Clareville House Bed and Breakfast - County Clare Ireland

Local attractions in County Clare

Medieval Castle Banquets
One experience not to be missed, that becomes the highlight of many people's visit to Ireland and the Shannon Region, is the Shannon Medieval Castle Banquet experience at Bunratty, Knappogue and Dunguaire Castles.

Bunratty Castle
Bunratty Banquets are held twice nightly, year round, subject to demand at 5.30 pm and 8.45 pm. At Bunratty Castle in County Clare you will share with up to 140 others guests, a banquets with the great "Earl of Thomond", toasting an era of great Irish taste with excellent food, wine and honeyed mead. You will be entertained by the world renowned Bunratty Singers with enchanting melodies to the music of harp and violin. A memorable occasion, full of fun and good humour.

Bunratty Castle and Folk Park
Bunratty Castle and Folk Park is one of Ireland's top visitor attraction. A visit to the Castle, the most complete and authentic mediaeval fortress in Ireland, and the absorbing Folk Park is a wonderful experience for all the family.

Built in 1425, the majestic Castle was restored in 1954 to its former medieval splendour. It now contains mainly 15th and 16th century furnishings, tapestries and works of art, which capture the mood of the times. You can marvel at the finest collection of medieval furniture in the country, which brings to life a vital part of the Celtic past and the heritage of Co Clare.

A restored village street complete with pub, post office, school, doctor's house, hardware shop, printers, drapery shop, pawn shop and village hotel provides the main focal point for the park which will enchant and mesmerise both young and old.

Another very interesting feature at the park is the formal Bunratty Walled Gardens, modelled on the original Regency period garden which supplied fruit, vegetables and flowers to Bunratty House built in 1804 (and now furnished in typical Victorian style).

The Burren experience
The northwestern corner of County Clare, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and the quieter water of Galway Bay, is a rock garden of no ordinary proportions. The burren extends over more than a hundred square miles and most of it is bare, pale grey limestone. If there were nothing but rock, a tour might become tedious, if spectacular for a while. But the rock is enlivened by big or small patches of green pasture or little pieces of hazel woodland. On the pasture, and in the many crevices in the pavement of rocks, there are countless wild flowers so that the region is mass of colour. Besides all this, it is mountanious, has a wonderful seashore and is liberally scattered with the monuments created by its human inhabitants in the course of six thousand years. At its best on a sunny day in May when the greatest numbers of wild flowers are in bloom, the Burren is unique and worth a visit any time of year.

The Cliffs of Moher
Visitor Center open year round 9.30am- 5.30pm, June to August: 9.00am - 7.00pm. (closed December 21st - 27th). O'Briens Tower - Open March to October: 9.30am - 5.30pm (Weather permitting).

Just North of Lahinch, on the coast of West Clare, are the famous Cliffs of Moher, defiantly standing as giant natural ramparts against the aggressiveness might of the Atlantic Ocean. They rise in places to over 215 metres (700 feet) and stretch for almost 8 km.

O'Briens Tower , which was constructed in the early 19th Century as a viewing point for Victorian tourists, is located on Moher's highest cliff. From its exceptional vantage position you can view the Clare coastline, the Aran Islands and mountains as far apart as Kerry and Connemara.

Poulnabrone Dolmen
Poulnabrone Dolmen or Portal Tomb in the Burren, is one of the most photographed of all the monuments in Ireland.

Its dramatic siting on the limestone pavements makes as much impact on one's senses as the most famous piece of modern sculpture does. High praise indeed, for its boulders of more than 6,000 years ago.

Polished stone axeheads, a bone pendant and other small pieces of jewellery were also discovered. Animal bone identified included horse, cow, pine marten and most unusually, the wood martin.

Recent conservation work ensures Poulnabrone's survival for another 6,000 years!

Craggaunowen - the Living Past
Craggaunowen - the Living Past Experience, is Ireland's original, award-winning Prehistoric Park. Situated on 50 acres of wooded grounds. It interprets Ireland's pre-historic and early Christian eras, featuring a stunning recreation of some of the homesteads, animals and artefacts which existed in Ireland over 1,000 years ago.

The Delight of Dolphins
The mouth of the Shannon is home to Ireland's only resident community of bottlenose dolphins. These playful mammals have endeared themselves to the humans, for whom dolphins watching is a joy to behold. Over 100 bottlenose dolphins have been identified as members of this Shannon estuary group, comprising mostly mothers and calves. The estuary provides a rich source of food and a safe habitat, and is one of only six such breeding communities in Europe.

Killaloe/Ballina
Across the 13-arch bridge on the Tipperary side of the river is Ballina, nestling under the Arra mountains. The laketown of Killaloe is picturesquely sited at the southwest tip of Lough Derg. Here the visitor finds a town of great antiquity married to all the pleasures of water-based activities. Fishing, cruising, boating, sailing, swimming, windsailing and waterskiing are well catered for and are especially geared toward the visitor.

Newmarket-on-Fergus
On the threshold of Shannon Airport, the village is a bridge between ancient and modern Ireland. Close-by is the Iron Age hilltop fort at Mooghaun where one of Europe's biggest find of gold objects from the Bronze Age was unearthed. Further along the road is Dromoland Castle, onetime seat of the O'Brien earls and converted to hotel luxury by Irish-American industrialist, Bernard McDonagh. Ralahine, on the other side of the village, has 16th century castle remains and gives its name to a pioneering 1830s rural co-operative initiative.

Access to Mooghaun Fort is by foot via a forestry car park signposted off the N18 road between Newmarket-on-Fergus and Dromoland. This famous Iron Age fort is regarded as one of our most remarkable antiquities.