County Clare located on the west coast of Ireland shares borders with the ever popular destination of Galway Bay to the north, the historic city of Limerick to the south, and holds back the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The region is home to some of the top attractions in the country and is very accessible whether you’re staying in Clare or any of the surrounding counties due to the ever improving road network in Ireland.
There are several places of note in County Clare that you need to put on your to do list. The Cliffs of Moher are easily one of, if not, the best tourist attractions in the whole of Ireland. These majestic cliffs were once the edge of the known world and stand a staggering 200 metres plus above the powerful waves of the Atlantic. A short journey from the cliffs will bring you to the Burren, a unique karst landscape that encompasses a huge area which is home to three quarters of Ireland’s floral species.
There are large towns and charming rural villages dotted across the land which offer a full range of accommodation options as well as a welcoming social scene in and around the pubs of County Clare.
The Cliffs of Moher:
On the very edge of The Burren, under constant bombardment from the wild Atlantic seas, the mighty Cliffs of Moher stand firm. Ranging from 390 feet at Hag’s Head, right up to 702 feet at the tallest point, just north of O’Brien’s Tower. From the Tower, built in 1835, visitors can enjoy spectacular views of Galway Bay, the Aran Islands, the Maumturks mountain range and the Twelve Pins. Clare County Council take the unspoilt nature of the cliffs seriously, to the point where the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre has been designed to be entirely run with renewable energy and is built into the hillside to be as unobtrusive as possible.
Aillwee Caves:
Twenty miles up from Ennis, near Ballyvaughan on the north Clare coast of the Burren, is the Aillwee Cave complex and Bird of Prey Centre. Reputed to be one of the oldest caves in Ireland, the entrance sits high on a mountainside that overlooks Galway Bay. Guided tours take visitors into the caves that stretch over 2000 feet into the earth, crossing chasms and visiting the mystical frozen waterfall. On the same site is the Birds of Prey Centre, founded to help with the conservation of the Red Kite and the Asian White-Backed Vulture, which was built so visitors could interact with and find out more about these majestic birds.
Burren Perfumery and Floral Centre:
Co. Clare’s amazing Burren national park is about twelve miles north of Ennis and among its 150 square miles of unique limestone are more than seventy per cent of Ireland’s wildflowers. Therefore, forty years ago, Burren Perfumery was founded to make perfumes, balms, creams, and soaps from the surrounding organic materials by hand. Visitors are invited to explore the workshop, chat with the staff, watch a video presentation that details the manufacturing process, and browse the perfume shop. There is also a tea room that makes lunches and cakes on site.
