Doolin, County Clare
Awk go on, go on, go on! We couldn’t resist taking a trip to Doolin, County Clare, especially when we heard Father Ted Crilly’s, the main character of the comedy Father Ted, house was in the area. Well, not his house exactly, but you know what I mean. We would definitely accept a wee tea, without hesitation from Mrs Doyle, the housekeeper of Father Ted if we came across her.
As Knox was a big fan of Father Ted, we were excited to take a trip for his birthday to try to reanact some of the scenes. Doolin, County Clare here we come! Oh yes, the west coast county is also famous for the cliffs of Moher!
The West Coast
Firstly let’s explain where Doolin, County Clare is. Situated at the mid-point of the west coast of Ireland. It is approximately 3 hours drive from Dublin and about an hour’s drive from Galway. From Belfast around 4 and a half hours to 5.
It offers breathtaking views of the Wild Atlantic Way and also has a ferry hop operating to the rugged, ‘still’ Irish speaking Aaron Islands.
Doolin is also home to plenry of traditional Irish music and poetry.
Cosy up in a bar with a cold pint of Guinness, at a roaring fire and get ready for some storytelling. You’ll find many local characters in Doolin who are all too fond of a good ole tale.
Car hire
We went for our reliable Hertz. As a gold member, and a regular, it’s quick and easy. Indeed, the guys know me so well that my keys are ready on arrival, allowing me to bunk the queue. Of course, we still take our photos to ensure a time stamped record as good practice. This time of year, February, the car hire price was very competitive at £25 a day for a small car. Again, Hertz bumped me up a category.
Accommodation
We opted for the aptly named Hotel Doolin , which was conveniently located in the centre of the metropolis (a little joke about a wee village :-)), at €140 per night. We received the typical warm Irish welcome. All staff were very accommodating and room was comfortable enough (little minor updates needed). They have onsite restaurants and Fitzs bar. Unfortunately, the Stone pizza restaurant was closed until the weekend. We were disappointed as the pizzas got top reviews. We believe that the opening hours get extended as the season progresses.
What to see in Doolin?
Doolin is small, so we would also explore the surrounding area of County Clare. We found County Clare to be full of open countryside, farms, and the hilly Burren so a car is a must. Truth be told, the local population is mainly sheep rather than human.
The cliffs off Moher
The Cliffs of Moher are a dramatic 214 metre high sea stack on the wild Atlantic coast, boosting stunning panoramic views of the Atlantic and the Aran Islands. Great when its not lashing with rain and heavily clouded.
It’s natural beauty has inspired everyone from Musicians, poets and geologists. Even a film crew were onsite as we entered from the Doolin cliff walk side.
The Cliffs of Moher also host major colonies of nesting sea birds and are one of the country’s most important bird-breeding sites, therefore protected.
The holy ‘fictional’ stone of Clonrichert is also located here. Another reference to the famed Father Ted.
The wind and rain cut right through to the bones as we braved a small hike. We decided to avoid the visitors centre with their extortionate parking rates and fees to enter. We went instead via Fisher Street and the Doolin cliff walk. The Giants Causeway, Northern Ireland have this trick too. Most people, even locals don’t realise that the Causeway is actually free.
Same goes for Cliffs of Moher. Avoid the visitors Centre and save yourself some euros. Unless of course your thing is to browse and buy.
Doolin caves
Doolin Cave boosts Europe’s longest stalactite, which is over seven metres in length and sits inside a cathedral like dome. It is high on everyone’s agenda while visiting Doolin, County Clare!
The cave began its life hundreds of thousands of years ago when very weakly acidic water flowed off the nearby shale and began dissolving the limestone rock. It’s certainly an 80 feet underground full of magic, as you don your hard hat and wander in an underground natural delight!
Doonagore Castle
Only less than a five minute drive from the rainbow coloured Fisher Street, Doonagore castle is a 16th century tower house.
Although even before Doonagore Castle existed, there was already a first castle, built in the 13th century. The present castle was commissioned by a man named Turlough O’Brien of Ennistymon, who wished to have a castle on the Irish coast, to monitor the comings and goings of ships on the Atlantic.
The round tower is more medieval, rather than that of romantic fairytales. It also is connected to stories of the tragic death of sailors.
In the year 1588, a ship from the Spanish Armada got into trouble off of the coast of Doolin. The ship was part of a fleet of 130 vessels that were attempting to sail home, after they had failed in their battle with Elizabethan ships.
Unfortunately, a bad storm sent around 24 of these warships to their demise on the wild Atlantic Coast. It is estimated that 5,000 sailors lost their lives in these shipwrecks. Indeed, museums in Ireland, such as Belfast’s Ulster Museum, are heavily stocked with treasures salvaged from these vessels of war.
However, over 170 soldiers from the shipwreck near Doolin managed to survive, but not for long.
These 170 sailors thought they had found a safety. However, the High Sherriff of County Clare arrived and had other ideas.
He round them up and hung them for being enemies of the British Crown. Some reports claim that some of the sailors were held and hanged at Doonagore Castle while others say they were hanged and buried at a nearby hill.
Stroll down Fisher street
You can’t miss the popular Fisher Street with it’s postcard worthy colourful street.
It certainly added colour to the grey day. It will be more life around it during high season.
Fanore beach
Hold on to your hat! Fanore Beach is on the northwest coast of the Burren, just off the coastal road between the towns of Ballyvaughan and Doolin.
The wind literally was whistling as we took a brisk walk to the shoreline. You would have thought it was an actual tin whistle! Maybe it was the ghost of an Irish musician tooting in the winter storm.
The beach is accessible via a short 50-meter trail and a wooden boardwalk with steps that will bring you down to the golden sandy strip. The sand dunes are part of conservation areas and were roped off.
Fanore is definitely worth a visit and still looks stunning whether in colder weather or sunshine. Although, we think sunshine would be more ideal!
Take a long walk and breathe in the fresh sea air, take a picnic, or if you’re more sporty and brave enough, then get into the Atlantic! As another resident of our hotel told us she just did for a swim in her bikini!
Or if you’d much prefer a wetsuit, why not take a lesson from the Aloha surf school, onsite right at the beach.
Aran Islands
We didn’t get a chance to go to the Aran Islands, as at Doolin it wasn’t in season, therefore closed. Next time! Getting to the Islands is accessible by both passenger ferry and airplane. Passenger ferries to the Aran Islands depart from Rossaveel (all year around), Galway (seasonal) and Doolin (seasonal). The airplane service to the islands departs from Connemara Regional Airport operates on all year around subject to weather conditions.
Locals still speak the Irish lingo as well as English. There is a handful of accommodation on the island. They even host the Ted Fest in March of this year, filled with sandwiches, tea and lookalikes for all the hardcore Father Ted fans!
The Burren
Covering large swaths of Clare, The Burren stretches from the stones and boulders of the hills down to the rocky coastline. It’s no wonder that they live a dry stone wall in these parts.
A hill walker’s dream and a harsh landscape of mainly limestone rocks, hills, bogs and fields. The area is a fine example of a Glacio Karst landscape with good evidence of the last glaciation period of the ice age from around 12,000 to 115,000 years ago.
This has left a remarkable countryside very different to other parts of Ireland. It is a great reason to visit lots of different areas of the land of one’s birth.
Poulnabrone Dolmen In The Burren
A large dolmen located in the Burren. Situated on one of the most desolate and highest points of the region. It was a wet, grey, misty day, the rain easing as we entered, and we were the only visitors. There was a certain eerie lonelyness to the place as the damp seeped into ones bones.
Most of the site is protected with rope and an electric fence.
The dolmen was built by Neolithic farmers, who chose the location either for ritual, as a territorial marker, or as a collective burial site.
The remains of twenty two people, sixteen adults and six children were uncovered within the interior of the tomb. Of these bodies only eight could be sexed and these were equally split between males and females.
On discovery, the skeletons were incomplete. This suggested a burial ritual had taken place. It’s possible the bodies had been left to decompose in the tomb, before specific bones were removed.
A number of the bones contained scorch marks suggesting that they had been held over a flame prior to burial, possibly during a purification ritual.
There is no fee to wander the dolmen and parking is close by and free of charge.
Awk go on go on go on
You can’t go all that way and not check out some of the locations from the Father Ted comedy! Father Ted’s house was first on our agenda. Now known as Glanquin Farmhouse, it can be found in Lackareagh, County Clare. Its away in the arse end of nowhere!
One used to be able to go into the house for a cup of tea and a scone, (awk, go on go on go on) unfortunately though a few years ago they stopped this due too many tourists.
The owners have also got the word out that the property is now private land, so they don’t appreciate wandering fans trespassing the grounds. We got eyed suspiciously by an aul doll in her car entering the grounds. We could tell what she was thinking, ‘I hate Father Ted, feck’. Lol
The house is in the middle of nowhere, on a narrow road, so it’s easily missed and most people give up after driving around in circles for a long while. We found it quite easy though, following straight forward directions. Put these coordinates in, and it’ll bring you straight there: 53°00’35.1″N 9°01’48.2″W.
Vaughan’s Pub
Another filming location for Father Ted, is Vaughan’s Pub.
The venue for the “King of the Sheep” contest in “Chirpy Burpy Cheep Sheep”, have a peek at the original sign lays behind the stage.
And in Vaughans bar itself, if you’re lucky you will find none other than Michael Leahy, the barman who made an appearance in the show.
The roundabout
We went round and round looking for the famous roundabout from the Speed 3 episode. Seemly it was close to the Vaughans pub, however not anymore. It was in another Father Ted episode, showing Father Dougal McGuire, driving around it in a milk float carrying a bomb, put there by the womaniser Mustard.
Eating and drinking
Well, because it was out of season, many places were closed, even though it stated open on their websites! So we had a bit of a run around, wanting our bellies fed, as the rain belted down.
We drove 17 minutes to Lahinch, a small town, as we fancied pizza the next evening. Three places we tried, Vagabonds, Flanagan’s and Tasty Pizza were all shut.
So, there was nothing else for it but to eat at at Fitz pub at the hotel again. There were a few vegetarian options, which were grand and filled the hunger, but nothing that would make you go wow. It filled a hole though!
The singer Eoin Davies made the night though with his Amazing voice and guitar skills! The craic was 90 and Eoin really included the crowd, which encouraged people to join in and the dancing to ensue. There was definitely a warmth to the atmosphere and we enjoyed immensely.
Would we recommend County Clare?
As we said previously, County Clare is very spread out so a car is a must have. We think we arrived at the wrong time of the year as completely dead. It didn’t help that restaurants were shut and that we were confined to the hotel for eating on both nights. We reckon that maybe in the summer there would be a bit more liveliness with some more food choices. So our advice is to go in their season where you can take long walks without it pishing on you! In saying that, we still made the most of it and enjoyed the craic.
If you liked reading you may be interested in more locations in Ireland, such as:
Donegal – A place closed to our hearts
Cork – Family ties and much blarney
Dingle peninsula – Meeting Fungi
