Holiday Homes in County Clare

Clare is a beautifully scenic county with a coastline in the west of Ireland making it one of Ireland’s larger tourist destinations. Visitors never cease to wonder at the ever-changing sights that surprise and delight in this county forming part of the province of Munster, from the majestic Cliffs of Moher, through to the lunar landscape of the Burren.

Clare is home to Shannon airport and the county town of Ennis is swathed in history. Other Clare attractions include Bunratty Castle & Folk Park, and the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival (N.B. the famous Lisdoonvarna music festival is sadly now defunct, but the pubs of nearby Doolin keep up the traditional Irish music links of the area). A large part of the Lough Derg pleasure lake falls within County Clare also.

Use this site to find your perfect holiday rental, whether it be a traditional thatched cottage or a modern property with free wifi. Popular destinations include Ballyvaughan, Lahinch, Doonbeg, Kilkee, Spanish Point and Liscannor.

Music in County Clare

County Clare has a strong history of Traditional music. It is home of the Kilfenora Céilí Band, Stockton’s Wing, Sharon Shannon, Eoin O’Neill, Eamon Cotter, Peadar O’Loughlin, Martin Hayes and legendary tin-whistlist Micho Russell. Ennis in County Clare is also the birthplace of Grammy-nominated songtress Maura O’Connell whose grandmother started a fish market in the Town. The county has many traditional music festivals and one of the most well known is the Willie Clancy Summer School, which is held every July in the town of Miltown Malbay in memory of the renowned uilleann piper, Willie Clancy. Contemporary music from Co. Clare includes The Walls who are from Ennistymon (former members of The Stunning). Miltown Malbay is also home to Oidhreacht an Chlair, an institute for higher education in all aspects of Irish tradition, history and literature.

Golf in County Clare

Clare has 11 golf courses ranging from world renowned seaside links to parkland courses, providing a variety of challenges to any handicap. Most are playable all year round. The 18-hole championship course at Lahinch has the “Klondyke” and the “Dell” holes, numbered among the most famous in golf. Other 18-hole courses in the region include, Gort, Dromoland, Bodyke, Ennis, Woodstock, Shannon, Kilkee, Kilrush, Doonbeg, Galway Bay and Connemara Golf Club in Oughterard.

Mountshannon has a 9 hole course, as does Portumna. The following are par-three golf courses: Rosshill Golf Course at Roscam, Ennis, Kilrush, Liscannor, Sixmile Bridge, Lisdoonvarna and Lahinch.  There are many pitch & putt courses in Clare some of which are to be found in Mountshannon, Killaloe, Kilmurry, Ennis and Shannon.

Cliffs of Moher

Located on county Clare’s West coast, the Cliffs stretch for 8 km /5 miles and 214 meters/700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. The Cliffs have existed for millennia and for centuries have attracted visitors who have been captivated by their splendour and majesty. You can visit O’Brien’s Tower, built in 1835 to accommodate guests who were visiting the cliffs even back then.

The Burren

The Burren National Park is located in the southeastern corner of the Burren and is approximately 1500 hectares in size. The Park land was bought by the Government for nature conservation and public access. It contains examples of all the major habitats within the Burren: Limestone Pavement, Calcareous Grassland, Hazel scrub, Ash/Hazel Woodland, Turloughs, Lakes, Petrifying Springs, Cliffs and Fen.

The word “Burren” comes from an Irish word “Boíreann” meaning a rocky place. This is an extremely appropriate name when you consider the lack of soil cover and the extent of exposed Limestone Pavement. However it has been referred to in the past as “Fertile rock” due to the mixture of nutrient rich herb and floral species

Bunratty Castle

Bunratty Castle is the most complete and authentic medieval fortress in Ireland. Built in 1425 it was restored to its former medieval splendour in 1954,  and now contains mainly 15th and 16th century furnishings, tapestries, and works of art, capturing the mood of those times.

At Bunratty Folk Park you’ll experience a living reconstruction of the homes and environment of the Ireland of over a century ago. Set on 26 acres, the impressive park features over 30 buildings in a ‘living village’ and rural setting.

Poulnabrone Dolmen

Situated on the high Burren limestone plateau, Poulnabrone Dolmen is one of Ireland’s most iconic archaeological monuments and is the second most visited location in the Burren after the Cliffs of Moher. It is the oldest dated megalithic monument in Ireland.