Co. Clare

A day trip to Clare from Dublin is a great idea when you love driving. It's three to six hours one way, depending where and when you are going.

McNamaras. There are thousands of them. Look up McNamara or just google.
A day trip to Clare from Dublin and trying to find some ancestry home is quite a task.

Be aware that family names in Ireland are clan names not blood lines. Whenever you come across a McNamara it might not be a relative. I know a McNamara family in my neighbourhood, but they are pretty fed up with American/Australian requests if they are cousins. Unless you are more precise with your family tree, names and places.

Highlights in Clare? Have a look here

My advice: If in Dublin for only three days, stay in Dublin.

I agree with carraig, its too far for a reasonable daytrip. Clare is quite difficult to drive across (not long distances, but slow twisty roads), so there would be a big difference between driving to somewhere close to the Galway or Limerick roads or going to somewhere on the western fringes like Kilbaha. 3 to 6 hours as carraig says is the sort of range you are looking for (three hours would be very optimistic for a first time driver in Ireland). You can check out the timing with public transport on the Bus Eireann and Irish rail journey planners. A train to Ennis would probably be the only feasible daytrip by public transport (i.e. one that gives you enough time to do something useful).

You won't track down relatives without a lot of prior work - McNamara is a common name. If you are determined to find relatives it would probably make more sense to do research on government records in Dublin anyway, although the County library in Ennis might be useful too. Going to local records (mainly church records) is very time consuming.

3 days isn't much to stay in ireland - stick with Dublin for that time, if you want to see the countryside go to Wicklow or somewhere a lot closer.

It's completely unfeasible to go from Dublin to Clare in one day. West Dublin to Kilkee takes about 4hrs in light traffic so add at least an hour on for daytime traffic.

McNamaras - please. It may come as a suprise but there is not just one family of McNamaras in Clare.

I think your 'picture' of Ireland is a little quaint. But if you honestly want to battle Dublin and Limerick traffic to get to and back from Clare in one day then do so. You should have about four hours to look around the county and when you cross the border into Clare ask the first person you see if they know anything about the McNamaras from Clare who emigrated to Australia. I'm sure he'll put down his bag of turf, take off his cap and chew on his pipe as he scratches his chin to remember. Then he'll tell you the full story.

Apologies for my scarcasm but really what do you expect. That would be like me turning up in New York looking for Paddy O'Flaherty who came over in the 1900's.

The Clare Library site has a lot of useful information about genealogy.

PhilipD. I've just noticed that you've already mentioned the library ;)

You can do it, but you'll be wrecked and have a splitting headache at the end of the day. That is if you dont fall asleep at the wheel while driving.

mcnamara, is that East Clare, up by Scarriff direction?? East Clare, around Lough Derg I do in 2 hours to 2 1/2 depending what part. But I am going from West Dublin.

good luck getting to clare and back in 1 day!
if you have any info on your ancestors you can find their birthcerts etc. at Lyons House (IIRC) in Dublin, 10 minutes from O'Connell Street. You'll need the name and date of birth, and if possible the place of birth too. I think a copy costs Eur3.

Catemary, by now you're getting the picture. As for asking for the "clare highlights", you might get time to see one of them but that would fly in the face of what others are telling you.

Get a day trip with Railtours.
Railtours site
Train to Limerick early in the morning from Heuston. Coach meets you at the station.
Visit Limerick, Bunratty Castle, Bunratty Folk Park, Doolin, the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren.
Drive into Galway along Galway Bay, get the train back to Dublin.
You can certainly visit Clare on a day trip. Of course you won't see everything, but if you want a quick taste of what there is to come back and visit when you have more time, then I can highly recommend railtours.