GUIDE TO -including the and the

GENERAL ORIENTATION

Lahinch is a seaside resort on the west coast of overlooking Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. It is 20 miles west of the town of .

A small and busy town, Lahinch has a fine sandy beach (Blue Flag) and is conveniently located near the Cliffs of Moher, and region.

The main N67 road from Lahinch through South of Lahinch is Spanish Point, a and on to scenic peninsula that is popular with takes you through the heart of the world holiday makers and surfers. Further renowned Burren region. south, 35 minutes from Lahinch is the village of and nearby White Strand, one of the finest and most secluded beaches in that runs along Doonbeg golf course.

The Cliffs of Moher

Lahinch An alternative route in either direction is Castle via Black Head and the beautiful coast drive through , the renowned village of Doolin and the Cliffs of Moher which are 7 miles from Lahinch

Doolin is famous for its 3 pubs that play

host to nightly traditional music sessions. 7 miles east of Lahinch is the village of and Biddy Earley’s Brewery, Ireland’s first micro brewery.

GUIDE TO LAHINCH -including the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren

LAHINCH XTHE CLIFFS OF MOHER X BIDDY EARLEY’S BREWERY HIGHLIGHTS One of Ireland’s most spectacular sights, Biddy Earley was a famous Clare woman Cliffs of Moher the Cliffs of Moher rise to 800 feet at their renowned for her magical powers that The Burren Region highest point and are 5 miles long. caused her to be accused of being a Doolin witch. Biddy Earley’s A walk along the cliffs is not to be missed North Clare Coast – exterme care is required. Sunset is a great time to visit The Cliffs.

From the car park/visitor centre there is a 5 mile walk south to Hags Head. Closer to the visitor centre is O’Briens Tower which is the best location from which to view the Cliffs – from this vantage point you can see the , the Maamturks and Twelve Pins in Ireland’s first micro brewery was opened and to the south. in 1995 at Inagh, 7 miles east of Lahinch, by a retired chemist. The brews contain no artificial ingredients but do contain Biddy’s secret ingredient that guarantees potency with the opposite sex.

The visitor centre hosts an interesting audio visual presentation telling the story of Biddy Early as well as explaining the brewing process. Guided tours are also available, please call 065 683 6742.

X NORTH CLARE COAST The tower was built in 1835 by Cornelius O’Brien, a descendant of Brian Boru, the The north Clare coast between

High King of Ireland, and the O’Briens of Ballyvaughan and Doolin is a spectacular Castle, Kings of Thomond. coastal route via Fanore and Black Head.

X DOOLIN AND IRISH MUSIC

Doolin is a small village to the north of the Cliffs of Moher (11 miles from

Lahinch) renowned for it’s traditional music. To the west is the Atlantic Ocean while immediately to the east are the rocky At Doolin pier (a ferry departure point for escarpments unique to the Burren region. Doolin Music Session the Aran Islands, is O’Connors pub while in the main village are McGanns and Ballyvaughan is a pictureque harbour McDermotts. Each pub has nightly village on and is famous for traditional music sessions. Monk’s Seafood Pub.

The entire county of Clare continues the tradition of Irish music with Miltown Malbay, and Ennis also proviing many ‘sessions’ during the summer months. GUIDE TO LAHINCH -including the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren

THE BURREN X INTRODUCTION X FLORA

The Burren, from the The Burren was formed approximately Nowhere can such a multitude of rare Gaelic term ‘An 360 million years ago. It is a vast area of plants be found as in the Burren. World Bhoireann’ which exposed limestone that was stripped of famous in botanical circles, the Burren’s means “a stony place” all vegetation during the last Ice Age. unique climate and landscape provides a is both a scenic home to some of the rarest pnat on the wonder and an planet. Gentian, orchid, bloody cranesbill important ecological are the most well known but there are site. several rare species such as the Bird’s Foot Trefoil It covers an area of over 350 square kilometers in the north of County Clare.

The Burren is spectacular for the casual visitor but also of specialist interest to Rainwater has penetrated lines of botanists, geologists, weakness in the limestone to form cavers, historians and vertical cracks (grikes) in which the archaeologists. Burrens unique flora thrive.

Mankind has left imprints on the Burren since arriving here 6,000 years ago. There are dozens of megalithic tombs X HISTORY and celctic crosses and a ruined th Cistercian Abbey from the 12 century. The Dingle Peninsula is the only other More recently there is evidence of area of Ireland that can match The villages abandoned duirng the Great Burren for its archaeological wealth. th Famine of the mid-19 century.

The North Clare Coast X GEOLOGY The karst limestone pavements of the Burren are eroded in a distinctive pattern known as karren. This pavement is crisscrossed by cracks known as grykes and underneath the pavement are huge caves and rivers that suddenly become flooded when it rains.

This wealth inlcudes Neolitihic Tombs, Bronze Age wedge tombs and cooking sites, Iron Age hill forts, ring forts, holy wells, early Christian churches, medieval abbeys, tower houses, abandoned

Bird’s Foot Trefoil villages and, not least the thousands of miles of hand built sry stone walls that brilliantly punctuate the landscape.

GUIDE TO LAHINCH -including the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren

BURREN X AILWEE CAVE X CORKSCREW HILL ATTRACTIONS The only visitor cave in the Burren has a On the main N67 route between Ailwee Cave visitor centre that blends in perfectly with and Ballyvaughan is a Poulnabrone the behind. specatcular series of hairpin bends than Corkscrew Hill provide excellent views and close up Leamenah Castle & looks at the rocky formation of the Kilfenora Burren. Cathair Dhuin Irguis Ballyvaughan Ideal for those en-route from Galway with little time to explore the Burren

X LEAMENAH CASTLE From the visitor centre you descend in to the heart of the Burren along a well The ruined castle and manor house of marked path on a well guided tour. The Leamenah was the residence of Maire cave was discovered in 1944 when a Rua, a formibable lady who survived farmer’s dog chased a rabbit down a three husbands, the third an officere in hole. The remains of bears have been Oliver Cromwell’s army whom she found and evidence of their winter “beds” married to safeguard her property. Cathair Dhuin Irghuis can be seen.

The nearest village is Kilfenora, one of Ailwee Cave is approximately 3 miles the most important ecclesiastical sites in from the village of Ballyvaughan. Clare dating back to the 6th century. Six stone crosses survive in Kilfenora and X POULNABRONE they can be seen in the churchyard. The Leamenah Castle ruined cathedral is famous for its

There are over 70 megalitihic tombs in collection of medieval carved stone. the Burren region with Poulnabrone being the most well known and most Leamenah Castle lies at the junction of accessible. the R476 and R480 between Kilefnora and Corofin.

X CATHAIR DHUIN IRGUIS

Perched on the top of Black Head, Cathair Dhuin Irguis is a ring fort of which there are approximately 400 in the Burren region. This one has commanding views over the Atlantic and the entrance to

Galway Bay. The exact dating is It was excavated in 1968 and found to uncertain, sometime between 400 – 1200 contain the bodies of at least 22 adults is most likely. and 6 children. Radiocarbon dating

suggests that the burials took place between 3800 and 3200 BC. As the neolitihic community would have been much larger than this it is assumed that X BALLYVAUGHAN Poulnabrone contains the remains of special dead and to have been a centre No visit to the Burren would be complete for cermony and symbolism. without a visit to Ballyvaughan and a seafood meal at Monk’s bar.