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County Clare

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For other places with the same name, see Clare (disambiguation).

County Clare is in the Shannon Region of Ireland.

[edit] Regions

The county has three main featured and distinctive regions.

  • The Burren is a special landscape of frequently bare limestone pavement (Karst) which is of great interest to botanists, cavers and anyone who appreciates the unusual. This area overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and Galway Bay a few charming villages and the highest sheer cliffs in Ireland (Cliffs of Moher).
  • The Cliffs of Moher are one of Ireland's most popular tourist haunts, offering spectacular views of the Atlantic.
  • The River Shannon, Ireland's longest river, reaches the sea through its estuary between Clare and County Limerick.

[edit] Towns

[edit] Other destinations

[edit] Understand

Clare people are very friendly and welcoming to visitors. The county is quite commercialized with regard to tourists and there are numerous activities within its borders to cater for all tastes. A visitor could easily spend two weeks in the county without feeling that they have run out of things to do or see. Because Shannon Airport, the second airport of Ireland and the first stopover for transatlantic flights, is situated in the county, Clare gets many tourists and sometimes this means places can be crowded.

Shannon airport is also used as a stopover for US troops going to and coming from tour of duties in Iraq. It has been subject to some anti-war protests in recent times, with crowds gathering at strategic points around the airport.

[edit] Talk

English is the first language of Clare people, although it can be quite difficult to understand the "brogue" at times.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

Shannon Airport [1], which is in County Clare is one of the three primary international airports that serve Ireland along with Dublin Airport [2] and Cork Airport [3]. The airport is ideally located in County Clare and easily accessible from both Limerick City and Ennis. During 2007, Shannon airport handled over 3.5million passengers. Shannon Airport handles a lot of air traffic between Ireland and the United States and has US border preclearance.

The largest operator in Shannon Airport is Ryanair [4] who offer over 30 routes to destinations both in Ireland and around Europe, followed by Aer Lingus [5]. The other major scheduled passenger airlines include Air France, Air Transat, Centralwings, Delta Airlines and US Airways. Chartered flights to popular tourist destinations from Shannon Airport operate throughout the year.

[edit] By bus

Bus Eireann [6] operates a comprehensive network of bus service to and from destinations in County Clare. Independent operators also offer direct routes to and from County Clare for the major towns and cities nationwide.

[edit] By rail

There is currently talk of reopening the western rail corridor, so rail service may soon be restored between Clare and Galway. A new rail link [7] between Ennis and Limerick is now up and running.

[edit] By boat

There is a ferry service from Tarbert, County Kerry to Killimer every half hour. This cuts out the need to travel through Limerick City to get into Clare, if you are coming from the south of Ireland.

[edit] Get around

Towns in the county are served by irregular bus services, so the best way to see the scenery and tour is by car.

[edit] Car rental

The main location for car rentals in County Clare is Shannon Airport. The following car rental companies have locations at Shannon Airport:

  • Atlas Ireland Car Rental [8]
  • Avis Rent a Car
  • Budget Rent a Car Ireland [9]
  • Dollar Car Rental Ireland [10]
  • Dooley Car Rentals
  • Europcar
  • Hertz Rent a Car [11]
  • Irish Car Rentals
  • Malone Car Rental.com [12]
  • National Car Rental
  • Thrifty Car Rental Ireland [13]

[edit][add listing] See

  • The Cliffs of Moher and Doolin village
  • Take the Cliffs of Moher cruise [14]to view the Cliffs from sea level. Cliffs and Aran Cruises [15] also runs a passenger ferry service to the Aran Islands.
  • Craggaunowen castle, Bronze Age village, ring fort and "Brendan´s Boat"
  • 'Ailwee Caves' situated in the Burren region
  • 'Burren Caherconnell Stone Fort' an ancient Celtic ringfort in the heart of the Burren

[edit][add listing] Do

  • Bunratty Castle hosts medieval banquets.
  • The Willie Clancy Summer School takes place on the first weekend in July every year in Miltown Malbay. Students of all ages and nationalities gather to learn traditional Irish music from noted musicians during the day and the town's pubs host their efforts at nighttime. Concerts are also held throughout the week of activities.
  • Language Travel Ireland, [16]. Learn English on a farm in Co. Clare in the West of Ireland. Experience life on a farm, get involved in the farm activities, enjoy the home cooking, fresh air and beautiful countryside of County Clare. Learn English in Ireland by living in on a real Irish farm.  edit

[edit][add listing] Eat

Locally produced products are easy to find in the local supermarkets. Sausages, breads (particularly soda), jams and many other local delights are readily available, with the local traders willing to help you find what you want.

[edit][add listing] Drink

Clare has more than its fair share of unique and distinctive pubs that cater to all tastes; traditional and modern. Famous for traditional Irish music, drinking stout or Irish whiskey to the strains of reels and jigs is a regular experience.

  • Biddy Early's Brewery[17], located in Inagh village, should be visited to taste locally brewed stout ("Black Biddy") and lager ("Blond Biddy").
  • Durty Nellie's[18] is in Bunratty beside the castle and is worth visiting in conjunction with the castle itself.
  • Knoxs Bar & Restaurant [19] - Situated in Ennis, Co Clare

[edit] Get out

Take the commuter ferry across the Shannon estuary into County Limerick for a day trip. The journey takes about half an hour. Galway City, with good shopping facilities, and County Galway are also within driving distance, as is Limerick City.

Boat trips to the Aran Islands can be arranged from Doolin pier.

This is a usable article. It gives a good overview of the region, its sights, and how to get in, as well as links to the main destinations, whose articles are similarly well developed. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!

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