Corrandulla: St Brendan’s Church

A concrete starting point for exploring Corrandulla’s history is St Brendan’s Church: after the Penal Laws were relaxed, the foundation stone for the new church was laid in 1831. There is also a playground in the village. It is a local point of interest for families with children; check its current condition before visiting, as facilities can change.

The architecture of St Brendan’s Church

The church follows a standard cruciform plan. Its two-bay, two-storey nave opens onto single-bay transepts, which are aligned with the chancel. It also has a pitched slate roof and a single-bay, three-stage tower on a square plan, attached to the main building at the main entrance. The plan describes the overall shape, while the number of bays and storeys further define the layout of the individual sections. This makes it possible to understand the architecture through several specific features: the cross shape, nave and transepts, roof and tower.

When looking for a holiday rental in Corrandulla, you can distinguish your interests in the village from other attractions in the wider Galway destination. The church and playground provide local points of interest; regional examples range from woodland paths to historic sites.

Nature and trails in the wider Galway area

Portumna Forest Park covers almost 450 hectares. At Coole Park, two trails can be compared by length and character. The easy Family Trail is 1.75 kilometres long and passes the site of the former house, through the walled garden and on to the Autograph Tree. The 4.5-kilometre Seven Woods Trail passes a viewpoint overlooking Coole Lake as well as extensive wetlands. The Family Trail is distinguished by its easy rating and route through the garden; the longer distance, viewpoint and wetlands are the highlights of the Seven Woods Trail.

Another destination is the Diamond Hill Walk: the 6.5-kilometre trail leads to the 445-metre summit of Diamond Hill. Dún Aonghasa offers a different historical focus. The fort is over 3,000 years old. The visitor centre is at the start of a 1-kilometre walk to the clifftop fort; it is open year-round and offers guided tours. The destinations therefore differ in their focus: one described trail leads to a summit, while access to the ancient fort begins at the visitor centre.

Castles, culture and history in Galway

Aughnanure Castle is a late-medieval tower house on a rocky outcrop above the Drimneen River, near the western shore of Lough Corrib. In Letterfrack, the Connemara Pony Heritage Centre presents the history, heritage, tradition and culture of the Connemara pony. Since opening in November 2025, it has done so through storytelling, visual exhibitions, digital and traditional imagery, and films. Galway therefore offers a range of ways to explore the area: the architecture of a tower house and the cultural presentation of a pony tradition.

Kylemore Abbey also combines architectural history with a specific choice of things to see. In the 1860s, Mitchell Henry had the estate built as a lakeside castle for his wife Margaret. An admission ticket to Kylemore Abbey includes the abbey, church, mausoleum, woodland and lakeside paths, and the Victorian walled garden. This combination brings together historic buildings, paths and gardens, forming a distinct focus among the Galway examples.

When choosing a holiday rental, it is therefore worth first deciding what you want to focus on during your trip: Corrandulla, with its church and playground, or the varied nature and cultural destinations in the wider Galway area.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Kilkieran, Ballyconneely, Moyard, Gort, Gowlaun, Rinvyle, Furbo, Oughterard.

Return to the main travel guide: Galway.