Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [330]
Buses to/from Galway pass through the area on the N67. Just over the border in Galway, Kinvara makes a good base for this region.
New Quay & the Flaggy Shore
New Quay (Ceibh Nua), on the Finavarra Peninsula, is about 1km off the main Kinvara–Ballyvaughan road (N67) and is reached by turning off at Ballyvelaghan Lough 3km north of Bell Harbour.
Smack on the water, Linnane’s Seafood Bar ( 065-707 8120; New Quay; meals €9-25; noon-8pm), has achieved international cachet as a no-nonsense purveyor of fresh seafood sourced from the trap-covered docks behind the restaurant. For centuries this area was famous for its oysters; shellfish are still processed here and you can sometimes buy them from the little works behind the pub.
The Flaggy Shore, west of New Quay, is a particularly fine stretch of coastline where limestone terraces step down to the sea. About 500m west of Linnane’s, at a crossroads, the Russell Gallery ( 065-707 8185; New Quay; 10am-6pm Mon-Sat, from noon Sun) specialises in raku (Japanese lead-glazed earthenware) work. The airy gallery has a range of other works by Irish artists for sale along with books on the region.
Nearby, just off the N67, Wilde & Wooley ( 065-707 8042; Burren) is the name for Antoinette Hensey’s shop, where she makes custom knitwear from exquisitely dyed wool. The designs are complex and beautiful; a sweater costs upwards of €200.
Turn north off the N67 for the Flaggy Shore. The road hugs the shoreline going west, then curves south past Lough Muirí, where you’re likely to see a number of wading birds, as well as swans. There are said to be otters in the area. At a T-junction just past the lough, a right turn leads to a rather dingy-looking Martello tower on Finavarra Point, a relic of the paranoia over the Napoleonic threat.
Bell Harbour
No more than a crossroads with a growing crop of holiday cottages and a pub, Bell Harbour (Beulaclugga) is about 8km east of Ballyvaughan. There’s a pleasant walk along an old green road that begins behind the modern Church of St Patrick, 1km north up the hill from the Y-junction at Bell Harbour, and threads north along Abbey Hill.
Inland from here are the ruins of Corcomroe Abbey, the valley and churches of Oughtmama, and the interior road that takes you through the heart of the Burren.
Corcomroe Abbey
Moody and evocative, lonely Corcomroe, a former Cistercian abbey 1.5km inland from Bell Harbour, lies in a small, tranquil valley surrounded by low hills. It is a marvellous building, one of the finest of its kind. The abbey was founded in 1194 by Donal Mór O’Brien. His grandson, Conor na Siudaine O’Brien (died 1267), king of Thomond, is said to occupy the tomb in the northern wall, and there’s a crude carving of him below the effigy of a bishop holding a crosier, the pastoral staff that was carried by a bishop or abbot. The surviving vaulting in the presbytery and transepts is very fine and there are some striking Romanesque carvings scattered throughout the abbey, which began a long decline in the 15th century. Often-touching modern graves crowd the ruins.
Oughtmama Valley
Small ancient churches lie hidden in this lonely, deserted valley. To get there turn inland at Bell Harbour, then go left at the Y-junction. In just under 1km you reach a house amid trees, on the right at Shanvally. A rough track leads inland from just beyond the house for about 1.5km to the churches. Roadside parking is very limited, but there is a large roadside area about 400m before Shanvally, back towards the Y-junction, with views of Corcomroe. Monks in search of solitude built the churches at Oughtmama in the 12th century. Look for the Romanesque arch in the westernmost – and largest – church. It’s a hardy walk up Turlough Hill behind the chapels, but the views are tremendous. Near the summit are the remains of a hill fort.
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