Using Ennis as your base for Clare: the day trips that make it work

Ennis is not on the coast. That is the single most useful thing to understand about basing a Clare trip here, and it is a strength rather than a drawback. The town sits inland, in the centre of the county, on the M18 motorway, which puts most of what people come to Clare for within an easy drive. You sleep, eat and hear your music in a proper county town with full services, and you drive out to the wild coast by day. Here is how the county opens up from here.

Where Ennis sits

Ennis is on the M18, the motorway that runs south to Shannon and Limerick and north toward Gort and Galway. That location is why it works as a base. Shannon Airport is about 20 minutes away, which makes Ennis an obvious first or last night of a trip. Limerick is about 40 minutes, Galway about an hour. And the coastal and limestone country that fills most Clare itineraries is a short run west and north. A car makes all of this far easier, though the town is also the county's bus hub if you would rather not drive.

The Burren, about 15 minutes north

The nearest of the big draws is the Burren, the karst limestone landscape of north Clare, which begins about a quarter of an hour north of the town. It is a country of bare grey limestone pavement, ancient stone forts and tombs, and an unusual flora where Arctic, Alpine and Mediterranean plants grow together on the rock, at their best from late April into June. A day's loop can take in the Poulnabrone Dolmen, Caherconnell stone fort, the Burren National Park and villages like Ballyvaughan and Kilfenora. It is a UNESCO Global Geopark and a place to drive slowly, stop often and walk on the stone.

The Cliffs of Moher, about 45 minutes west

The county's headline sight, the Cliffs of Moher, is about 45 minutes west of Ennis through Ennistymon and Lahinch. The cliffs rise more than 200 metres over the Atlantic, with O'Brien's Tower and a visitor centre built into the hillside. Because it is a drive rather than a walk from the door, treat it as a half-day at least, and pre-book a timed ticket online, which is required at busy times and cheaper than the gate. Go early or late in summer to dodge the coaches. It pairs naturally with the Burren or with Doolin to make a full day.

Doolin and the coast

Doolin, the small coastal village famed for its own trad music and as a port for the Aran Islands and the Cliffs of Moher cruise, is about an hour west. From Ennis you can reach it by car or on Bus Eireann route 350, which also serves the Cliffs. It makes a good contrast to Ennis: where Ennis is a working county town, Doolin is a scattered coastal village built around its pubs and its pier.

Bunratty, about 15 to 20 minutes south

Bunratty Castle and Folk Park sits on the road toward Shannon, about 15 to 20 minutes south. It is one of the most complete restored medieval castles in Ireland, with a living-history folk park of reconstructed farmhouses, shops and streets around it, and it runs evening medieval banquets that need booking well ahead. Being close to the airport, it is a good stop for a first or last day.

How to plan the days

The sensible pattern is one big trip a day, back to Ennis for the evening. A morning of the town's own heritage, the friary and the Clare Museum, pairs well with an afternoon in the Burren. The Cliffs are better given a half or full day, ideally combined with Doolin or a stretch of the coast. Keep the airport-side sights, Bunratty and Shannon, for the day you fly. And build in weather flexibility: Ennis itself is easy to enjoy in the rain, but the coast is wild, so save the Cliffs for the clearer day and keep the museum, the friary and a session in hand for the wet one.