Stayed for two nights just outside the village in a B@B. Great place for a walking holiday with plenty of walks and places of interest, including the Abbey, Ashford Castle, Lisloughrey Lodge, the local forests and the lovely river surrounding the village. There are plenty of pubs and restaurants too. There are two large lakes nearby with fishing and boat tours available to all.

For a small Irish town this is a great place to visit. If you are interested in John Wayne, old churches, golf, fishing or just looking at great scenery in a friendly place you must visit. The Hostel where we camped offers great value for money with lots of amenities included, and the pubs, particularly the new Cohans Bar, are excellent places to rest weary feet and enjoy a glass of the 'Black Beer'. If you get the chance try the bacon and cabbage at Danaghers Bar. Walk the riverside to Ashford Castle ( not a real castle but a hotel these days) and try a trip across the lough to the ruins on the island.

We have been several times and will be back again.

Cong is a small(population 150)town/village, approximately 25 miles above Galway. It's the filming location for the classic movie "The Quiet Man". It is beautiful with its' scenic countryside, rivers and streams, picturesque village and the stately Ashford Castle(where you can actually stay overnight, but it will cost you dearly). Cohan's bar has been recreated from the movie, and there are location sights from the movie to be visited. There is a Quiet Man Museum, a Visitors Center, and guided tours can be arranged. One of the family names of the lead characters in the movie was Danagher, and there is a Danagher's Hotel. They probably have 10-12 rooms available, and the hospitality and friendliness is top of the line. They have their own pub which is friendly and quite locally popular, as well as comfortable with very good pub food available. We paid 80 Euros per night for a double, which included a full (very good) Irish breakfast. The owners are extremely friendly(as was all the staff), with one of the owners tending the bar in the evening, and his wife cooking the breakfast in the mornings. We've been to Ireland quite a few times, both on tours and independently, and Cong was a true "find", with Danagher's being the place to stay while there. If you want to get away from fast pace of Dublin, this is a place to go.

My wife and I stayed near Cong in September of 2007. Cong is at the foot of Ashford Castle, which has recently been converted into a five-star hotel (and makes for a wonderful half-day visit; you can't go into the castle unless you're staying there but you can tour the grounds for 5 Euro's per person).

Inside the Cong environs you'll find small shops and restaurants. You'll also find several mentions of John Wayne's 1940's film The Quiet Man - the film was shot in and around the town. There's also a midevil church and a lovely river.

There's no "night life" to speak of, beyond a couple of pubs. The dining in the area is quite good, though, and at a variety of price ranges. There's also an internet cafe near the river - the Hungry Monk - where you can check email on a computer.

While the town itself is pretty sleepy and easy to see in an afternoon, it makes a good home-base to explore more of County Mayo and Connemara. There are several B&B's nearby.