COUNTY CLARE - TOWNS AND VILLAGES

Ballyvaughan

For the archaeologist, the country around Ballyvaughan is a delight; the field monuments in the vicinity are too numerous to list here, but they include the famous Poulnabrone Dolmen, the most dramatic, and photographed, monument in the region. Just outside of the village (approx. 3 miles) en route to Lisdoonvarna is one of the two sixteenth century castles to be found in the area – the recently restored Newtown Castle. The second sixteenth century castle, Gleninagh Castle is about 4 miles out on the western side of the village. Arguably the greatest attraction of Ballyvaughan is the Aillwee caves, these spectacular caves lie just outside the town. Also near Ballyvaughan is the famous Corkscrew Hill, which provides some of the most splendid views of the beautiful scenery to be found in the northwestern region of Clare. Ballyvaughan is a good point from which to explore the Burren and coasts of Galway Bay. Formerly a small fishing village, it has in recent years begun to attract the more discerning visitor, and has some upmarket restaurants to cater for them.

Carrigaholt

A small seaside village at the very mouth of the Shannon, the village has become a popular summer destination. A fine keep and lawn of a small castle (one of the McMahons') stands near the pier. This castle has a long and colorful history of siege, capture, betrayal: quite a microcosm of Irish history. It was once the home of Lord Clare who is remembered today principally in the title of a well known Irish tune, 'Lord Clare's Dragoons. The coastal scenery around Carrigaholt is spectacular with splendid examples of cliffs, sea-stacks, sea caves, chasms and rocks; the well known 'Bridge of Ross' is a sea-arch formed by marine erosion. For the archaeologist, there are a number of ruined churches in the immediate vicinity. Nearby is Loop Head, the extreme tip of County Clare. The village has recently turned to the Atlantic ocean for financial gain, and the annual oyster festival and dolphin watching have become attractions.

Crusheen

A village on the Galway to Ennis road, the area around Crusheen has a number of field monuments (wedge grave, ruined castles, churches). There are also several small local lakes for the coarse angler. In 1651 the Cromwellian Ludlow defeated a force of Royalists at the siege of Inishcronan Castle close to here. The village has a particularly pleasant and unassuming thatched pub, Fogorty's, with two open fires and food is served.

Doolin

Once an insignificant fishing village, Doolin (also known as Fisherstreet on some old maps) shot to fame on the back of the revival of Irish Traditional music over the last twenty or thirty years. It is now perhaps the best known location for traditional music in Clare and is a Mecca for tourists and visitors, especially the younger ones, as there are also many good walks of the Burren (walking tours are organized locally ) and sea-fishing off the rocks. The small harbor is the nearest port to the Aran Islands and a ferry runs to Inisfree daily, April - September. Another local attraction is the cave system in the area: Ireland's largest cave is near here and another one contains what is Western Europe's tallest stalactite. The Cliffs of Moher are also located within cycling (or walking) distance. Bicycles can be hired and the whole Burren area is easily accessible by bike.

Ennis

Ennis is the capital of Co. Clare - a picturesque and historic market town. The town dates back to the 11th Century and was formed between two streams on the river Fergus when the O'Briens, Kings of Thomond, invited the Franciscans to establish a settlement within their domain in 1240. There was also a castle, and a town grew up around them. This town was constructed of wood, and was completely destroyed by a Great Fire. A more permanent medieval town grew up to replace it, and the present narrow streets and alleys of the town center still reflect the medieval town plan. Like all medieval towns it centered on a market square with the principal streets (Abbey St., O'Connell St., High St/Parnell St.) radiating off it. The market moved at some stage to the present 'market', behind Parnell St., and is held on Saturday mornings. Culture wise, Ennis has in the shape of Glõr, developed a venue frequented by both international and local musicians, artists and very popular with gig-goers and culture seekers.

Ennistymon

Ennistymon is a charming country town that is overlooked by most visitors in the rush to nearby Lahinch, and has, therefore, maintained its many unchanged traditional shops and a merciful lack of fast food joints and entertainment arcades created for the bulk tourist trade. The town is hilly and the streets are narrow, well suited to a stroll. A small river, the Inagh, runs by the town, and descends by means of some small waterfalls, known locally as 'the falls' or 'the cascades'. The best places to view these are from the road bridge and from the bar of The Falls Hotel, a short walk off the main street. There is some salmon fishing below the falls, which prevent the fish from ascending any further, and trout fishing above them, which (for the fly fisher) is entertaining rather than spectacular. The history of the town is relatively short, it was established as a town only in 1588, the year of the Spanish Armada, which features extensively in the local history all along the Co.Clare coast.

Kilbaha

Moneen church near Kilbaha is worth a visit. In it, preserved behind glass, is a sort of covered wheelbarrow, the famous 'Little Ark of Kilbaha'. The local landlord was virulently anti-Catholic and forbade the reading of Mass on his estates, thus effectively leaving his tenants without access to divine worship. A local priest, Michael Meehan got the idea of a movable tabernacle and caused the 'ark' to be built by the local carpenter. On Sundays and Holy Days the 'ark' was wheeled at low tide on to the foreshore, as in law the land between high-water and low-water marks is no one's private property, and Fr. Meehan was able to read Mass in spite of the landlord, his congregation standing around on the shingles. The 'ark' was first used in 1852 and stayed in use for as long as was needed.

Kilfenora

Kilfenora is located on the edge of the Burren, its main claim to fame is its ruined cathedral and associated high crosses. At one time Kilfenora became a small diocese in its own right (12th century) and its first bishop was St. Fachnan. The church, which is now partly roofless became the (small) cathedral. The cathedral has a variety of carved figures, tombs and windows. There were five high crosses originally, but one was removed in 1821. The best known is the Doorty Cross with three bishops and a double-headed bird on the east side; on the west is (possibly) a carving showing Christ entering Jerusalem and other carvings; this face is the less well preserved one. Only the nave is now still in use, having been incorporated into the Protestant church. Whilst visiting Kilfenora try and drop in for a pint in a local pub. You could easily find yourself amidst some of Clare's talented, traditional musicians in one of regular traditional music 'sessions' held in the bars. You might also find traditional set-dancing (Sundays are a good bet). The Burren Display Center, a cooperative local enterprise, has many exhibits displaying features of the locality.

Killaloe

A crossing-place on the Shannon at the southern end of Lough Derg, Killaloe's principal features are a narrow, but pretty many-arched bridge and Killaloe Cathedral. The cathedral contains a remarkable inscribed stone in both Viking runes and Celtic ogam. (There was a strong Viking presence in this area, and they had a permanent base further up the Shannon at Lough Ree). In the grounds of the cathedral are the remains of a small church (St. Flannans Oratory, 12th century), known locally as 'Brian Boru's vault'. It has a stone roof. Killaloe is effectively the southern limit for cruising on the Shannon, and has an Emerald Star Line depot for cruiser hire as well as some much smaller boat-hire enterprises. At the other side of the bridge, but in County Tipperary, is the village of Ballina, an extension of Killaloe, but the relationship becomes confrontational whenever Clare meets Tipperary in championship hurling! There is generally live music to be found somewhere in the town, both traditional and contemporary, especially on the weekends and in the summer time.

Kilrush

Kilrush is an oddity among Irish country towns: the street layout was carefully planned by the local landlords, the Vandeleurs (whose family mausoleum can be seen just outside the town off the road to Killimer). The Vandeleur Walled Garden, once the forgotten garden of Kilrush house, home to the Vandeleur landlords has been redesigned for the 21st century and is now an oasis of tender and tropical plants that thrive in the area's uniquely western latitude climate. The town is centered on a small square intended for markets, in the center of which is a substantial building, the Market House. The most spectacular street runs from the square towards the 120 berth state-of-the-art marina facility. Boat trips depart from here to spend some time in the company of the Shannon bottlenose dolphins and also to see the early Christian ruins on Scattery Island, now uninhabited.

For Irish traditional music enthusiasts, there is an unusual music festival, Eigse Mrs. Crotty. The late Mrs. Crotty had a public house and was an expert concertina player: the festival focuses on her and on concertina playing in general, a more difficult instrument to master than it appears.

Lahinch

Lahinch, a small seaside town in West Clare, has two principal claims to fame; a fine beach and a splendid links golf course. The beach is open to the full force of Atlantic winds and waves, and on any fine Sunday between May and September most of the population of Ennis and its environs can be found on the long stretches of sand. Across the road from the beach is a modern, well maintained and pleasantly warm swimming pool, and aquarium; there is also a tearoom and shop. In recent years Lahinch has also become a bit of a 'mecca' for the surfing community, and has become a regular haunt for surfers as surfing conditions can be found from this point all the way up to Donegal.

Complementing the beach, and not far from it, is a traditional eighteen hole golf links, which has a national reputation. It is a test for the most competent golfer, when the wind blows, which it does most of the time; and on a blustery day, for a hacker whose 'game' is likely to disintegrate under pressure, a round at Lahinch can be a humbling and chastening experience. Each summer it hosts the South of Ireland Championship. A new, non-intimidating eighteen hole golf course was created some years ago adjacent to the real one; it is reasonably manageable.

Liscannor

Liscannor is the closest town to the famous Cliffs of Moher. Like most towns in this part of County Clare, Liscannor has its own share of field monuments in the vicinity to interest the archaeologist, in particular a fine example of a Holy Well (St. Brigid's Well), which as a place of significance probably dates back to pre-Christian times. The ruined castle outside the town was one of the O'Brien castles. Liscannor has several fine examples of the West of Ireland public house. The name of Liscannor is synonymous in Ireland with stone: numerous small quarries, usually worked by the farmer who owns the land, abound in the area. The stone has interesting 'worms' on the surface and is much used locally for floors, patios, paths, walls and even occasionally as a roofing material. It splits into thick slate-like slabs.

Lisdoonvarna

The only working spa in Ireland (once there were several), the mineral-rich waters (iron, iodine, sulphur, magnesium) are reputedly cures for disorders of the arthritis - rheumatism sorts when bathed in, and for internal disorders of the blood and glands when drunk. The spa center has a pump room, baths and sauna among its attractions. The existence of the mineral springs, and their reputed curative properties, led to Lisdoonvarna's other claim to fame: its matchmaking tradition. Every year, in September (after the hay harvest was in), young (and not-very-young) farmers came to take the waters and, if single, find a bride. To facilitate the latter aim, professional matchmakers offered their services to these seekers, and for a few weeks the town enjoyed an almost twenty-four hour life. Today the tradition has been formalized into a matchmaking festival that is still held in September. The town has many hotels and restaurants to cater for this, and there is much merriment and jolliness in the pubs during this period.

Miltown Malbay

Miltown Malbay was a nondescript Irish town until the world discovered Irish music, and places like Miltown and Doolin became stops on the cultural circuit. Miltown's fame rests on a number of local musicians, singers and dancers who performed with a distinctive style, the best known of whom was Willie Clancy. There is a yearly Irish music festival called the Willie Clancy Week (early July) dedicated to this particularly renowned performer - he could play pipes, the whistle, sing and tell stories. Miltown Malbay is located close to several nice beaches, but the most well known in the area are located a little out of town in the small village of Spanish Point.

Mountshannon

A pretty and well kept, one-street village with a good small harbor on Lough Derg; this makes it hugely popular with boating people during the summer months. Iniscealtra - Holy Island is reached from here by the East Clare Heritage launch and is well worth a visit. The village was designed and built from scratch by Alexander Woods, a Limerick merchant, who intended it as a purely Protestant settlement from which the surrounding Catholic population would be so impressed by the thrift and industry of the settlers that they would quickly convert to the Reformed Church; even as late as the 1830's there was not a single Catholic resident in the village. In fact the reverse happened - it was the Catholics who colonized the village, and the picturesque Protestant church in a wooded churchyard bears mute testimony to Woods and his scheme.

Quilty

It would be easy to overlook Quilty as an unassuming village by a bend in the road between Milltown Malbay and Doonbeg; this would be a pity, for there is more to Quilty than meets the eye. Its most noticeable feature is what looks like in the distance - for it is visible for miles across the flat open countryside - a rather small round tower, which turns out is the tower of the local church. There are two beaches, the nicer one being easily missed, and some low cliffs, but the most interesting feature of the village is the church, which has a remarkable history. The church porch contains a replica of the Leon XIII in a glass bottle, a very small photograph of some of the heroes and two long poems composed in honor of the event: 'The Quilty Heroes' and 'Quilty's Heroes'.

The country around the village of Quin has many archaeological remains, the most notable being the franciscan friary (remains). The first building that we know of on this site was a church, and then on the site de Clare built a castle in 1280 A.D. This was attacked and destroyed by the native Irish, and the present church was built on the site (c.1350 A.D.), incorporating some parts of the castle ruins. One of the Macnamara's, the local ruling family, brought the franciscans to Quin c.1433 A.D.; the last of them died in 1820 and is buried in the ruins. The surrounding countryside has many ruined castles of the Macnamara's, and the spot on which they were inaugurated: now a flat-topped mound surrounded by a bank and ditch and called Magh Adhair.

Scariff

Located in east Clare, between Killaloe and Mountshannon, Scariff is a pleasant market town built on a hill. The town square (now a car park) occupies the crest of the hill, so that every road into the town is uphill. The Scariff River is an attraction for anglers, and the river, which flows into the Shannon is navigable for river cruisers almost to the town. There are several walkways and rest areas along the riverside, for those looking for a pleasant walk.

Shannon

Shannon is the second largest town in County Clare. The town is situated on the river Shannon and is home to the county's major access point: Shannon International Airport. Shannon is Ireland's only created town originating from the 1960's as part of developing the local economy. Shannon has a huge industrial heartland and is home to the world's first duty free shop in the airport. It is a satellite town of the nearby city of Limerick, and was given town status on 1 January 1982.

Spanish Point

Spanish Point, 2 miles west of Miltown Malbay, is a small resort with golf and a long sandy beach. Spanish Point is so named because of the Spaniards who were buried here after the wreck of their Armada ships along this coast. One of the ships was wrecked on the reefs of Mutton Island and can be visited by a currach (traditional boat) hired in the nearby fishing village of Quilty.

Tulla

A small town on a hill, located just off the Portumna - Scariff - Ennis road. The surrounding countryside has a scattering of wedge graves, gallery graves and standing stones; however many of these have been destroyed and the ones that survive are generally ruinous. The remains of several small castles, also mostly in ruins, dot the landscape. It's worth having a look around the ruins of the church located on a hill, overlooking the town. Apart from the picturesque ruins and graveyard, it also affords a pleasant view of the surrounding area.