9 Things To Do in West Clare
There is much to explore so without further ado here is our Authentic West Clare to do list:
1. The Cliffs of Moher
TheCliffs of Moher are Ireland’s most visited site. There is a goodreason. They are not just beautiful and majestic, they are aweinspiring. They are good for the soul. Time stands still in theirpresence. The Cliffs stretch for 8km from Hag’s Head just west ofLiscannor to O’Brien’s Tower. The cliffs are accessible from the R478that runs between Lahinch and Doolin. The new visitor centre built intothe side of a hill is well worth a look and is reasonable at 4 euro.Parking at the Cliffs, however, is not. A flat fee of 8 euro is chargedper car. The fee is not really for parking, you are in fact paying forthe cost of the new visitor centre. Try not to get upset. Instead gazein wonder at the nature’s work in progress sculpture that is the Cliffsof Moher.
Authentic tip: For a sea view of the Cliffs take a boat trip from Liscannor or Doolin http://www.cliffs-of-moher-cruises.com/. A combined Cliffs of Moher, Aran Islands daytrip is also possible.
2. Doolin
A few miles north ofthe Cliffs of Moher lies the scattered village of Doolin. One longextended street flanked by countless B&Bs, guesthouses and hostels,Doolin doesn’t sound very inviting, but it is. What Doolin has that noother town or village in Ireland has is three great pubs with qualitytraditional Irish music sessions 7 nights a week, 363 days a year. Thisis not like the singing pubs of Killarney or the rebel ballad singingyou will hear in Dublin pubs. This is fiddles, banjos, flutes, accordions, tin whistes, bodhrans, bag pipes and spoons. This is theMcCoy Tyner. This is Clare, the home of trad music.
Authentic tip: the pubs in Doolin fill up very early especially atweekends. Get in early. All three pubs (O’Connor’s, McDermott’s,McGann’s) serve decent food. Eat, sit back, relax and treat your earsto a feast for a change.
Note: Two new hotelshave recently opened in Doolin in the past year and both have barsattached. The Authentic crew have not yet had the chance to check themout. They may be fantastic, but why risk it? Head for one of thosenamed above, or better yet try all three.
3. Explore the BurrenThe Burren is a tough one to describe. It’s basically a barren limestonearea in the northwest corner of Clare. It was formed some 350m yearsago while still under water. The rock twists and swirls andoccasionally whips itself into conical hills. Despite the rockylandscape the area is also famous for its flora and fauna with manyunique flower species. The Burren is an otherworldly place, but onethat cannot really be appreciated from a car. You need to get out andwalk. If going alone make sure you have a good map and compass. Thereare precious few landmarks and fewer trails so it is easy to get lost.A better idea is to go with a local who knows the area. We highlyrecommend John Connolly’sBurren Wild Guided Tours: http://www.burrenwalks.com/
The Burren is also rich in ancient burial sites with over 70 megalithictombs scattered throughout the area. The most famous is the PoulnabroneDolmen which is over 5,000 years old. Some of the remains recentlyexcavated were dated to 3800BC! The construction of a dolmen is simple– one large limestone slab laid on top of two or three upright slabs –but the effect is somehow profound, particularly when one considerstheir age and the fact that nobody has yet figured out how they wereconstructed. The Poulnabrone Dolmen is in a field 300m off theBallyvaughan to Corofin road (R480) approx 8km south of Aillwee Cave,which, as it happens is also well worth visiting: http://www.aillweecave.ie/
4. Do the Loop Head Drive/Walk
Fromthe beach at Kilkee sea cliffs extend all the way to Loop Head. Thesecliffs are no where near as high as Moher, but have the advantage ofbeing totally wild and unspoiled. No visitors centre, no parkingcharges. Must likely just you, the roaring ocean and the wind-swepttreeless landscape. You can drive all the way from Kilkee to Loop Head(Loop Head scenic drive – R487), but you are much better off walkingthe last few miles. Hugging the coast from Kilkee you will eventuallycome to a beach where you can park. From there simply follow the clifftop trail all the way to the lighthouse at Loop Head. It is one of thebest coastal walks in Ireland. And Loop Head itself is worthy of theeffort. Not only is it remarkably pointy, on a clear day you can seeacross the Shannon estuary to Mount Brandon on the Dingle Peninsula
5. Go Dolphin Watching
TheShannon Estuary is home to a large pod of bottle-nosed dolphins. Recentcounts suggests upwards of a 100 dolphins. Calving season takes placebetween May and August and dolphin watching trips are run from thelocal villages of Kilrush and Carrigaholt. Deserted Scattery Islandjust 2km off the coast with the remains of an 8 th century monasteryand round tower is also worth a look.
http://www.discoverdolphins.ie/
http://www.dolphinwatch.ie/
http://www.shannondolphins.ie/
Scattery Island : http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/scattery.htm
6. Golf, Surf or Swim at Lahinch
Lahinchis a simple seaside town at heart. On sunny weekends, locals from allover the county flock to its sheltered beach. But there’s a lot moregoing on. Lahinch is one of Ireland’s better surfing beaches and anumber of surf schools operate in the town. The two-mile long beach inLahinch with its variety of breaks caters for novice, intermediate andexperienced surfers. Lahinch has the advantage of slow rolling Atlanticwaves which makes it ideal for learning to surf. The famous links golfcourse at Lahinch runs almost the full length of the beach and has beenattracting golfers since 1892 when officers attached to a local Britisharmy regiment spotted the potential of the then untouched duneland andtogether with officials from Limerick Golf Club laid out the course andfounded Lahinch Golf Club. It’s a little busier these days and a roundof golf generally needs to be booked months in advance.
Lahinch Surf School : http://www.lahinchsurfschool.com/
Lahinch Golf Club: http://www.lahinchgolf.com/
7. Visit the Aran Islands
Locatedjust 10km off the coast from Doolin, the Aran Islands are like amicrocosm of Ireland through the ages. From the Bronze Age stone fortsof Dun Aengus and Dun Ducathair (to name just two), to the monasticsettlement of Teampall Bheanain, to the Irish speaking fishermen andfarmers of today, the Aran Islands will transport you to anotherIreland, one obviously ancient and yet most definitely living andthriving in the 21 st century. There is much to see and take in on theislands and a daytrip really doesn’t do them justice. Inishmore, thelargest of the islands contains most of the historical sites ofinterest and is therefore the most visited. Inisheer, the smallest andclosest to Doolin is also popular. For quietness and solitude tryInishmaan. Or better yet spend a week exploring all three. Now that would be a vacation to remember. http://www.aranislands.ie/
Ferries to all three islands go from Doolin in County Clare andRossaveal in County Galway. There are regular sailings all summer buttimes can vary according to weather and tidal conditions, particularlyaffecting ferries from Doolin. Be sure to check ferry times in advance.
From Doolin:
http://www.doolinferries.com/
http://www.doolinferry.com/
From Rossaveal:
http://www.aranislandferries.com/
8. Find your Better Half at the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival
TheLisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival is really a dancing festival. It goeson for the whole month of September but is mainly concentrated at theweekends. The music kicks off early on Friday evening and basicallygoes all weekend until the small hours of Monday morning. As you cansee the idea behind this festival is that if you do enough dancing youwill eventually meet your perfect match. The festival is unique in thebroad age range it attracts and how well everyone mixes. Everyone isthere for the fun, the music, the dancing and maybe, just maybe to meetto man or woman of their dreams. It happens more often than you mightthink. http://www.matchmakerireland.com/
9. Discover Trad Music
Peoplecome to Clare from all over the world to hear traditional Irish music.Of course it can be heard in most counties of Ireland but nowhere arethe people more passionate about it than in Clare. And it shows. Thequantity, quality and variety of pub sessions going on across thecounty throughout the year is simply unmatched anywhere else inIreland. It would be a shame if you came to Clare and missed out!
So here’s our guide to the trad music pubs of West Clare. Not every pubhas a session on every night, but ask and you will soon be pointed inthe right direction.
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