mid-range annexe, about 1 km from the village; the reason many people come.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
€60–90 (≈ US$70–110) excl. bed
Mid
€90–150 (≈ US$110–180) excl. bed
High
€150 (≈ US$180)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
B&B double room1 × 1 night × €130€130
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × €110€220
Bus Éireann 422, Castlebar to Cong, one way2 × €8€16
Quiet Man Museum entry2 × €5€10
eSIM, about a week of data2 × €15€30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge€41
Trip total≈ €224 per person per day, bed included€447≈ US$550

2026 estimate in euro; flights and car hire excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee€3–4.50 (≈ US$4–6)
Pub soup and sandwich€10–15 (≈ US$12–18)
Pub main course€15–25 (≈ US$18–30)
Pint of stout€5–6.50 (≈ US$6–8)
Quiet Man Museum entry€5 (≈ US$6) adult, €3 (≈ US$4) child
Tent or caravan pitch€30 (≈ US$35); glamping €38 (≈ US$45)
Taxi, Cong to Clonbur€12–18 (≈ US$14–25)
eSIM or data SIM, about a week€10–20 (≈ US$12–25)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Cong is a small, quiet village and feels safe day and night. The real risks are wet, uneven ground at the abbey and caves, fast-changing weather on the lakes and hills, and narrow roads without footpaths: walk facing traffic and carry a light.
  • Bus Éireann 422 runs only about three times a day; check the timetable before you rely on it.
  • No buses reach Clonbur: you need a car or a taxi.
  • Ballykine Castle is a ruin and unsafe to enter.
  • The caves in the area flood; do not enter without a trained, equipped guide.
  • Many places close or cut hours from November to February.

Emergency numbers

Police, ambulance, fire, coast guard
112 or 999
Ashford Castle
+353 94 954 6003
O'Meara taxi, Clonbur
+353 87 260 4352

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

CongConga

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Chuig an seoladh seo, le do thoilTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, ambulance, fire, coast guard112 or 999
  • Ashford Castle+353 94 954 6003
  • O'Meara taxi, Clonbur+353 87 260 4352

Embassy

No embassies in Cong; the US Embassy is in Dublin, and most countries have embassies or consulates in Dublin.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Bus Éireann 422, Castlebar to Cong: about €8 (≈ US$10), 50 min
  • Taxi Cong to Clonbur: €12–18 (≈ US$14–25)
  • Quiet Man Museum: €5 (≈ US$6) adult, €3 (≈ US$4) child, Apr–Oct 10:00–16:00

Say or show

  • Dia duit — Hello (jeea gwit)
  • Go raibh maith agat — Thank you (guh rev mah agut)
  • Le do thoil — Please (leh duh hull)
  • Cá bhfuil an leithreas? — Where is the toilet? (kaw will un leh-rass)
  • Cé mhéad é? — How much is it? (kay vade ay)
  • Sláinte — Cheers (slawn-cha)

English is spoken everywhere; Irish is the first official language but is not needed to get by.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Cong. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Sep · avoid Nov–Feb (wet, many places closed) · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for NOC and DUB: bus and rail connections field-checked, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: village centre, Quay Road and the camping park, Ashford Castle estate, Clonbur.
  3. Place pages with verified hours (Quiet Man Museum, Cong Abbey, Glebe Stone Circles, Pigeon Hole Cave) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Hostile arrival fixtures (late 422, no taxi) so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Ireland

Sources