Slieve Aughty Centre
Certification: Ecotourism Ireland Gold County: Galway (Loughrea, East Galway) Type: Eco equestrian resort, guesthouse, eco cabins, organic restaurant
Slieve Aughty Centre holds Ecotourism Ireland Gold certification and is one of the most genuinely distinctive eco stays in Ireland. Set in the Slieve Aughty Mountains in East Galway, it is a 17-acre eco resort built around equestrian tourism, organic food, and a strong commitment to sustainability that is documented, independently certified, and visible in how the place operates.
This is not a hotel with an eco page on the website. It is an organic farm, an equestrian centre, a certified eco resort, and one of only two organic-certified restaurants in Ireland. The other is also in Galway. Both are exceptional.
The Certification
Ecotourism Ireland Gold is the highest level of eco tourism certification in Ireland, assessed against criteria covering biodiversity, ecological sensitivity, community connection, low-impact operation, and guest education. Slieve Aughty Centre has held Gold certification since 2012.
The practical evidence of the certification is visible throughout the property: no televisions in the guestrooms, no plastic water bottles, a biomass-burning boiler for heating, peatmoss filtration for wastewater treatment, and systematic recycling practices that are part of the centre’s documented environmental management.
The Organic Restaurant
The Slieve Aughty Eco House Organic Kitchen is one of only two restaurants in Ireland certified as organic. Certification means the food sourcing, production, and preparation meet independently verified organic standards. It is not a restaurant that uses some organic ingredients. It is a certified organic kitchen.
For guests staying at the centre, breakfast and dinner are available from this kitchen. The food is produced from the farm’s own certified organic growing and from local organic suppliers. This is the kind of food provenance that most “farm to table” restaurants claim and cannot document.
Accommodation
The Eco Guesthouse: A nine-bedroom sustainably built guesthouse with en-suite rooms, some with balconies overlooking the Slieve Aughty landscape. The building uses natural and local materials and was designed around the eco principles the centre holds.
Eco cabins: Self-contained cabins suited to families or small groups, offering self-catering or full board. Set across the farm with views of the mountain landscape.
Honeymoon lodge: A private lodge suited to couples, positioned separately from the main guesthouse.
Cottages: Available for self-catering in the off season and full board in summer.
Equestrian and Activities
Slieve Aughty is an equestrian centre as well as an eco resort. Horse riding is available for all levels, from beginners to experienced riders exploring the mountain trails. The combination of certified eco accommodation, organic food, and genuine equestrian activity in mountain landscape is unusual in Ireland and genuinely distinctive.
The surrounding 2,000 acres of Slieve Aughty forestry and mountain are accessible on foot, by horse, or by the trails that give the area its character.
Practical Information
Address: Kylebrack, Loughrea, County Galway, H62 DX77 Distance from Galway City: Approximately 40km southeast Booking: Book via Booking.com or directly with the property
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Why EcoStay Ireland Lists This Property
Ecotourism Ireland Gold certification since 2012. One of only two organic-certified restaurants in Ireland. A genuinely distinctive eco resort in a part of Galway that most visitors never reach. The practices are documented, the food is certified, and the experience is the real thing.
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