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County Clare
County Clare combines spectacular windswept landscapes and vibrant Irish culture. The ocean relentlessly pounds Clare's coast year-round, eroding rock into fantastic formations, and fashioning sheer rock crags including those at the iconic Cliffs of Moher and at ends-of-the-earth Loop Head. Right along the coast, the waves are a magnet for surfers, and surf schools set up on many of Clare's beaches in summer.
Stretching down to the shore – and out as far as the Aran Islands, linked to Doolin in summer by ferries – is the moonscape-like bare limestone expanse of the Burren, which blazes with wildflowers in spring.
If the land is hard, Clare's soul certainly isn't: traditional Irish culture and music flourish here. And it's not just a show for tourists, either. In larger towns and even the tiniest of villages you'll find pubs with trad-music sessions year-round.
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Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout County Clare.
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Poulnabrone Dolmen
Also known as the Portal Tomb, Poulnabrone Dolmen is one of Ireland's most photographed ancient monuments. Built more than 5000 years ago, the other-worldly dolmen (a large slab perched on stone uprights) stands amid a swath of rocky pavements; the capstone weighs 5 tonnes. The site is 9km south Ballyvaughan and visible from the R480; there's a large free parking area and excellent displays. Poulnabrone was excavated in 1986, and the remains of at least 22 people were found, as well as pieces of pottery and jewellery. Radiocarbon dating suggests that they were buried between 3800 and 3200 BC. When the dead were originally entombed here, the whole structure was partially covered in a mound of earth, which has since worn away. A highly informative Office of Public Works staff member is often on duty, protecting the monument.
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Hazel Mountain Chocolate
Book ahead to watch chocolate being made in small batches using rare Trinitario cacao beans and raw sugar on a 45-minute tour of this heavenly smelling cottage-housed chocolate factory in a picturesque hillside location. If you don't catch a tour, peer through the factory's glass viewing windows from the chocolate-filled shop. Its on-site organic cafe (dishes €8 to €14; Wednesday to Sunday) uses chocolate in creations like parsnip, cacao butter and white-pepper soup, and grilled halloumi and chocolate-and-plum-chutney toasties. Its Galway city shop has a cacao brew bar.
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Burren Perfumery & Floral Centre
The Burren's wildflowers are the inspiration for the subtle scents at this wonderful perfumery and floral centre, which creates scented items such as perfumes, candles and soaps that are beautifully packaged in handmade paper. A 10-minute audiovisual presentation details the area's diverse flora, including many fragrant orchids that grow between the rocks. You're free to wander its flower and herb gardens, which provide ingredients for dishes and herbal teas served at its tearoom.
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Gleninsheen Wedge Tomb
One of Ireland's most famous prehistoric grave sites, Gleninsheen lies beside the R480 7km south of Ballyvaughan. It's thought to date from 4000 to 5000 years ago. A magnificent gold gorget (a crescent of beaten gold that hung round the neck) found here and dating from the late Bronze Age is now on display at the National Museum in Dublin. Note: the access gate to the tomb is sometimes locked, and signage is poor.
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St Tola Irish Goat Cheese
Creamy St Tola goat's cheese is served at some of Ireland's finest restaurants, with award-winning lines including ash log, Greek-style feta and gouda-style hard cheese. Call ahead to see if you can join a tour on which you'll pet the goats, watch them being fed, see a cheese-making demonstration and taste the products. The farm is 11km southeast of Ennistimon (16km northwest of Ennis), signposted off the N85.
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Dysert O'Dea
The centrepiece of this fascinating historic site where St Tola founded a monastery in the 8th century is the four-storey, 15th-century O'Dea Castle. Today it houses the Clare Archaeology Centre, which has a rooftop castle walk and a museum displaying local artefacts. You'll also find a tearoom and a bookshop. A 5km history trail around the castle passes some two-dozen ancient monuments, from ring forts and high crosses to a prehistoric cooking site. Dysert O'Dea is just off the R476, 5km south of Corofin. The site's church dates from the 12th century, as does the high cross, the White Cross of St Tola, depicting Daniel in the lion's den on one side and a crucified Christ above a bishop carved in relief on the other. Look for carvings of animal and human heads in a semicircle on the southern doorway of the Romanesque church. There are also the 5m-high remains of a round tower. In 1318 the O'Briens, who were kings of Thomond, and the Norman de Clares of Bunratty fought a pitched battle nearby, which the O'Briens won, thus postponing the Anglo-Norman conquest of Clare for some two centuries.
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Corcomroe Abbey
Moody and evocative, marvellously ruined Corcomroe Abbey sits in a quiet green hollow, 2km inland from Bellharbour, surrounded by the stark grey Burren hills. The former Cistercian abbey began its long decline in the 15th century, but the surviving vaulting in the presbytery and transepts is impressively intact and some striking Romanesque carvings remain. The abbey was founded in 1195 by Donal Mór O'Brien. His grandson, Conor na Siudaine O'Brien (died 1268), king of Thomond, is said to occupy the tomb in the northern wall, and there's a crude carving of him below the effigy of a bishop holding a crosier, the pastoral staff that was carried by a bishop or abbot. Often-touching modern graves crowd the ruins.
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Vandeleur Walled Garden
Within a 170-hectare forest 800m south of the centre, this stunning 'lost' garden was the private domain of the wealthy Vandeleur family – merchants and landowners who engaged in harsh evictions and forced emigration of local people in the 19th century. Today woodland trails wind around the surrounding forest, which has a colourful array of plants, including magnolias, acacias, acers, oaks, monkey puzzle trees, bamboo, ferns, banana trees, hydrangeas and a beech maze. The Woodland Bistro rustles up tasty snacks, often using ingredients grown on the site.
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Doolin Cave
The Great Stalactite, the longest in Europe at 7.3m, is the big draw of Doolin Cave. Tour times vary seasonally, but are usually on the hour. Glacial clay from deep within the cave is used by on-site potter Caireann Browne, who sells her works here. The property also has a 1km-long farmland trail featuring rare animal breeds, and a cafe. The caves are around 4km north of town. Tickets are 20% cheaper if bought online in advance.
Featured videos
Community Tourism Project: Burren EcoTourism Network
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