Doolin

Doolin: A little village with a big heart 💚

Doolin is one of the most charming villages on County Clare’s wild Atlantic Coast, surrounded by the spectacularly barren limestone terrain of the Burren. And, of course, Doolin is only 5 miles from the breathtakingly impressive Cliffs of Moher, and 4 miles from the spa town of Lisdoonvarna, capital of traditional matchmaking festival in Ireland. And Doolin, of course, is the capital of traditional music, and its hostelries and bars ring to the tune of fiddles and accordions late into the night every night of the year. Doolin was the home of Micho Russell, the world renown whistle player and his great legacy is enthusiastically celebrated every year with its very own Russell Festival of Music.  All of its pubs foster musicians and musical heritage, and delight at bulging to the seams with well-seasoned players, complete beginners, and curious onlookers. McGann’s in particular has all the classic touches of a full-on Irish music pub, where the action often spills out onto the street. Highly recommended!

The remarkable Burren, which surrounds Doolin, has been welcoming visitors to its extraordinary karstic plateau for many decades. The unusual topography looks like a great stony chaos to you or I, but its value lies in its unique geology, and in the vast array of flowering plants which thrive in its many cracks and fissures. More than 700 different varieties of flowering plants have accumulated in the Burren over the past 10,000 years, and the result is a fascinating and uniquely contrasting landscape of sparsity and colour.

Attractions in Doolin include pitch and putt, traditional Irish music, bathing at Doolin Cove, trout fishing on Lickeen Lake and Doolin Cave. Doolin Cave is home to The Great Stalactite, which is one of the largest known stalactites in the world with a height of 6.54 meters.

Getting to Doolin 🚍

By bus, or car. Bus Eireann Route 423 provides a service from Galway to Doolin. Alternatively follow the N6 from Galway to Kilcolgan, and then the N67 to Doolin.

Where to stay 🛌

Doolin has a wide variety of inviting and friendly places to stay including small hotels, hostels, self-catering holiday homes, guesthouses and B&B’s.

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Things to do in Doolin

• Explore the great chaos of rocks that is the Burren. Identify the grikes and clints, and marvel at the magnitude of this near-lunar landscape.
• The Doolin area is popular with cavers. A little over 1km north of Roadford you’ll find Doolin Cave, which boasts an enormous stalactite that looks like a giant squid.
• Savour an evening in Gus O’Connor’s Pub. Seafood, traditional foods and local produce feature on Gus O’Connor’s appealing menu. The pub has a big reputation in Irish music circles. There’s music in the bar every night during the summer and on many nights the rest of the year also. The adjacent barn is the scene of terrific set-dancing sessions on Thursday and Sunday nights. Have a pint under the big tree out front.

Follow the coast 🌊

Doolin is surrounded by beautiful coastal destinations. Don’t miss The Burren and Ballyvaughan if you are travelling north, and The Cliffs of Moher, and Liscannor, if travelling south.

Map of Doolin, Co. Clare