This short video shows you a variety of Clare's attractions and heritage, and scroll down for more videos of some of our superb local activities.

Distances to some nearby villages, towns & cities: 

Ballyhannon Castle is situated close to the centre of Ireland, so by staying here you are ideally based to explore anywhere in Ireland in a day, and most conveniently the West and South coasts which are known the world over for their beauty of landscapes and warmth of Irish hospitality. From the countless picturesque villages to the bustling cities of Limerick, Cork and Galway, or from the wild countryside from Dingle on the famous Ring of Kerry to Connemara to the mighty Shannon River and unique flora and fauna of the Burren national Park, there is simply nowhere else quite like it. Ballyhannon Castle is perfectly positioned on the West of Ireland in Co. Clare – the heart of the west coast.

 

The Property is at the end of a long private avenue (cul-de-sac), just off a minor road which connects to the main Limerick to Galway motorway, also serving Shannon International Airport approximately 15 minutes away, and allowing easy access to everywhere on the west coast. It is approximately:

 

5 minutes from the local villages of Newmarket-on-Fergus and Quin, with its famous Quin Abbey; also minutes away are Knappogue and Bunratty Castle, providing top-class medieval entertainment where traditional pageantry and banquets are held weekly (and nightly in high season).


Bunratty Castle and Folk Park - (10 minutes away), with its Heritage Visitors Centre consisting of a Medieval village beside its famous 15th century castle.


The Burren National Park - (40 minutes away) with flora and fauna unique only to Ireland, underground rivers and caves, all open to the public. This local landscape has been a source of fascination and enjoyment for visitors, both local and international, for generations.


 

The Aran Islands (from which Aran sweaters get their name) - a short ferry-ride from Doolin (less than an hour away), and are one of the native Irish-speaking areas of Ireland, and Europe's most westerly point. Inishmór is the largest island, home to the impressive Iron Age fortress of Dun Aengus, while Inisheer’s atmospheric beauty has attracted countless writers and artists over the years, and has history dating right back to a 4th century monastic settlement.

 


The Cliffs of Moher - (60 minutes away) ranked as Ireland’s most famous and visited sight, and pipped at the post in the competition to be one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the world. They rise over 700 feet high, stretch 5 miles along the coast and display wild and rugged coastline. They are home to thousands of screeching puffins and you can take a coastal walk to see unparalleled views of the Atlantic seascape. The O’Brien tower at the top of the cliffs offers views of the Aran Islands.

 

20 minutes south on the motorway is the famous city of Limerick. For those interested in shopping, eating out or nightlife, this historic city is dominated by the awesome 13th century King John's Castle, once the most formidable English fortification in Ireland. Limerick is where the famous Hunt Museum is located, home to one of Ireland's finest collections of Bronze Age, Celtic and Medieval treasures.


10 miles in the other direction is the beautiful Ennis, County Clare’s largest and cultural town, voted the “Tidiest Town in Ireland for 2005”. Ennis is the home of traditional Irish music, plenty of pubs with live traditional Irish music sessions nightly, cobble-stoned streets lined with great restaurants and shops, and has a market day on Saturday. Founded in Medieval times, the countryside surrounding Ennis is home to a host of abbeys, ruins of castles and ancient monuments, and the beautiful 13th century Ennis Friary.


A 60 minute drive north on the motorway is Galway City, the unofficial “capital of the West” and a delightful prosperous city brimming with history and filled with top class shopping precincts, theatres, pubs and restaurants. Its vibrant cultural life includes a year-round calendar of events such as the Galway Arts Festival, the famous Galway Races at the end of July, the Jazz Festival in February, the Cuirt Festival of Literature at Easter and the Galway International Oyster Festival at the end of September.

 

 

90 minutes from Ballyhannon you'll be in the wild and rustic countryside of Connemara .

Activities in Clare:

 

 

©2004 Ballyhannon Castle, Quin, County Clare, Ireland

 

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