Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [325]
Surfers flock here throughout the year. Aloha Surf School ( 087 213 3996; www.surfschool.tv; lessons from €35) offers classes for all ages and abilities.
There’s a well-stocked shop, Siopa Fan Óir ( 065-707 6131; 9am-9pm summer, to 7pm winter), just across from O’Donohue’s pub, where you can buy fishing tackle, walking maps, boogie boards and cheap sand buckets.
One of the Fanore area’s few accommodation/eating options, Rocky View Farmhouse ( 065-707 6103; www.rockyviewfarmhouse.com; s/d €45/80), is a charming house at the heart of the coastal Burren. Its six open and airy rooms are suited to this especially barren end of the region. Organic food is grown and used in the breakfasts, which are served in a glassed-in room.
In many ways the community centre, O’Donohue’s ( 065-707 6119; meals €6-15; Apr-Oct), 4km south of the beach, offers no-nonsense soup, hot dishes and sandwiches along with its genuine local character. Done up in bright blue and white, it looks out over the grey sea.
Bus Éireann runs one to three buses daily from Galway via Black Head and through Fanore to Lisdoonvarna.
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BLACK HEAD
Atlantic storms have stripped the land around the unfortunately named Black Head down to bare rock. Grass and the occasional shrub cling to crevices. Standing like sentinels, boulders and the odd cow dot the landscape here, Clare’s northwesternmost point.
The main road (R477) curves around the head just above the sea. There’s good shore angling for pollack, wrasse, mackerel – and sea bass if you’re lucky – from the rocky platforms near sea level. These can be fatally dangerous waters, even for those with long-standing local knowledge. Even in apparently calm conditions, watch for sudden surges.
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BALLYVAUGHAN & AROUND
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Something of a hub for the otherwise dispersed charms of the Burren, Ballyvaughan (Baile Uí Bheacháin), sits between the hard land of the hills and a quiet leafy corner of Galway Bay. It makes an excellent base for visiting the northern reaches of the Burren.
The centre of the village is located at the junction of the N67 and the coastal R477. Going south and inland on the N67 brings you to the centre of the Burren. Turning west leads you to the magnificent coast road (R477) around Black Head and south towards Doolin.
Just west of the junction, on the R477, is the quay, built in 1829 at a time when boats traded with the Aran Islands and Galway, exporting grain and bacon and bringing in turf – a scarce commodity in the windswept rocks of Burren.
A few metres past the harbour, a signposted track leads to a seashore bird shelter offering good views of the tidal shallows.
Information
The tourist info desk ( 065-707 7464; www.ballyvaughantourism.com; 9am-6pm daily Mar-Oct, Sat & Sun only Nov-Feb) is in a vast gift shop. Brendan’s Boat ( 065-707 7337; www.brendansboat.ie; 9.30am-6.30pm Apr-Dec) is a renowned local leather maker. On the south side of the centre, it offers internet access and shares the building with a laundry and bike rental place.
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WALK: CLIMBING THE AGES
An exhilarating outing is the climb up Black Head to the Iron Age ring fort of Cathair Dhún Iorais. There’s no path, so it’s essential to take a map (Ordnance Survey Discovery Series No 51) and compass. The ground is very rocky in places, so strong footwear is essential. Be prepared for wet, windy and potentially cold conditions, even in summer. It’s a steep 1.5km to the fort.
Start from just above the lighthouse on the northern tip of Black Head. There’s limited parking on the inland side of the road. Head due south up the rocky hillside from the road, negotiating between rock shelves, to reach an old green track. Cross the track and continue directly to where things level off and Cathair Dhún Iorais stands amid a sea of limestone pavements. It’s not the most dramatic of ring forts, but the setting is magnificent. The views to Galway and Connemara are breathtaking in clear weather.
From the fort