Cong

The village

Cong, known as Conga in Irish, takes its name from Cúnga Fheichín, which translates to “Saint Feichin’s narrows”. Located in County Mayo, the village straddles the border with County Galway. It forms part of a civil parish that bears the same name.

The geography is unusual. Cong sits on an island created by several streams that wrap around it completely. This island acts as an isthmus connecting Lough Corrib and Lough Mask. You’ll find it near the towns of Headford and Ballinrobe, as well as the villages of Clonbur, the Neale, and Cross.

The water under it

Underground streams link Lough Corrib with Lough Mask to the north. Because the village rests on the isthmus between these two bodies of water, the flow moves through and beneath the streets. You have the surface streams forming the island, the hidden underground streams carrying water between the loughs, and the loughs themselves on either side.

Walking through Cong is effectively walking across the isthmus and following the streams. The light on the water tends to be best in the evening.

The old see

History here is tied to the land. The 1111 Synod of Ráth Breasail included Cong, listed as Cunga Féichin, among five dioceses approved for Connacht. However, the 1152 Synod of Kells excluded it from its list. That later synod assigned the territory to the archdiocese of Tuam.

Cunga Féichin is no longer a residential bishopric. The Catholic Church now lists it as a titular see. Anglo-Norman settlements were also established here. The town’s story is the story of the isthmus, and the church in the village remains the older building of the place.

Practical

Cong is positioned on the isthmus between Lough Corrib and Lough Mask. It is a short drive from Ballinrobe and Headford. The streams and loughs are directly in and around the village.

Many visitors use the village as a base for the two loughs and the Connemara country beyond. A common plan involves the walk in the morning and time on the lough in the afternoon.