A region renowned the world over for its gloriousmusical traditions, the county’s coast, from Kilkeeto Fanore,is littered with pretty beaches and amazing cliffs while, inland, the often roughbut always beautifully desolate landscape is home to a proliferation ofprehistoric sites.
An Ocean of Adventure
Land and sea collide in truly spectacular style in CountyClare. Overshadowed by the well-publicised Cliffsof Moher to the north, the sight of the soaring rock faces south ofthe resort of Kilkee to LoopHead will live long in the memory.
Named as the best place to holiday in Ireland bythe Irish Times in 2013, the Loop Head area is becoming increasingly popular butthere are still plenty of secluded spots to be found if you look hard enough.
You will need a car to make the most of the coastalarea. It will allow you to explore the roads that criss-cross the windsweptlandscape, leading to isolated beaches and charming towns and villages likeEnnistymon, the surf centre of Lahinchand Miltown Malbay.
The coast around County Clareclaimed many ships from the Spanish Armada in the late 1500s, with the tinyvillages of Carrigaholt and Doonbeg among those to witness countless livesbeing lost to the ocean.
Heading Inland
Stretching across the northern part of Clare,from the coast to Kinvarain County Galway, the unforgiving limestone landscape of TheBurren was shaped by ancient seas before being forced upwards bymassive geological changes. The area bursts into wildflower-inspired colour in thespring and there are plenty of villages to explore – check out music-mad Doolin,Kilfenora and Ballyvaughan for starters.
The further inland you travel the more thelandscape turns into green, low-lying countryside, with the county’s easternboundary formed by the river Shannon and LoughDerg, a waterway spanning 30 miles from Killaloe to Portumna inCounty Galway.
Picturesque Killaloeis set against the Slieve Bernagh Hills, with the Arra Mountains to the east,while neighbouring Ballina, at the end of a scenic drive from Neagh,is home to an impressive range of pubs and restaurants.
See and Do
No matter where you are staying, you will never befar from County Clare’s diverse collection ofattractions.
An important friary founded between 1240 and 1249is located in the town of Enniswhile a well-preserved Iron Age walled fort can be found at Caherconnell.BunrattyCastle, set alongside the River Ratty, dates from the early 1400s and has beenfully restored, its rooms jam-packed with antique furniture, paintings and wallhangings.
The ancient Irish art of oak-smoking salmon isrevealed at the Burren Smokehouse in Lisdoonvarna. There’s ample opportunity totry some of its tasty products, while Clare’sabundant native wildflowers provide the inspiration for the fabuloussweet-smelling scents produced at the Burren Perfumery and Floral Centre inCarron.
