Clare is a county in western Ireland with terrain ranging from rolling countryside to craggy Atlantic coastline. Clare is the seventh largest of Ireland’s 32 traditional counties in area and the 19th largest in terms of population.
In this blog, I would like to cover a one-day trip that we did in June 2023, to County Clare.
We started our journey from Saggart, Dublin Ireland around 7:30 AM and returned by around 9:00 PM.
We took the following route. Its approximately 6.5 hour’s drive and 550 Kms.
[Apart from the driving time, you would also need time for sightseeing, refreshments and so on. So, you should certainly consider minimum around 13 hours for the entire journey].
Now let’s get into more details about the various stop overs:
1.Kinvarra: (Google map : Harbour House, The Quay, Dungory West, Kinvarra, County Galway)
From Saggart we started at 7:30 AM, it took around 2 hrs 15 minutes to reach Kinvarra.
Kinvara or Kinvarra is a sea port village in the southwest of County Galway, Ireland. Its a picturesque coastal village on the shores of Galway Bay.
You can also visit Dunguaire Castle enroute (not marked in the above map). It was told that this castle was build in 16th Century.
Another place that can be covered is Traught Beach. Its not mentioned in the above map and we have not visited aswell.
Approximate time that you can set aside for this destination: 30 minutes
2. Linnalla Irish Ice cream parlour: (Café Linnala):
Kinvarra to Linnalla –> 15 Minutes
This was a surprise stop over in this trip. I managed to see people mentioning about this place, when I was searching in internet to prepare an itinerary for county Clare.
Situated on the stunning Flaggy Shore along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, Bríd Fahy and her husband Roger run Linnalla Ice Cream is one of the few farmer owned and operated ice cream parlours in Ireland.
I would certainly recommend this place. The route to the cafe is quite scenic with tonnes of photography options. You should certainly visit this place to experience the beauty of the place and of course to have few scoops of ice creams aswell.
In google map, this is shown as a ‘unnamed road’ and we will get confused if we are on the correct route. But you can blindly follow google maps and it will take you to the correct destination.
There are enough parking space available near the café and there is also a very clean restroom available within this café.
If you have time, there is a nice walkway near to the café and there are few slides and swings for the little ones aswell.
Visit their website for more details (like opening times and so on)
Approximate time that you can set aside for this destination: 45 minutes (includes time for having ice cream aswell, the time doesn’t include the walking trail)
3. Fanore Beach:
Linnalla to Fanore –> 45 Minutes
The route from Linnalla to Fanore is quite scenic (will cover a lot of costal route aswell)
The small coastal village of Fanore is located where the Caher River enters the Atlantic Ocean on the edge of the world-famous Burren region.
Fanore Beach (holds a blue flag status) is a stunning sandy beach. There is a good view of the Burren from the beach.
During the summer months, the beach is lifeguarded. Don’t forget to check out the beach’s noticeboard for more information. This beach is popular for walkers, swimmers and surfers.
There is a surfing school available with equipment for hire at a reasonable cost.
There’s a large car park right next to Fanore Beach, however, it can be easy to miss when you’re driving the coast road (the scenery is incredible), so make sure to keep an eye out for the parking signs.
Was told that there are Jellyfish in this beach, but we never saw one. Its good to be a bit careful especially if you have dogs or kids with you.
There seems to be laws in place which needs to be taken care of:
- Dog-owners are required to clean up their dog poops in a public place such as public roads, footpaths, parks and beaches. Failure to do so can result in an on-the-spot fine of €150.
- Horse riding and dogs are prohibited between 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. during the summer season.
- Motorised watercraft, surfing and the use of canoes and kayaks is prohibited in close proximity to swimmers.
Approximate time that you can set aside for this destination: 30 minutes
4. Doolin Pier Point:
Fanore to Doolin pier –> 30 Minutes
NOTE: Its better to have lunch enroute or near to Doolin Pier. We brought lunch from Home and had the same at the car parking.
Doolin Pier (also known as Ballaghaline Quay) is situated in the Wild Atlantic Way. Doolin is the home of traditional Irish music. Its a nice walk down to the pier, but they’re not great for getting down to the sea itself as there’s no seashore here. Its more like a rocky beach here.
This is not a beach for swimming. But it is a beach for amazing views, listening and watching the waves crash, enjoying the sun, and admiring the dazzling geology of the coastline.
I believe the Sunset view from here will be excellent. There are high chances that you will find some Dolphins here. The pier has well maintained restrooms.
There is also lot of parking space available, and the rates are nominal (1 Euro for 0 – 2 Hours).
You have Ferry Services (operated by Doolin Ferry) from here to Aran Islands and Cliffs of Moher (closed during winter). Check their website for more details –> https://www.doolinferry.com/
We took the cliffs of Moher Ferry (2 PM). The total ferry travel time was around 45 – 50 minutes. Its better to book this ticket in advance (few days or week) so that you can avoid last minute surprises like tickets sold out and so on.
Ticket Rates: Adults (28 Euros), Senior Citizens (26 Euros) , Children 5-15 years (15 Euros).
The Cliffs of Moher is one of Ireland’s most popular visitor attractions. People say that until you see them from the ferry, you haven’t really seen them at all. I would also agree to that statement. Its indeed a great view of the cliffs from the ferry.
It is hard to take in their magnificent heights until you see them from sea level. The people walking along the trail high above appear no larger than ants!
The ferry has 2 decks. The upper deck is open and the lower deck is a closed one (except few seats at the back of the ferry). If its raining, you will get exposed to rain if you are sitting in the upper deck or at the back side of the ferry (in the lower deck) as they are open to sky.
One other issue with the open part in the lower deck is that water will splash on your face and head during high tide. There is a commentary available in the ferry, but sometimes (no, most of the times) it is not clear.
The entry route to the ferries is clearly marked. You will have to wait in a queue before boarding the ferry. If you are behind in the queue, there are chances that you might not get a seat in the upper deck. Please note that the ferry has toilet facilities aswell.
There is no requirement to wear life jackets as the ferry is large and high off the sea. You are allowed to take your own refreshments.
Approximate time that you can set aside for this destination (Doolin Pier) for photography and lunch: 45 minutes.
Also, you would need another 50 minutes to 1 hour for the ferry trip.
5. Cliffs of Moher:
The initial 2 km or so from Doolin Pier to Cliffs is a challenging one with very narrow and steeper roads. It might take 15 minutes to reach the cliffs from the pier.
One of the important things to be noted is that we need to take tickets to visit the cliffs. The price varies based on the time of the day. Its 7-10 Euros (For adults). For Children up to 12 years, it’s a free ticket.
Admission includes secure car parking, wi-fi, access to all areas including O’Brien’s Tower and the interactive Cliffs exhibition.
If you book online (at least one day in advance), you will get tickets at the discounted price.
Its always better to look into their website https://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/ to see more details like opening hours.
This is one of the most famous destination in the entire scenic wild Atlantic way. The cliffs run for around 14 kms and at some places, it rise to a maximum height of 214 metres (702 feet) above the Atlantic Ocean. It ranks one among the most visited tourist sites in Ireland, with around 1.5 million visits per annum.
You can also visit the Cliffs of Moher visitor’s center (opened in 2007). This state-of-the-art underground visitor centre features various interactive exhibits, images and displays that can be enjoyed by people of all age groups. There are some restaurants and public toilets available within this center.
There’s also a observatory tower called O’Briens Tower.
The parking area is huge. But you will have to walk a long distance to reach the cliffs from the parking area (Private vehicles).
There are safety barriers which prevents visitors from going near the cliff. However, if you keep walking away from the Visitor’s center, the barrier ends. So be a little careful and dare not to go near the edge. Already many have lost their life here.
Being one of the busiest attractions in Ireland, you are bound to find visitors all year round, however July and August are the peak months.
Approximate time that you can set aside for this destination: 2 hours
NOTE: If you have time limitations and can cover Cliffs of Moher only through one of the two options (land or sea), My personal recommendation would be to see it from Land as it gives you to real beauty of this wonderful and ginormous landscape. However if you have people with mobility/walking issues in your group, its good to opt for the sea option as they can sit back and see the cliffs from a ferry (without much walking).
6. Lahinch Beach:
This is the last stop over in this trip
Cliffs to Lahinch Beach : 15 Minutes
This is also a sandy beach will stretches around 1Km or so.
This beach (Lifeguarded) is known for surfing, sea kayaking, kite surfing and so on.
There are also several surf schools in the area, so whether you’re a seasoned pro or a beginner, you can grab a board and catch a wave.
There seems to be laws in place which needs to be taken care of:
- Dog-owners are required to clean up their dog poops in a public place such as public roads, footpaths, parks and beaches. Failure to do so can result in an on-the-spot fine of €150.
- Horse riding and dogs are prohibited between 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. during the summer season.
- Motorised watercraft, surfing and the use of canoes and kayaks is prohibited in close proximity to swimmers
Approximate time that you can set aside for this destination: 30 minutes
Further before heading to Dublin, in case if you would like to have a dinner, this can be a ideal place as there are many restaurants in this locality.
This concludes the various stops in this trip. We returned to Saggart, Dublin which was approximately 250 Kms and 2 hours 45 minutes (reached back around 9PM)
I had to do the trip to county Clare in a day and hence had to purposefully avoid few other interesting places in County Clare.
If you have time, I will strongly recommend spending minimum 2 days (&1 night) in County Clare. There are plenty of accommodation options available within the county.
Few other places that you could explore are:
The Burren National Park
Kilfenora Cathedral
Doolin Cave
Poulnabrone Dolmen
Aillwee Cave // Birds of Prey centre
Doonagore Castle
Caherconnell Stone Fort
Leamaneh Castle
Lough Inchiquin
Clare Heritage Centre
Cliffs of Kilkee
Corkscrew Hill
Loophead cliffs/peninsula
Aran Islands
Black Head cliffs
Bridges of Ross
Corcomroe Abbey (Sunset)
Scattery islands
Shannon ferry from Clare to Kerry
There are many walking trails aswell, within county Clare.
Hope you enjoyed reading my blog. I would like you to try out this itinerary and let me know your comments!
