Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [315]
Morrissey’s ( 065-905 5304; www.morrisseysdoonbeg.com; Main St; s/d €70/100; Mar-Oct; ) Under its fourth-generation owner, this old pub has been transformed into a stylish coastal haven. The seven rooms feature king-size beds, flat-screen TVs and large soaking tubs. The pub’s restaurant is renowned for its casual but enticing seafood, from fish and chips to barbecued salmon. Outside there’s a terrace overlooking the river, while inside colours reminiscent of a box of good bonbons mingle with stark white walls. Meals range from €12 to €22.
Miltown Malbay
pop 1600
Like Kilkee, Miltown Malbay was a resort favoured by well-to-do Victorians, though the town isn’t actually on the sea: the beach is 2km south at Spanish Point. A classically friendly place in the chatty Irish way, Miltown Malbay has a thriving music scene. Every year it hosts the Willie Clancy Irish Music Festival (right), one of Ireland’s great trad music events.
For local information, drop by An Ghiolla Finn Gift Shop ( 065-688 9239; Main St; 10.30am-6pm Mon-Sat). The wonderful Maureen Kilduff knows everything and everybody.
Possibly the friendliest welcome in town is at An Gleann B&B ( 065-708 4281; angleann@oceanfree.net; Ennis Rd; s/d €45/80). Off the R474 about 1km from the centre, the rooms here are basic and comfy and owner Mary Hughes is a delight. Cyclists are catered for.
Across the road from the gift shop, Baker’s Cafe ( 065-708 4411; Main St; meals €4; 7am-7pm Mon-Sat) has excellent baked goods and creates enormous sandwiches – perfect for seaside picnics. Nearby, the Old Bake House ( 065-708 4350; Main St; meals €6-15; noon-9pm) serves a more ambitious menu and does so well.
O’Friel’s Bar (Lynch’s; 065-708 4275; The Square) is one of a couple of genuine old-style places with occasional trad sessions. The other is the dapper Hillery’s (Main St).
Bus Éireann service is paltry. Expect one or two buses daily north and south along the coast and inland to Ennis.
Lahinch
pop 650
Surf’s up, dude! This scruffy old holiday town is now one of the centres of Ireland’s hot surfing scene. Schools and stores dedicated to riding the waves cluster here, like surfers waiting for the perfect set.
Lahinch (Leacht Uí Chonchubhair) has always owed its living to beach-seeking tourists. The town sits on protected Liscannor Bay and has a fine beach. Free-spending mobs descend in summer, many wielding golf clubs for play at the famous, traditional-style Lahinch Golf Club ( 065-708 1003; www.lahinchgolf.com; greens fees from €100).
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A FESTIVAL FOR EVERYONE
Half the population of Miltown Malbay seems to be part of the annual Willie Clancy Irish Music Festival ( 065-708 4148), a tribute to a native son and one of Ireland’s greatest pipers. The eight-day festival usually begins in the first or second week in July, when impromptu sessions occur day and night, the pubs are packed, and Guinness is consumed by the barrel. Workshops and classes underpin the event; don’t be surprised to attend a recital with 40 noted fiddlers. Asked how such a huge affair has happened for almost four decades, a local who teaches fiddle said: ‘No one knows, it just does.’
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The tourist office, Lahinch Fáilte ( 065-708 2082; www.lahinchfailte.com; The Dell; 9am-8pm Jun-Aug, 10am-5pm Sep-May), is off the northern end of Main St and is part of a well-stocked gift shop. There’s an ATM outside. Lahinch Bookshop ( 065-708 1300; Main St) is the best outside Ennis.
Like swells after a storm, the surfing scene keeps getting bigger. You can get lessons from about €40 per two-hour session. Local outfits:
Ben’s Surf Clinic ( 086 844 8622; www.benssurfclinic.com) Offers lessons plus rents out boards and wetsuits (essential!).
Lahinch Surf School ( 087 960 9667; www.lahinchsurfschool.com;