Connemara Pony Heritage Centre opens to cheers at Galway national park

The Connemara Pony Heritage Centre, located within Connemara National Park in County Galway, has officially opened, drawing a large invited audience and visitors who traveled from abroad. The new centre sits at the foot of Diamond Hill and overlooks the Display Paddock, where seven Connemara ponies graze, tracing their bloodlines back to animals gifted to the State in the 1970s.

The Connemara Pony Heritage Centre project is the result of more than 20 years of dreaming, planning, and collaboration between park staff and local experts. Eugene Finnerty, National Parks Manager at Connemara National Park, praised the team that brought the idea to life and described the centre as a lasting asset for the region.

“The Connemara Pony Heritage Centre is a seamless collaboration between the staff at Connemara National Park who provide strong support and huge commitment to our natural and cultural heritage,” Finnerty said.

“The team have invested time, energy and incredible initiative into this project, combining their talents, knowledge and expertise to create an exciting and captivating Centre dedicated to the Connemara Pony.”

Deputy John Connolly, who officially opened the centre, said the new attraction gives visitors the chance to learn more about a breed closely tied to the Connemara identity.

“The ponies have been part of the Park since it opened in 1980, and now we have a space that properly showcases their story and their connection to the land,” he said.

Local expertise played a central role in the interpretation on display. Connemara-based consultant Cathy Snow is an international judge of Connemara pony breeder societies and a successful exhibitor and owner of Moorland Connemara Ponies. Cathy and Martin Coyne, who work at Connemara National Park, are married and live locally. Together with Finnerty and the park team, they delivered the phased enhancement of the park, which includes the new heritage centre.

Visitors enter a narrative of the breed through imagery, photography, storyboards, film, and digital displays, and they can try simulator headsets that add an immersive element to the story. At peak season, guests can meet a Connemara pony in person and learn about pedigree and temperament from experienced staff and volunteers.

The centre is free to visit, open seven days a week, and operates year-round with full accessibility, including wheelchair access. Its location on the Wild Atlantic Way and its cultural focus on an internationally loved native breed position it to appeal to local families, domestic tourists, and Connemara pony lovers from overseas.

Beyond tourism, the centre has been framed as a conservation and education resource that strengthens the links between people and place in Connemara National Park. For visitors seeking a compact but rich introduction to one of Ireland’s most famous pony breeds, the new Connemara Pony Heritage Centre offers both history and hands-on experience.