The village of Lahinch is situated beside the Sea on the tip of North Clare. Travelling from Milltown Malbay to Lahinch there are many fine views of Liscannor Bay and the surrounding countryside. It was through this area that the fabled West Clare Railway ran from Ennis all the way to Kilkee and Moyasta.

The great popular composer, Percy French wrote a parody on the railway which caused him to miss an engagement in Kilkee once. He describes Lahinch “In Lahinch the sea shines like a jewel” The beach stretches for 1.6km and offers fine bathing, surfing and beach pursuits. Golf is the principal activity in the resort and the club, founded in 1892 has over 2000 members to-day. There are two courses available for play. The village of approximately 600 permanent residents swells to about 7000 in summer. At the beachfront there are some surf schools and entertainment. SeaWorld offers swimming and an aquarium that is well stocked with local and exotic marine exhibits.

In latter years surfing has become the main activity of the younger generation and the village has a great surf “Vibe”. There are plenty of restaurants, café’s and hotels in the area and a good choice of accommodation. The Tourist Information Office on the Main Street is a good place to learn more.
Liscannor is situated further on the coast on the main approach to the Cliffs of Moher. The quaint fishing village was home to John Philip Holland, inventor of the submarine. The harbour in Liscannor was an important hub in North Clare for the import of Coal and other supplies and for the export of the local stone, Liscannor Flagstone with its unique riven surface full of fossilized patterns. St. Macreehy’s Church on the outskirts is 12th Century. Further on past the village near Clahane is reputed to lie the sunken “lost city“ and church of Kilstephen, the key of which lies buried with the Celtic hero Conan under his ogham stone at the foot of Slieve Callan. In summer there are boat trips to the Cliffs of Moher and fishing can also be arranged from the pier. The village has a number of pubs and hotels and is a popular stop for seafood.

North of Liscannor is the ruins of the O’Brien demesne at Birchfield and further ahead on your left overlooking the land is a tall granite column erected to Cornelius O’Brien, owner of Birchfield, local landlord and Member of Parliament for the area. Just beside the monument is a well dedicated to St Brigid, second to St Patrick as the patron saint of Ireland. St Brigid is believed through tradition to have curative powers. The well is worth a visit and gives great insight into the culture and patterns of rural Irish life. This is the site of two great “pattern days” , one on the feast of the saint on February 1st and again in summer when people from the Aran Islands and locals gathered to honour the saint and then continued to celebrate the feast with merriment in Lahinch on Garland Sunday. The well itself is a repository of petitions, old rosary beads, mementoes and tokens left by the faithful in rememberance of loved ones or interceding for special favours in times of hardship. The old traditions continue with messages left in many languages by visitors from overseas as well as locals.

Doolin
The journey northwards from the Cliffs of Moher is rewarded with lovely views over the Aran Islands, especially Inis Oirr and the headlands of Doolin and in the far distance, the shores of Connemara. The road sweeps down to Doolin and past Doonagore Castle, which lay in ruins from the late 15th century until it was restored to its present magnificent condition in the 1970’s. The Castle is privately owned. Doolin itself has had an explosion of development since its awakening for the revival of traditional music in Ireland in the late 1960’s. The music of Doolin is dealt with elsewhere in this book. Pubs, Cafes, Hostels, B&B’s and Hotels abound to service the tens of thousands who descend on Fisherstreet in search of music, craic and culture each year. The harbour at Doolin is one of the principle gateways to the Aran islands. Several ferry companies offer hourly services to the Islands, weather permitting and some journeys also include a brief trip to the Cliffs of Moher. Booking is advisable.
All along the area from Lahinch to Doolin is well signposted and marked with country walks that include old paths and disused country roads and allow the walker or hiker unique access to the coastline. Special walking maps are available that outline some of the more popular walks. The coastline around Doolin has delighted photographers and artists for years with dramatic breaking waves and thundering surf set against the stark and dramatic sheer cliff line.

As with other areas of Clare, Doolin has its own O’Brien stronghold at Doonmacfelim Castle by the Aille River. The area is also noted to potholers that have traversed the Doolin cave system for years in wetsuits, exploring the vastness of the network and the hidden gems that lie beneath. The Browne family have recently exposed an entrance to the caves and highlighted the massive stalactite at Pol an Ionan. The cave is well worth a visit. Numbers are limited to 20 per tour and the experience lasts about one hour.

The area north of Doolin is known as the Burren and we will describe this in detail elsewhere. There are however, two towns remaining in North Clare close to Doolin that are worth mentioning.

Lisdoonvarna, east of Doolin is home to a sulphur spring that has attracted visitors since Victorian times. The town has a population of about 900 and contains many hotels a hostel and some bed and breakfasts. Larger groups of tourists are well catered for by the village and the town is a tour base for many European visitors. There are two springs in the town, a sulphur spring and an iron or magnesia spring. The waters contain a valuable element of iodine. The sulphur well is richest in iodine and is available at the sulphur well house at the Spa complex in the town. The hydrogen sulphate gas contained in the water gives off a mildly unpleasant odour. The water may be consumed either hot or cold. This was a very popular thing to do right until the 1980’s. The spa complex also contained baths and therapy suites specialising in wax treatments etc. A plan is currently being considered to revive the spa tradition and bring the resort up to the very best in world standards.
Another cultural reference is the match making festival held in Lisdoonvarna each September. Traditionally the festival began after the summer harvest when the farmers were relaxing and thoughts romantic came to the fore! The town was an ideal place for socializing, with the backdrop of the curative spa and the bracing sea air nearby. Following on from the races in Listowel, guests would arrive for weeks of drinking, dancing, the taking of the waters and other leisure pursuits. Matchmakers were on hand to make introductions and advise on matrimonial prospects. One noted matchmaker still attends, Mr Willie Daly and even in these times of cyber dating, Willy still has a full ledger of prospects and answers to the age old questions of romance.

Lisdoonvarna also has a smokehouse where wild and farmed Smoked Salmon and barbequed Salmon may be purchased and tasted. The smokehouse is open to visitors and has a great reputation as an organic product of world renown.
Ennistymon lies due south of Lisdoonvarna and is a town with about 1200 inhabitants. The long, wide main street was the scene for most of the principle fairs and markets in the area up until recent times. A regular market is held in the town on Tuesdays.
Ennistymon is famous these days for the number of preserved shop fronts and indeed, a poster of the famous shop fronts of Ireland contains many of the names who trade in the town to this day. If you are looking for a character pub or wish to catch a glimpse of a now fast fading lifestyle, visit Eugenes or any number of the pubs in the town and take in the atmosphere of the “hidden Ireland”. The river Inagh runs through Ennistymon and after heavy rain forms a great cascade of turbulent foamy water that has been forever associated with the town, known as the Falls of Enistymon. The hotel in the town that bears the same name was home to the Mc Namara family and for a period, the writer Dylan Thomas lived here. In 1749, Brian Merriman was born in Ennistymon and was a poet of renown. His famous work was a long and sometimes bawdy tale called “Cuirt and Meadhoin Oiche” or “Midnight Court”. A statue to his honour is now placed at the top of the town in front of the old Church of Ireland. The deconsecrated church was given over to the local community as a cultural centre which houses “an Teach Ceoil” or Irish Music Venue, where music and song and dance are thought under the auspices of Comhaltas Ceoilteoiri Eireann. There is a public programme of activities available in summer.
A number of religious icons and churches abound and it is well worth exploring these. North of the town, about 3km onwards is a pile of ancient stones at Cairnconnaughtagh where the chiefs of Corcomroe were crowned and their ancestors laid to rest.