Destination County Clare, Ireland
County Clare contains The Burren, a unique karst region, which contains rare flowers and fauna. At the western edge of The Burren, facing the Atlantic Ocean, are the Cliffs of Moher. The county's Southern border is the River Shannon, the longest river in Ireland. Along this estuary is the town of Shannon and the location of Shannon International Airport.
• County Clare at-a-glance A-Z
» Ailladie
Ailladie is an area on the coast of The Burren in County Clare, Ireland, which is one of Ireland's most highly-regarded rock-climbing locations. It is also a popular location for beach-angling competitions, and, with its cliffs and view of Aran, is a popular photography stop for tourist coaches travelling through west Clare. It is situated between the villages of Fanore to the north, and Doolin to the south …
» Aillwee Cave
Aillwee Cave (Also known as McGann's Cave) is the most famous of the many thousands of ancient caves beneath the karst landscape of the Burren in northwest County Clare, Ireland. The name Aillwee is derived from the Irish Aill Bhuí which means "yellow cliff". The cave system consists of over a kilometre of passages leading into the heart of the mountain. Its features include an underground river and a waterfall as well as some large stalactites and stalagmites …
» Discover Ballyvaughan
Ballyvaughan is a small harbour village in County Clare in the Republic of Ireland. It is located on the south shores of Galway Bay, in the northwest corner of The Burren; the Burren is an area of great rocky expanse, considered by many to be a unique landscape. Ballyvaughan is a busy village with many pubs, shops …
» Discover Bunratty
The first settlement in Bunratty was by Vikings in 970AD. Bunratty had reached it peak in 1804AD, with a thriving economy, expanding community, and the construction of much of the buildings and infrastructure that we see today. At the time, Bunratty Bridge was the largest single arched bridge in the country …
» Bunratty Castle
Bunratty Castle is a large tower house in County Clare, Ireland. It lies in the centre of Bunratty village (Irish: Bun Ráite), by the N18 road between Limerick and Ennis, near Shannon Town and its airport. The name Bunratty, Bun Raite (or possibly, Bun na Raite) in Irish, means the 'bottom' or end of the 'Ratty' river. This river, alongside the castle, flows into the nearby Shannon estuary. From the top of the castle, one can look over to the estuary and the airport …
» The Burren
The Burren (Irish: Boireann, meaning great rock) is a karst-landscape region in northwest County Clare, in Ireland. It is one of the largest karst landscapes in Europe. The region measures approximately 250 square kilometres and is enclosed roughly within the circle made by the villages Ballyvaughan, Kinvara, Tubber, Corofin, Kilfenora and Lisdoonvarna …
» Carrigaholt
Carrigaholt (Irish: Carraig an Chabhaltaigh, meaning "Rock of the Fleet") is a small fishing village in County Clare, Ireland. It lies at the mouth of the Moyarta river, which flows into the estuary of the River Shannon about 15 km from the tip of the Loop Head peninsula and about 10 km from the resort town of Kilkee on the north coast of the peninsula. The village boasts a ruined castle that stood guard over the mouth of the Shannon and the local fishing pier …
» Cliffs of Moher
The Cliffs of Moher (Irish: Aillte an Mhothair, or cliffs of the ruin) are located in the parish of Liscannor at the south-western edge of the Burren area near Doolin, which is located in County Clare, Ireland. The cliffs rise 120 meters above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag's Head, and reach their maximum height of 214 meters just north of O'Brien's Tower, eight kilometres away …
» Corcomroe Abbey
Corcomroe Abbey is an early 13th-century Cistercian monastery located in the north of the Burren region of County Clare, Ireland, a few miles east of the village of Ballyvaughan. It was once known as St. Mary of the Fertile Rock, a reference to the Burren's fertile soil. The abbey is noted for its detailed carvings and other rich ornamentation …
» Discover Doolin
Doolin is one of three places (Galway and the village of Rossaveal on the northwest shore of Galway Bay are the others) with ferry services to the Aran Islands, which are visible from the town. Doolin is also close to the Cliffs of Moher, and a bus service between Galway and Limerick/Ennis calls at both Doolin and the cliffs in each direction …
» Dysert O'Dea Monastery
Dysert O'Dea Church near Corofin in County Clare, Ireland stands on the site of an early Christian monastery which was founded by St. Tola, who died in about A.D. 735, although most of the present buildings are from the 12th century. The Dysert O'Dea monastic site is home to the Dysert O'Dea Church and the remains of a round tower …
» Discover Ennis
Ennis grew up around the Franciscan friary. The large building was an important seat of learning at its peak and was built by the O'Brien family in approximately 1242. It was a religious centre until the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Ennis is also an historically important market town …
» Inis Cathaigh
Inis Cathaigh or Scattery Island is an island in the Shannon Estuary, Ireland. It lies off the coast of Kilrush, County Clare. The island is home to a lighthouse, a ruined monastery, an Irish round tower and the remains of an artillery battery. The Irish name Inis Cathaigh was formerly anglicised Iniscathy, which later became Iniscattery and finally Scattery …
» Discover Kilbaha
Kilbaha and its setting on the Loop Head Peninsula on the West Coast of Clare was the winner of a European Destinations of Excellence Award 2010 for Aquatic Tourism. It is surrounded by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Shannon river. It is a place of outstanding natural beauty, unspoilt and yet with much to offer visitors …
» Discover Kilkee
Kilkee is a small coastal town in County Clare, Ireland. It is located midway between Kilrush and Doonbeg on the N67 road. The town is particularly popular as a seaside resort with people from Limerick City. The horseshoe bay is protected from the Atlantic Ocean weather by the Duggerna Reef. Kilkee has regularly been awarded the Blue Flag by the European Commission …
» Killone Abbey
Killone Abbey, situated on the banks of Killone Lake some 3 miles south of Ennis, County Clare, was an Augustinian nunnery founded in 1190 by Donal Mor O'Brien, King of Thomond and Munster and dedicated to Saint John. The ruins of the abbey, accessible through land used for grazing cattle, are located in the grounds of Newhall House, and include substantial remains of the abbey church together with a crypt …
» Leamaneh Castle
The ruins of Leamaneh Castle are located in the stark, magnificent setting of The Burren in County Clare. The castle was originally a basic, multi-storied Irish tower house which was built circa 1480, probably by Toirdelbhach Donn MacTadhg Ó Briain, King of Thomond, one of the last of the High Kings of Ireland and a direct descendant of Brian Boru. The castle's name is believed to be derived from the Irish "léim an éich" which, when translated into English means "the horse's leap" …
» Loop Head
Loop Head is a headland on the north side of the mouth of the River Shannon, in County Clare in the west of Ireland. Loop Head is marked by a prominent lighthouse. The opposite headland on the south side of the Shannon is Kerry Head. The Shannon Foynes Port Company controls navigation in the Shannon estuary and river …
» O'Dea Castle
O'Dea Castle is an Irish fortified tower house, loosely described as a castle at Dysert O'Dea (Irish: Dísert, meaning "hermitage"), the former O'Dea clan stronghold, 5 km from Corofin, County Clare just off the R476 road. It was built between 1470 and 1490 by Diarmaid O'Dea, Lord of Cineal Fearmaic, and stands some 50 feet high on a limestone outcrop base measuring 20 feet by 40 feet …
» Poulnabrone Dolmen
Poulnabrone Dolmen (Poll na mBrón in Irish meaning "hole of the quern stones") is a portal tomb in the Burren, County Clare, Ireland, dating back to the Neolithic period, probably between 4200 BC to 2900 BC. It is situated 8 km (5 miles) south of Ballyvaughan in the parish of Carran, 9.6 km (6 miles) north-west of Kilnaboy …
» Quin Abbey
Quin Abbey, in Quin, County Clare, Ireland, was built between 1402 and 1433 by Sioda Cam MacNamara, for Fathers Purcell and Mooney, friars of the Franciscan order. Although mostly roofless, the structure of the abbey is relatively well preserved. There is an intact cloister, and many other surviving architectural features make the abbey of significant historical value …
» Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport is one of Ireland's three primary airports, along with Dublin and Cork. Shannon is Ireland's most historic airport; it was the first transatlantic gateway between Ireland and the US, the birthplace of dutyfree worldwide, the birthplace also of aviation leasing and also gave rise to the world famous Irish Coffee …
» Spanish Point
Spanish Point is a village in the parish of Miltown Malbay in County Clare, Ireland, situated on the west coast of Ireland. The town is home to many holiday homes, and during the winter has a significantly smaller population. It is also one of the better surf breaks in County Clare. The name refers to the wrecking of some ships of the Spanish Armada off the coast …
» Temple Cronan
Temple Cronan is a ruined medieval oratory or chapel built over a holy well in the Burren, County Clare, Ireland; the current buildings apparently date from the 12th and 15th centuries, although they may partly incorporate earlier buildings. Temple Cronan is located in the parish of Carran, eight miles from Corofin and about sixteen miles from Ennis, Ireland …
