Last month, after having a lovely staycation in Donegal as a family, I decided I would extend my visit and head further South, to the lovely County of Clare. Hubby and the kids headed straight home after a stop at the grandparents house. I made this decision purely because at the time, we were told that Kildare is going to be put in lockdown. And once you’re in, you can’t leave again.
It was literally a 24 hours decision I made but luckily I was able to find a lovely bed and breakfast in Ballyvaughan which is ran by the lovely Gerry and Pauline. I was hoping to be a bit closer to Lahinch to explore the South of Clare, too but that’s on the agenda for next year then.
Explore Aran Island’s smallest island Inis Oirr
I didn’t have an actual plan what I was going to do at first. So the night before I did some research online to see what is something I have to see in Clare. I have seen the Cliffs of Moher, even though it’s been 15 years, but it is not something I had to go and see again. I came across the Doolin Ferry which services the Aran Islands. The smallest island, Inis Oirr, is the closest to Doolin. And so I booked a return ferry ticket to Inis Oirr. This came in at at €25. However if you wanted to book to sail underneath the Cliffs of Moher, you can do so for €35. Basically when you get back to Doolin, you stay on the boat. This tour will take approx. one hour.
The sailing time from Doolin to Inis Oirr is roughly twenty minutes. I booked the ferry at 10am and got the ferry back to mainland at 13:45pm. It all depends what your plans are but I didn’t plan to stay on the island for the whole day as I had other plans, too. During COVID times when entering the boat, you have to wear a mask. Once we got to the island, you are able to rent bikes. There are two bike rental companies as far as I could see. I went with the one closest to the boat. It was €13 and you can have the bike as long as you want.
First stop was this amazing shipwreck called The Plassey. It was washed to shore during the night in 1960. Islanders helped whatever could be rescued and found things that have never been seen before such as biscuits and modern day toilets. Ireland had many storms over the last couple of years and so the ship was broken in half but otherwise hasn’t moved in the last 60 years.
Next stop would have been the lighthouse but as we have already seen a lighthouse a few days prior in Donegal, I skipped this one and cycled onto my next destination which was the small church surrounded a graveyard. You have beautiful views up there down to the beach and port of the island.
I then walked up a bit further, which I believe is the highest point of the island. This is where you will find a ruin. Some may think it looks like an old castle but in fact it used to be an old lighthouse which opened in 1867. It was 37 meters high. You get 360 degree panoramic views over the island.
I didn’t visit the remaining sights as I only had roughly three hours before my ferry was returning to the mainland. I spent the rest of my time strolling around the beach. It was mid August so the beach was pretty packed but during the early autumn months I’d imagine it is absolutely beautiful. The water is so blue, you wouldn’t even think you are in Ireland.
Also a little tip if you are parking in Doolin. The earlier you arrive, the better. When I came back to the mainland, people were parked along the side of the road all the way into Doolin village and that is quite a stretch. You do have to pay for parking as well. There are only two parking meters. The best thing is to download the Park Magic app and pay that way. If you are running late, it means you don’t have to return to your car to get another ticket, just top up.
Doonagore Castle
As you walk into Doolin village from the pier, you might come across a castle on the right hand side. This is Doonagore Castle and many people compare it to a castle out of a Disney movie. It overlooks Doolin village and pier. The castle is privately owned an therefore its ground cannot be accessed. You will find a few spots along the way to pull in the car to get the perfect shot as I did in the above photo.
Doolin Cave
Next up I was debating whether I should visit the Cliffs of Moher or go on an old cave tour. The cave tour won in the end. It is advisable to book your slot online if you are after a certain time of the day and you have other plans for the remaining. However the slot I wanted, was booked, but because Doolin Cave was on the way back to my B&B anyways, I popped in to see if they could squeeeze me in somewhere. And so they did. It was the last tour of the day. A single ticket is €17.50.
I find caves so interesting, in fact I am going on another cave tour next week up in Northern Ireland. At entry point you are given a helmet to protect your head. You wonder why? It’s not because of things falling but more so because you are walking deep into the cave and some ends of it are pretty low where you end up stooping so you don’t hit your head.
The free-handing stalactite (as seen above) is the longest stalactite in Europe. It measures 7.3 metres. They only grow 10cm per 1,000 years. The photo doesn’t do its justice how massive it actually is. You’ll have to go and see it for yourself.
The Burren
The Burren National Park with its mad looking landscape. The word “Burren” means rocky place in Irish (Boíreann). There are many different walking trails. I think it is total of seven. They’re all pretty short and so are doable for anyone really. I didn’t do any of the walking trails at the time. But to be able to just drive through the Burren is breathtaking enough. You will find many places along side the road you can park and overlook the beautiful landscape. The last time I visited was 2005 and I can hardly remember being it this way.
You will find people walking up to the cliffs and look onto the Atlantic Ocean. It is definitely worth a visit and if you have more time than I did, squeeze in one of the trails, too.
Fanore Beach
Fanore Beach is in walking distance to the Burren and very popular with surfers and walkers. I would suggest to visit at a quieter time. Basically not during the Summer or go in the late Summer. You will find a big car park but during mid August when I visited that was even hard to find a spot. The place was packed. Not as enjoyable. I’d say a late evening walk would be lovely. It is still a much more quieter option to Lahinch Beach.
Have you been to the lovely County Clare before? What sights did you discover?
