Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [316]
Lahinch Surf Shop ( 065-708 1108; www.lahinchsurfshop.com; Church St) Sells gear from a dramatic surfside location.
Ocean Scene Surf School ( 065-708 1108; www.oceanscene.ie; Church St) Gives lessons plus has a good live surf-cam on the website.
SLEEPING & EATING
The tourist office has good links to local B&Bs.
Lahinch Hostel ( 065-708 1040; lahinchok@eircom.net; Church St; dm €17, r €30-50) This well-run IHH hostel has clean, bright rooms with a total of 55 beds. It’s close to the beachfront and has surfboard and bicycle storage.
Atlantic Hotel ( 065-708 1049; www.atlantichotel.ie; s/d from €95/140; ) There’s still a pleasant air of bygone times in the reception rooms and bars at this town-centre classic with 14 well-appointed rooms. The restaurant offers fine seafood choices (mains from €15) and the pub is the perfect spot for nursing a pint on a blustery day.
Barrtra Seafood Restaurant ( 065-708 1280; Miltown Malbay Rd; mains €16-28) The ‘Seafood Symphony’ menu item says it all at this rural repose 3.5km south of Lahinch. Enjoy views over pastures to the sea from the homey dining rooms. The cooking eschews flash and lets the inherent tastiness of the food shine.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Bus Éireann runs one or two buses daily through Lahinch on the Doolin–Ennis/Limerick routes and one or two daily south along the coast to Doonbeg in summer.
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ENNISTYMON
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Ennistymon (Inis Díomáin) is a timeless country village located just 4km inland from Lahinch, but worlds away in terms of atmosphere. People go about their business (which involves a lot of cheerful chatting) barely noticing the characterful buildings lining Main St. And behind this facade there’s a surprise: the roaring Cascades, the stepped falls of the River Inagh. After heavy rain they surge, beer-brown and foaming, and you risk getting drenched on windy days in the flying drizzle. You’ll find them through an arch by Byrne’s Hotel.
The library ( 065-707 1245; 10am-1.30pm & 2.30-5.30pm Mon, Tue & Thu, 10am-5.30pm & 6.30-8pm Wed & Fri, 10am-2pm Sat), just down from the Square, offers free internet access.
Besides excellent pubs and good sleeping options, Ennistymon has a burgeoning arts scene. Courthouse Studios & Gallery ( 065-707 1630; Parliament St; noon-4pm Tue-Sat) is an impressive new facility with ever-changing exhibitions by local and international artists.
On the first Monday of each month is one of Clare’s great spectacles: the Ennistymon Horse Market literally takes over the town’s streets as people from around the region come to buy and sell donkeys, mares, thoroughbreds and even a few plain old nags.
Sleeping & Eating
Byrne’s ( 065-707 1080; Main St; r €80-120) The Cascades are just out back at this historic guesthouse and restaurant. When the air is not heavy with mist, you can enjoy a drink at a back-deck table. The menu is substantial, with plenty of seafood specials (mains €15 to €25). Six comfortable rooms await up the creaky heritage stairs.
Falls Hotel ( 065-707 1004; www.fallshotel.ie; s/d from €85/120; ) This handsome and sprawling Georgian house, built on the ruins of an O’Brien castle, has 140 modern rooms. Fittings throughout are heavy and traditional. The view of the Cascades from the entrance steps is breathtaking, and there are walks around the 20 hectares of wooded gardens.
Holywell Italian Restaurant ( 065-707 2464; Church St; mains €10-12; noon-11pm May-Sep) At the north end of the centre, this dark and casual restaurant fills up during the summer months. Fresh pastas and thin-crust pizzas are not your bog-standard spag-bol slop.
There is also a local farmers market ( 11am-3pm Sun), which spreads its fertile wealth on Market Sq.
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THE POET & THE PRIESTS
Ennistymon has more than its fair share of cultural associations. The Welsh poet Dylan Thomas lived at what is now the Falls Hotel when the house was the family home of his wife Cáitlín McNamara. There’s plenty of Thomas memorabilia and a Dylan Thomas