Things to do in County Clare

Burratty Castle Clare is widely appreciated by travellers who enjoy discovering striking natural scenery. Even during busier periods there are usually quieter corners where the scenery can be appreciated at a slower pace. The surrounding landscape provides a strong sense of place that helps visitors understand the character of the region. The atmosphere can shift dramatically depending on the weather, with bright sunlight revealing colours and textures that are easy to miss on overcast days. The surrounding landscape changes beautifully with the seasons, giving the location a slightly different character throughout the year. Many visitors return repeatedly because each visit offers something slightly different. Visitors often find themselves spending far longer here than expected because the scenery invites slow exploration. Photographers often appreciate the changing light conditions, particularly during sunrise and sunset. The location works particularly well as part of a wider scenic journey through the region. Local walking routes and nearby viewpoints make it a rewarding place to explore on foot. Wandering around the area reveals small details that are easily missed when simply passing through. Because of its setting, Burratty Castle Clare often becomes one of the highlights of a day spent exploring the surrounding region.

Knappogue Castle can be found 17 miles from Shannon in a pleasant open countryside setting amongst the hills of County Clare. The castle is a fully restored medieval tower house in just over an acre of gardens which have also been replanted with climbing roses, grapevines and a collection of clematis growing over the tall walls. Facilities From May until September Knappogue Castle and Gardens are open for the public to freely wander around during the daytime. The castle also offers a nightly Medieval Banquet experience, with an evening of traditional song and dance following in the footsteps of the castle's previous owners. From October until April the castle is transformed into a wedding venue with private blessings available in the castle's chapel and receptions in the Great Hall. The bridal suite, situated in one of the castle's wings, boasts five bedrooms and is furnished with period furniture and a welcoming open fire. In another part of the castle grounds overlooking the formal gardens there is a luxury self contained apartment available to rent. Accommodating up to ten people in five bedrooms, the two storey apartment offers a fully equipped kitchen, drawing room and dining room and the highlight of each morning is a full Irish Breakfast. Knappogue castle was built by Sean MacNamara in 1467 and became the home of the MacNamara clan leader Donagh who led the Irish rebellion in 1641. The castle remained with the family until it was confiscated by Cromwell's soldiers and granted to Arthur Smith a 'Roundhead', but in 1660 the castle was returned once more to the MacNamara clan. The castle was sold to the Scotts in 1800 who extended it considerably and restored the parts that had been damaged due to fighting. The restoration work was continued by the castles' next owner Lord Dunboyne in 1855. During the War of Independence the castle was occupied by Clare County Council and then left in a state of disrepair. During the 1920's the castle was abandoned and the land leased to a local farmer who was eventually awarded the castle as compensation for the loss of one of his cows which was killed in the ruins. The last occupants of the castle were the Andrews family from Houston in Texas who purchased the property in 1966. Lavonne Andrews; the Hon. Mark Andrews' wife, was a prominent architect and was responsible for fully restoring the castle into its original sate of the 15th Century. In 1996 the castle was sold to Shannon Developments. It is said that during the castle's history many heads of state have stayed as guests of the castles owners including Ronald Regan and Charles de Gaulle.

The name, Doonbeg, is derived from Dun Beag, meaning, the small fort. It is a village in West Clare on the Atlantic coast situated between Kilkee and Miltown Malbay. The area was officially classified as part of the West Clare Gaeltacht , an Irish-speaking community , until 1956.It is in the civil parish of Killard and part of the parish of Doonbeg. Ownership. The Village grew up around Doonbeg Castle which was built by Philip MacSheeda Mor Mac Con in the 16th century for the Earl of Thomond. Turlough MacMahon of West Corca Baiscinn took it in 1585. After his death in 1595 at the end of a fierce siege, the castle was surrendered again to the O’Brien’s who, as victors, hanged the entire garrison back to back. O’Brien, a supporter of Queen Elizabeth, received a grant of most of Tadhg Caoch MacMahon’s (heir of Turlough) property, including the castle. O’Brien, Earl of Thomond, had possession in 1619 when he gave it to James Comyn. Nicholas Strich Fitznicholas of Limerick, also put in a claim for the castle, as Nicholas Strich’s heir, around this time. It was confiscated by the Crown for failure to repay debts in 1688 and sold in 1703. Design. When T. J. Westropp visited the castle in 1893, it stood 60 feet high with a frontage of 45 feet from west to east and a depth of 33 feet from south to north. By that time it lacked gables, battlements and chimneys. Despite its condition, seven families lived in the tower. In 1907 two families lived there and when Westropp returned a few years later, a man occupied one of the small western rooms. Up to 1930 it was occupied and and one of its occupants was a schoolmaster named Michael Scanlan. Locals used its upper floor with its mossy overgrowth as a picnic spot since it afforded privacy and beautiful views. In September of 1939, the castle was in a dangerous condition due to the effects of nature and the crumbling of the river bank. Sadly, most of the castle has come down, leaving only the north-western corner standing. There has been no appreciable structural changes in the last 40 years and it remains today a strong link with Ireland’s rich heritage

The O'Brien Tower is built on a headland of the Cliffs of Moher near the village of Doolin overlooking Galway Bay 6 miles from Lisdoonvarna in the west of Ireland. The shale and sandstone cliffs are one of Ireland's major tourist sites rising from 394 feet at Hags Head to the highest point five miles away which is just north of O'Brien's Tower at 702 feet. The three storey castellated observation tower is built of grey stone and is situated in open surroundings. It has been fully restored after months of conservation work. Facilities Visitors can use the tower's top floor viewing platform for long reaching views over the bay and out towards the Twelve Bens mountain range; also known as the Twelve Pins, in Connemara, Loop Head at the southern tip of County Clare and the Aran Islands to the west. The castle also has a gift shop and a gallery for local artists on the first floor. The tower is open daily and access to the viewing platform is via a spiral staircase. It is also possible to have exclusive use of the first floor and roof of the tower (not usually available during the peak tourist season between June and August) for private functions, renewal of vows and wedding blessings, when castle staff can also arrange musicians and storytellers. Visitors to the tower can also take in the 'Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience' which is built into the hillside nearby and learn about the geology, flora and fauna of the area including some of the oldest rocks at the bottom of the cliffs where a channel has been cut by a river 300 million years old. The tower was built as an observation tower for the hundreds of Victorian tourists visiting the area by a local man Sir Cornelius O'Brien; a descendent of the Kings of Thomond from Bunratty Castle and The High King of Ireland Brian Borou, in 1835. He was famous for being one of the first people in the area to exploit tourism hoping to bring much needed revenue to the local economy. He was also responsible for building a wall along the cliffs using Moher flagstones and got a reputation of being 'the person who built everything apart from the cliffs'. On his death in 1857 he was buried in the O'Brien vault which adjoins St Brigid's Well at Liscannor. The Arts The Cliff of Moher have featured in many films amongst them 'The Princess Bride' (1987) and 'Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince' (2009). The ashes of Dusty Springfield were also scattered at the cliffs.

Bunratty Castle is situated alongside the River Ratty in the centre of the village between Shannon and Cork which are only 7 miles away. The castle is a large single tower house over five floors, built in grey stone. It is the most authentically restored and complete medieval fortresses in Ireland and situated within a folk park of 26 acres. Facilities The main attraction to visitors of Bunratty Castle is the collection of medieval furniture and objects with over 450 pieces on display. All the articles are genuine, not reproductions. There are knowledgeable guides to talk about both the pieces and life for the castles occupants. The castle is open all year (with the exception of Christmas and good Friday) and closes at 16:00 to prepare for the nightly banquet; tickets are available separately. The castle does not have its own restaurants or gift shop but they can all be found (along with a traditional pub) within the folk park. The first stone castle to be built on the site was in the 1270's by Thomas De Clare. In 1318 his son Richard was killed in battle and the castle and nearby town totally destroyed. The King of England restored Bunratty only for it to be demolished by Irish chieftains 14 years later when it was left in ruins for over 20 years and then rebuilt by Sir Thomas Rokeby before yet another attack by the Irish. Today's castle was built around 1425 by the MacNamara family. During a battle in 1475 it fell into the hands of the O'Brien clan who were granted the title of 'Earls of Thomond' by Henry VIII but later surrendered Bunratty to Cromwell's troops. The last family to live at Bunratty was the Studdart family; they left in 1804 when it fell into disrepair. In 1954 Viscount Lord Gort purchased the castle and restored it with the help of the Tourist Board and Government. In 1960 it was opened to the public as a national monument and is now managed by Shannon Heritage.

The Cliffs of Moher on the Atlantic coast of County Clare are among the most spectacular natural features in Ireland and one of the most visited tourist attractions in the country, a section of coastline approximately eight kilometres long where the Namurian shale and sandstone cliffs rise to over 214 metres at their highest point above O'Brien's Tower and plunge dramatically into the ocean below. The combination of the sheer cliff faces, the movement of the sea against the rock base, the enormous diversity of breeding seabirds on the ledges and the views south toward the Aran Islands and the Twelve Bens of Connemara makes the Cliffs of Moher one of the most powerful natural spectacles in the British Isles. The cliffs support one of the largest seabird colonies in Ireland, with approximately 30,000 breeding pairs including puffins, razorbills, guillemots, kittiwakes, choughs and fulmars occupying the cliff faces from spring through early autumn. The puffin colony, concentrated in areas of softer rock where burrowing is possible, is particularly popular with visitors, and the close proximity at which puffins can be observed from the clifftop walking path makes the Cliffs of Moher one of the most reliable seabird watching destinations in Ireland. O'Brien's Tower, built in 1835 as a viewing point for Victorian tourists by the landowner Cornelius O'Brien, marks the highest accessible section and provides the most dramatic perspective over the full extent of the cliffs. The cliff top walking path extending from the main visitor area in both directions provides a more immersive experience of the coastline, with the sounds and smells of the colony present throughout and the Atlantic light changing the character of the view at every hour of the day. The Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience provides interpretive displays about the geology, ecology and cultural history of the site, and the combination of the cliffs with the Burren landscape immediately inland, one of the most remarkable limestone karst landscapes in Europe, creates a day of exceptional natural and archaeological variety.

Gleninagh Castle is a remarkably well-preserved tower house situated on the southern shore of Galway Bay, on the Burren peninsula in County Clare, in the west of Ireland. Despite the database entry listing it as being in the Midlands/Dublin area, the coordinates 53.13769, -9.20594 place this castle firmly on the northwestern edge of the Burren, close to the village of Ballyvaughan, and it is very much a western seaboard landmark rather than a midlands one. It stands as one of the finest surviving examples of a late medieval Irish tower house, and its position — perched almost at the water's edge with the stark grey limestone pavements of the Burren rising dramatically behind it — makes it one of the most photographed and atmospherically compelling castle ruins in Ireland. It is a free, open-access site with no formal visitor infrastructure, which in many ways adds to its appeal and gives the experience a raw, unmediated quality that more managed heritage sites cannot replicate. The castle was built in the sixteenth century and is most closely associated with the O'Lochlainn clan, one of the Gaelic Irish dynasties who held sway over this part of the Burren for centuries. The O'Lochlainns were a branch of the Dal Cais, the powerful sept from which Brian Boru himself descended, and their control over this stretch of coastline gave them considerable strategic and economic importance, as Galway Bay was a major artery of trade and movement. The tower house at Gleninagh was their stronghold during the turbulent later medieval period, and it remained in use and in relatively good condition long after many comparable structures had fallen into complete ruin. A small bawn wall — an enclosing defensive courtyard — survives in partial form around the base of the tower, which is characteristic of fortified residences of this type and period. The castle continued to be inhabited into the seventeenth century, and there are accounts of it being occupied as recently as the 1840s, which partly explains why its fabric has survived so well compared to comparable buildings. Physically, Gleninagh Castle is a tall, narrow, rectangular tower house of four or five storeys, built in the rough grey limestone that characterises virtually all construction on the Burren. The walls are thick and largely intact to their full original height, and the stepped Irish battlements at the roofline are still clearly defined, giving the structure a silhouette that reads as unmistakably medieval even from a considerable distance. Up close, the masonry has a wonderful texture — the limestone blocks are laid in the irregular but highly skilled fashion typical of Gaelic Irish tower houses, and centuries of weathering have given the surface a patinated, almost silvery quality in certain lights. The interior is not formally accessible for safety reasons, but the exterior and the bawn area can be walked around freely. The setting amplifies every sensory aspect of the visit: the sound of water lapping or crashing on the rocky shoreline just metres away, the wind coming in off Galway Bay, and the vast silence of the Burren limestone behind create an experience that is quietly overwhelming. The surrounding landscape is among the most extraordinary in Europe. The Burren — whose name derives from the Irish Boireann, meaning rocky place — is a karst limestone plateau of some 250 square kilometres, a landscape of grey pavements, rare wildflowers, ancient monuments and an almost lunar quality of light. Around Gleninagh Castle specifically, the terrain shifts dramatically from the flat coastal margin to steep terraced slopes rising almost immediately behind the building, and the visual contrast between the grey castle, the grey limestone, the blue-green of the bay and, on clear days, the outline of the Aran Islands and the hills of Connemara across the water is genuinely breathtaking. The coastal road along which the castle sits — the R477 — runs through one of the most scenic stretches of the entire Wild Atlantic Way, and nearby attractions include the village of Ballyvaughan a few kilometres to the east, the Burren National Park, Corcomroe Abbey, and the celebrated Aillwee Cave and Birds of Prey Centre. The whole area is rich in Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments as well, including the famous portal dolmen at Poulnabrone, which lies only a short drive south into the Burren interior. For visitors, Gleninagh Castle is easy to reach by car along the coastal road between Ballyvaughan and Fanore, and there is a small informal parking area near the site. There is no entry fee, no visitor centre, and no formal opening hours — the exterior is effectively accessible at any time, though visiting during daylight is obviously advisable both for safety and to appreciate the setting. The ground around the castle and the bawn area can be uneven and wet, so sturdy footwear is recommended. The best times to visit are in the shoulder seasons of spring and autumn, when the famous Burren wildflowers are at their most spectacular and the light has a quality particularly suited to photography, but summer visits have the advantage of long evenings and the possibility of sitting by the shore after exploring the castle. Because it lacks formal visitor infrastructure, the site rarely becomes crowded, and it is entirely possible to have the place entirely to yourself, particularly on weekday mornings or in the off-season, which is a rarity for a site of this quality and historical significance in modern Ireland. One of the more fascinating aspects of Gleninagh Castle is how its survival tells a quiet story of continuity — not dramatic sieges or famous battles, but simply the slow passage of time in a relatively undisturbed corner of Ireland. While countless other tower houses across the country were demolished for building material, slighted by Cromwellian forces, or simply allowed to collapse through neglect, Gleninagh retained enough functional use for enough centuries that its fabric was maintained by the people who lived near it. The O'Lochlainn connection also links the site to a very deep layer of Irish history: this family's presence in the Burren predates the Anglo-Norman invasion of the twelfth century and stretches back into the early medieval period, meaning the landscape around this castle has been shaped by continuous human occupation and cultural memory for well over a thousand years. That sense of accumulated time, combined with the wild and elemental character of the Burren shore, makes Gleninagh Castle not just a heritage asset but a place where the textures of Irish history feel genuinely close to the surface.

Leamaneh Castle is a striking and evocative ruined fortification situated in the heart of the Burren, one of the most extraordinary limestone landscapes in Europe, in County Clare, Ireland. It stands at the junction of several routes crossing that remarkable karst plateau, and its imposing silhouette — a tall tower house fused with the remains of a later manor house — makes it one of the most visually arresting ruins in the west of Ireland. The castle is notable both for its architectural interest, representing a transitional moment between medieval tower-house construction and early modern domestic building, and for its associations with one of the most colourful and fiercely remembered figures in Clare's history. For anyone travelling through the Burren, Leamaneh is far more than a roadside ruin; it is a place that seems to concentrate the wild, defiant spirit of the region. The origins of the castle lie in the fifteenth century, when the O'Brien clan, the dominant Gaelic lords of Thomond, constructed a tower house on this commanding position overlooking the Burren. The name Leamaneh derives from the Irish Léim an Eich, meaning "the horse's leap," a name whose precise origin is uncertain but which speaks to the dramatic, rocky terrain surrounding the site. The castle was substantially enlarged and transformed in the mid-seventeenth century, when a four-storey fortified manor house was appended to the original tower, creating the hybrid structure visible today. This expansion is attributed to Conor O'Brien and, crucially, to his formidable wife, Máire Rua — "Red Mary" — Ní Mahon, a woman who became one of the most legendary figures in Clare folklore. Máire Rua O'Brien is the figure most inseparably linked to Leamaneh, and her story is as violent, resourceful and morally complex as the landscape she inhabited. When Conor O'Brien was mortally wounded fighting for the Confederate Catholic cause during the wars of the 1640s, Máire Rua is said to have had his dying body brought to the castle gates, whereupon — according to legend — she refused to admit him until he was confirmed dead, to avoid associating the household with a rebel cause already lost. After his death, she reportedly married a Cromwellian officer, John Cooper, within days, a pragmatic act of survival that allowed her to retain her lands and protect her children. She is credited in folklore with having executed numerous husbands and servants from the battlements, though historians rightly treat most of these stories as later embellishment. What is not disputed is that she was a woman of exceptional tenacity and political cunning in an era that offered women little protection or power. Physically, Leamaneh is a ruin of great drama and melancholy. The older tower house, dating to around 1480, rises sturdily from the limestone, its walls still thick and imposing. Attached to it, the seventeenth-century manor house is more skeletal — its large mullioned windows, characteristic of the plantation-era gentry house, now frame only sky, and the interior floors and roof are entirely gone. The façade of the manor, however, retains enough detail to give a vivid impression of what must once have been a relatively grand residence by the standards of Connacht and Munster. The stonework is weathered to a soft grey-gold, encrusted in places with lichen, and on certain days the light of the west of Ireland falls across it in a way that makes the ruin seem almost luminous. It sits beside the road without fanfare or fencing, immediate and exposed to the elements. The surrounding landscape is the Burren itself, and no description of Leamaneh is complete without conveying the strangeness and beauty of this environment. The Burren is a vast plateau of Carboniferous limestone, its surface fissured into grikes and clints, almost entirely treeless but carpeted in spring and early summer with an improbable abundance of wildflowers — Mediterranean orchids, mountain avens, gentians — flourishing in the cracks and sheltered pockets of the rock. The light here has a particular quality, reflective and cool, and the silence on a still day is remarkable, broken only by wind, birdsong and the occasional distant bleating of sheep. Within a few kilometres of Leamaneh lie some of the most significant prehistoric and early historic monuments in Ireland, including the Poulnabrone dolmen, one of the country's most photographed megalithic portal tombs, and the great stone fort of Caherconnell. The village of Kilfenora, with its early ecclesiastical site and high crosses, is also close by, as is Lisdoonvarna, the spa town famous for its matchmaking festival. Visiting Leamaneh Castle is straightforward and free of charge, as the ruin stands directly beside the R480 road, one of the principal routes through the Burren connecting Corofin to the south with Ballyvaughan to the north. There is a small lay-by where vehicles can be pulled off the road. There is no visitor centre, no admission fee, no guided tour and no formal management of the site, which is part of its appeal and also a reason to exercise caution — the structure is genuinely ruinous and potentially unstable in places, so visitors approach at their own risk. The best time to visit is spring or early summer, when the Burren wildflowers are at their peak and the light is long and dramatic, though the castle has its own bleak grandeur in winter mist. Autumn can also be quietly beautiful. The castle is easily combined with a walk or drive taking in Poulnabrone and Caherconnell within the same half-day. One of the more curious and little-remarked aspects of Leamaneh is how thoroughly it escapes the usual packaging of Irish heritage tourism. There is no interpretive board telling you what to feel, no tearoom, no gift shop. The castle simply stands there beside the road as it has for centuries, accumulating weather and legend in equal measure. It appears on the old Ordnance Survey maps of the region essentially as it appears today, a fixture of the Burren's human geography as fundamental as the limestone itself. The story of Máire Rua, whatever the truth behind the folklore, has ensured that the castle retains a psychological charge that purely architectural ruins sometimes lack — there is a sense, standing before those empty mullioned windows, that the place remembers something fierce and unresolved. For a traveller with any curiosity about the layered and often turbulent history of the west of Ireland, Leamaneh repays a stop without reservation.

Dromoland Castle is situated 8 miles from Shannon in the west of Ireland. It is set in over 400 acres of landscaped grounds on the side of a lake. The castle is approached by a long sweeping drive from the lodge. It is a gothic revival or Baronial building made entirely from dark blue limestone with four irregular castellated turrets and a later Queen Anne addition. The castle is set in formal gardens with the lake to the west. Facilities Dromoland Castle is now a 5 star hotel offing facilities such as a championship golf course, many country sports as well as a spa and falconry centre. It has 98 bedrooms all decorated in a French style with luxurious furnishings and bathrooms. There are two restaurants; the Earl of Thomomd dining room overlooking the lake and the fig tree restaurant adjacent to the rose garden. During the evening the Library hosts a cocktail bar with music in the form of Irish Ballads. The first building on the site was by Thomas MacAnerheny in the late 15th, early 16th century and was a tower house similar to Bunratty. It was home to the O'Brien family for eight generations. During 1543 the castle was rebuilt by Murrough O'Brien and over one hundred years later the most powerful branch of the family moved to Dromoland. In 1730 Sir Edward built the turret on the hill opposite to allow him to watch his racehorses and the second Queen Anne style castle was built on the estate which included a quadrangle courtyard and guestrooms. In 1800's the present main gothic building of the castle was rebuilt. In 1921 the IRA called for the destruction of the castle but the decision was reversed and the O'Brien's remained in residence but in 1948 were forced to take paying guests to keep the castle running. It was eventually sold in 1962 to Bernard McDonough; an American of Irish ancestry with the O'Brien's still keeping part of the estate to continue to run the farm and sporting activities. The new owner ordered major renovations and today a consortium of Irish American investors owns the castle and estate.

Fanore Beach on the Clare coast at the northern edge of the Burren is one of the finest beaches in the west of Ireland, a long sandy strand backed by extensive dunes that faces northwest into Galway Bay and receives the Atlantic swell that provides consistent surfing conditions throughout the year. The combination of the beach quality, the surf, the dramatic limestone landscape of the Burren rising immediately behind the dunes and the views across the bay to the Aran Islands and the Connemara mountains creates one of the most visually striking beach settings available in the west of Ireland. The dune system at Fanore is one of the most important in County Clare, the extensive marram-stabilised dunes providing habitat for the diverse dune flora characteristic of the interface between the Atlantic dune environment and the limestone pavement of the Burren. The rare orchids and other specialist plants of the Burren extend into the dune grassland at Fanore, creating a botanical richness unusual in a beach dune environment. The surf at Fanore is among the most consistent on the Clare coast, the northwest-facing aspect and the relatively shallow approach to the beach creating waves of reasonable size for much of the year, with the autumn and winter swells providing the best conditions for experienced surfers. The combination of the beach, the surf and the extraordinary Burren landscape behind makes Fanore one of the most distinctive and most rewarding coastal destinations in the west of Ireland.

The castle is built on a rocky outcrop, 3 miles south of Corofin, and 7 miles north of Ennis in the west of Ireland. Dysert O'Dea Castle is a fully restored castellated Gaelic Tower house built in grey stone over four floors. It is situated on an archaeological site with twenty five other field monuments. Facilities Clare Archaeology Centre is now housed in the Dysert O'Dea Castle. Within the castle's ten rooms are many displays of local artifacts dating back to 1000BC, a medieval carpenter and mason's workshop and 'The Modern History Room' with objects from 1700AD up until 2000AD. The castle also has its own audio visual presentation and perhaps one of the most popular activities is the walk along the roof with views over the surrounding countryside. Also on the site is the Dysert O'Dea church from the 12th century with the remains of a round tower and St. Tola's High Cross. The cross also dates back to the 12th century and is said to be one of the finest examples of this kind of structure in Ireland. The castle is also part of the Archeology and History trail which takes in all twenty five points of interest within the site. The castle has its own tearoom and bookshop and is open daily between 1st May to 30th September between 10am and 6pm. It was on this site in 1318 that the Battle of Dysert O'Dea was fought and was responsible for the departure of the Anglo Normans from the area for over 200 years. The castle was built some 162 years later, in 1480 by Lord Cineal Fearmaic, Dairnuid O'Dea and during the war with Cromwell sustained heavy damage. In 1968 whilst on a holiday in the area an American, John O'Day, discovered the ruins of the castle up for sale and purchased them. He started work on the castle's restoration in 1971 and by 1983 it was finished. Since 1986 it has been used as the archeological centre for the area.

Carrigaholt Castle is a tower house of considerable age and presence, standing on a narrow promontory that juts into the mouth of the Shannon Estuary on the southern shore of the Loop Head Peninsula in County Clare. It is one of the best-preserved examples of a late medieval tower house in the west of Ireland, and its dramatic positioning — with water on three sides and wide views across the estuary toward County Kerry — makes it one of the more compelling and atmospheric historic sites in the region. The castle is a Protected Structure and a Recorded Monument, recognised for both its architectural integrity and its historical significance to the story of the Clare coastline and the powerful Gaelic families who once dominated it. The castle was built in the late fifteenth century, most likely around 1480, by the McMahon clan, who were the ruling Gaelic lords of this part of Clare at the time. The McMahons used the site to control maritime traffic on the Shannon, one of the most strategically important waterways in Ireland, and the castle served simultaneously as a residence, a military stronghold, and a statement of territorial power. The location at the village of Carrigaholt — whose Irish name, Carraig an Chabhaltaigh, translates roughly as "the rock of the fleet" or "the rock of the harbour" — reflects its deep association with seafaring and the control of water routes. The castle later passed through several hands following the decline of Gaelic power in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and it is strongly associated with the O'Brien family, the powerful Thomond dynasty, who held much of County Clare during the Tudor period. One of the most frequently recalled historical episodes connected to the site is the arrival in Carrigaholt Bay of ships from the Spanish Armada in September 1588. Several vessels of the scattered and storm-battered fleet sought shelter in the estuary after the catastrophic failure of the invasion attempt, and local tradition holds that the castle was occupied at this time by Boetius Clancy, the High Sheriff of Clare, who used his position to have the surviving Spanish sailors executed — a grim episode that echoes the broader brutality visited upon Armada survivors along the Irish Atlantic coast. Physically, the castle is a five-storey rectangular tower house built of roughly coursed limestone rubble, typical of the construction style favoured by Gaelic and Hiberno-Norman lords in the west of Ireland during the medieval period. The walls are impressively thick at the base and taper slightly as the structure rises. The tower retains much of its original fabric including internal features such as stone stairs, corbelled details, and window embrasures, and it stands to something close to its original height. A later bawn wall — the defensive enclosure that would have surrounded the tower and contained ancillary buildings — remains partially visible at ground level around the base of the structure. When you stand near the castle on a calm day, you hear the lapping and surge of tidal water very close by, the cries of seabirds overhead, and the low ambient hum of the estuary wind. In stormy weather, which is not uncommon on this exposed peninsula, the site becomes elemental and raw, with waves breaking against the rocky point and spray visible across the inlet. The stone has the characteristic grey-green weathering of Atlantic limestone, mottled with lichen, and the overall impression is of a structure that has grown into its landscape over centuries rather than been placed upon it. The surrounding landscape is one of the defining features of visiting Carrigaholt. The Loop Head Peninsula is one of the least visited and most scenically rewarding corners of Ireland, a narrow finger of land extending westward into the Atlantic between the Shannon Estuary to the south and the open ocean to the north. The village of Carrigaholt itself is small and quiet, with a pier, a scattering of houses, and a handful of local amenities including a pub. The estuary views from the promontory are exceptional — on a clear day you can see across to the hills of Kerry, and the quality of light on the water changes dramatically through the course of a day. The area is particularly well known for its bottlenose dolphin population; a resident pod of Shannon Estuary dolphins, one of the only known resident populations of bottlenose dolphins in Irish waters, is regularly seen in the waters around Carrigaholt, and dolphin-watching boat trips depart from the pier. The wider Loop Head Peninsula is dotted with other points of interest including the dramatic sea cliffs at Loop Head itself, several early Christian sites, and the lighthouse at the tip of the peninsula. In terms of practical visiting information, Carrigaholt Castle is freely accessible as an outdoor heritage site, and visitors can walk around the exterior and along the promontory at any time. Access to the interior is more limited and has historically depended on whether guided tours or seasonal opening arrangements are in place through Clare County Council or local heritage initiatives — it is worth checking current arrangements before visiting. The castle is reached via the R487 road that runs along the southern shore of the Loop Head Peninsula from Kilkee, and the village of Carrigaholt is clearly signposted. There is informal parking near the pier and the castle itself. The site is best visited between late spring and early autumn when weather conditions are more favourable, though the off-season has its own appeal for those who enjoy dramatic coastal scenery without crowds. The ground around the castle can be uneven and muddy in wet weather, so appropriate footwear is advisable. Public transport to this remote peninsula is limited, and a car is effectively necessary for most visitors. The nearest larger town is Kilkee, approximately twelve kilometres to the northeast. One of the more unusual aspects of Carrigaholt Castle's story is the way it encapsulates the overlapping worlds of Gaelic Ireland, Tudor conquest, Atlantic trade, and maritime catastrophe all within a single modest structure on a remote Clare headland. The Armada connection alone — those battered Spanish galleons seeking shelter within sight of the very tower that still stands — gives the site a poignant weight that goes beyond its physical scale. The name of the bay itself, "rock of the fleet," may predate the Armada by centuries, suggesting that Carrigaholt was a recognised anchorage long before the sixteenth century, possibly used by Viking, Norman, or earlier Gaelic seafarers. The Shannon Estuary dolphins, visible from the same waterfront where McMahon lords once watched trading vessels and military threats approach, add a living and natural dimension to the site that makes a visit feel layered and unexpectedly rich for somewhere so far from the main tourist circuits of Ireland.

Newtown Castle is set in open countryside 1.5 miles south west of Ballynaughan in the west of Ireland. From the top of the castle it is possible to see Galway Bay, Connemara and Corkscrew hill. The castle is a five storey fortified circular tower house set on a square pyramid base giving the impression of a rocket ship. The castle has been restored and it is possible to visit all levels of the tower via a spiral staircase. The ground floor boasts a dome vaulted ceiling and walls that are over twelve feet thick in places; this is originally where the food would have been stored. The first floor has narrow windows which were used for defence and the second floor has a small door opening onto the outside; 30 feet down, where the occupants could have climbed down a ladder as an escape route. The towers main hall also has a dome vaulted ceiling and a balcony looking out over the countryside beyond and the top floor has a new conical oak roof. Facilities The castle is open to the public all year from 10am until 6pm with tours available. The top floor now being used as a gallery for the nearby Burren College of Art. The castle is also a good place to start the Newtown Nature Trail a guided walk of just under a mile. Newtown Castle was built in the 16th century by part of the O'Brien clan. The castle then passed to the local O'Loughlin (also spelt O'Lochlainn or O'Loghlen) family. In the 1830's the castle was home to Charles O'Loughlin who was given the title locally of the 'King of Burren', later his son Peter took over in the 19th century as the 'Prince of Burren'. The family remained there until the end of the 1800's when the castle fell into ruins. In the 1990s, restoration of the castle began and in 1994 fifteen craftsmen took seventy two days to complete a new roof cone made of seven tonnes of Irish oak.

The Burren in County Clare is one of the most extraordinary landscapes in Europe, an extensive area of Carboniferous limestone pavement covering approximately 250 square kilometres whose combination of the grey stone stretching to the horizon, remarkable botanical diversity growing in the rock fissures and dense concentration of prehistoric monuments creates a landscape quite unlike any other in Ireland or Britain. The Burren means the rocky place in Irish, and the name does not begin to capture the otherworldly quality of a place that supports both Arctic-alpine and Mediterranean plants growing side by side. The botanical interest is unique in Europe. The grykes, deep fissures in the limestone pavement, create a microclimate of shelter and stable temperature that allows plants with very different natural distributions to grow together. Spring gentians, mountain avens, bloody cranesbill, maidenhair fern and many orchid species coexist here, their presence reflecting the meeting of Atlantic, Arctic-alpine and Mediterranean climatic influences in this specific landscape. The archaeological density is equally remarkable, with megalithic tombs, ring forts and early Christian sites concentrated across the limestone pavement. The Poulnabrone portal tomb is the most celebrated and most photographed prehistoric monument in Clare. The Aillwee Cave and the Burren National Park visitor facilities provide excellent interpretation and access to this exceptional and otherworldly landscape.

Doonagore Castle is situated on a hill about half way between the village of Doolin and the Cliffs of Moher on the County Clare coast. The castle is a round tower house with a small courtyard enclosed by a defensive wall. With its elevated position overlooking Doolin Point, the castle serves as a navigational landmark for boats approaching Doolin Pier. Facilities Doonagore Castle is a private holiday home, and not open to the public. Doonagore Castle was built in the 16th century, although an earlier castle stood on the site since the 1300s. The castle was granted to Sir Turlough O'Brien of Ennistymon in 1582. During the retreat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, one of the fleeing Spanish ships was shipwrecked off the coast and 170 survivors were captured and hanged at Doonagore Castle. The castle had started to fall into disrepair by the early 1800s, and was repaired by Counselor Gore, but again deteriorated by the middle of the 19th century. In the 1970's, it was restored by architect Rex MacGovern for an American buyer named O'Gorman. The castle is still owned by the O'Gorman family.