Page 35 - The Driver's Guide to the Wild Atlantic

CLARE
AILWEE CAVES
N67 (R480 EXIT) 3 min from exit
The Ailwee Caves are one of the island’s oldest cave structures, dating back more than a million years. Today it’s one of the county’s most visited attractions, containing bear bones, stalactites, stalagmites and an underground waterfall. The visitor centre and tour consists of a 30 minute walk through over-bridged chasms, magical rock formations and thunderous underground waterfalls.
LISDOONVARNA
N67 TO TOWN CENTRE
Although it lacks the rugged coastal beauty of many of its nearby coastal counterparts, the town of Lisdoonvarna nevertheless holds a unique place in the list of attractions for County Clare. It’s famous for its many pubs and restaurants and its Victorian Spa Complex and Health Centre, which is well worth a visit. What it’s most famous for though, is its annual international matchmaking festival every September, one of Europe’s largest singles festivals. It’s also a haven for good food and nearby to the Burren National Park.
DOOLIN
N67 (R478 EXIT) TO R479 6 min from exit
Although it may seem small in size, the rugged village of Doolin, not far from the Cliffs of Moher, carries quite a reputation as the home of traditional Irish music. Located on the edge of the Burren, and close to the cliffs and Aran Islands, the village has something for everyone. From great food and incredible music in its several pubs to great fishing, cliff walking and exploring of its rugged coast. It’s also a great spot for meeting people, sharing stories and learning new ones.
TOP HIGHLIGHT
CLIFFS OF MOHER
VISITOR EXPERIENCE
N67 (R478 EXIT) TOWARDS DOOLIN
14 min from exit
One of the highlights of any visit to Ireland, the majestic Cliffs of Moher
provide Europe’s final formidable wall before the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean. Undoubtedly one of the top attractions along the Wild Atlantic Way, the cliffs stretch for 8km and tower 214 metres above the ocean. The cliffs are home to over 60,000 nesting sea birds and breathtaking array of caves, sea stacks and blowholes. The eco-friendly visitor centre is built into the cliffs themselves, where you can immerse yourself in the majesty of the places, before taking a walk on the 750 metres of pathways and viewing platforms, in addition to the 20km of walking trails that link the cliffs to the villages of Liscannor and Doolin.
THE BURREN NATIONAL PARK
N67 (R476 EXIT) TOWARDS CLOON 25 min from exit
An ecological wonder, and a truly unique place, the limestone landscape of the Burren National Park stretches over 1500 hectares and makes up the south eastern corner of the larger Burren landscape and was bought by the Government for conservation purposes. Although visibly barren, the Burren is in fact an ecological wonder, and is very fertile. The Park features all the major habitats found on the Burren: Limestone pavements, grasslands, hazel scrub, Hazel and Ash woodland, Lakes, Turloughs, Petrifying Springs and Cliffs. The word Burren originates from the Irish “Boíreann”, which means rocky place. On the Burren you can also find the iconic Poulnabrone Dolmen, the second most visited landscapes on the Burren after the Cliffs of Moher.
LAHINCH
N67 TO TOWN CENTRE
The bustling seaside resort of Lahinch is home to not only a great selection of hotels, pubs and restaurants, it’s also a bona fide world capital of surfing, due to its sweeping beaches and incessant waves and wind. The 3km long beach at Lahinch provides breaks that cater for novice, intermediate and expert surfers. It’s also a great kite-surf location, with the southwesterly wind providing great conditions for at least nine months of the year.
SPANISH POINT BEACH
N67 (R482 EXIT) 4 min from exit
Heading north along the sweeping Clare Coast, the Wild Atlantic to your
The Driver's Guide
left, as you approach the town of Miltown Malbay, you will meet beautiful beach, surfing and golf resort of Spanish Point. It’s named Spanish Point because of the many Spaniards who were buried there after their Armada was devastated by storms along the coast in 1588. One of the ships was wrecked off Mutton Island, just 3km out from Spanish Point, with more than a thousand men lost and many of their bodies washed ashore at Spanish Point. You can hire a boat in the nearby village of Quilty to visit the site of the wreck.
LOOP HEAD
N67 (R487 EXIT) 30 min from exit
The Loop Head (www.loophead.ie) peninsula, just northwest if Kilrush offers a spectacular cliff-laden journey of discovery, and is home to the charming villages of Kilkee, Kilbaha, Carrigaholt and Riverside. The peninsula has a dedicated heritage trail which you can follow, exploring such delights as Carrigaholt Castle, a five-storey fortress standing overlooking the estuary and built in 1480. Just one of the many delights of Loop Head, which is well worth exploring. Another is Kilkee Beach, a pristine Blue Flag awarded stretch of golden strand sloping down from the picturesque village of Kilkee.
KILRUSH
N67 TO TOWN CENTRE
Not far from the crossing on the Tarbert Car Ferry from County Kerry, Kilrush is one of the first villages you’ll come across in County Clare. This lively town is home to a host of attractions including: Scattery Island, situated in Kilrush estuary, is home to a 6th century monastic settlement and the remains of no fewer than six churches and the remains of one of the highest round towers in Ireland, at 120 ft high. Access is via a 3km ferry trip from Kilrush Pier which operates 10AM-6PM between May and September.
Kilrush is also home to the Shannon Dolphin and Wildlife Centre, which monitors more than 170 bottlenose dolphins which swim in Shannon Estuary. (www.shannondolphins.ie) Another attraction in the lively village of Kilrush is St. Senan’s Catholic Church, which features four stained glass windows by renowned artist Harry Clarke.
WILD ATLANTIC 35