Travel Tips for Cliffs of Mother, Ireland

Hands down, the most iconic attraction in Ireland are the Cliffs of Moher. However, before I dive into the details of the Cliffs, let me enlighten you with a few tips.

If you are primarily going to see the Cliffs of Moher and will stay on the western side of Ireland, I would suggest that you fly into the Shannon airport (Airport Code SNN) instead of Dublin. By doing so, you will save about three hours of driving time. If you want to read more about what to do in Dublin, please visit my post about what to do in Dublin. In addition, I highly recommend renting a car. Having a daily private driver or taking a cab everywhere can be very costly, and public transportation will be cumbersome. I know, it can be scary to drive on the left side of the road, but if you are an average driver, you will survive! Further, the traffic in Ireland seemed to be minimal and police presence was sparse. So, you will feel as though the road is your own!

There were two hotels that were suggested during our time in Shannon: 1) the Dromoland Castle and 2) Gregans Castle Hotel. The main purpose of our trip to Ireland was to attend a good friend’s wedding (which coincidentally happened to be at the Dromoland Castle), so it worked out well. The Dromoland Castle is the most well-known castle hotel in Ireland, and because the castle is located on such a large plot of land, it is remote and private. Although there are many aspects of the castle that really do resemble a castle, you are also reminded that you are in a hotel as well. The courtyard facing room was gorgeous, though it did not afford much privacy if the blinds were to stay open. In addition, the bathroom was modern with stone and other intricate detail befitting a castle in the 21st century. Though I would say the room was that of a five-star hotel, it was the dining room that earned my high marks for the hotel. When I stepped into the castle’s dining room, it felt as though I was dining in the Irish countryside, comparable to a Jack Butler Yeats’ painting. Aristocratic, regal, monarchical, yet common. With me loving carbs, the breakfast spread was amazing and there was plenty of it, especially the brown soda bread! Another known amenity of Dromoland Castle is their golf course. For those that partake in the sport with irons, the greens were plush and the course was challenging even for the avid golfer. With the limited number of guests and visitors, you would not feel rushed playing a full course. The hotel also hosts several additional (paid) activities that guests can participate in, such as archery, falconry, horse riding, and fishing.

After enjoying the castle, you should make your way to see the Cliffs of Moher. It is about an hour drive from the castle and I recommend getting there either early in the morning or later in the afternoon. Certain websites recommend going to the Cliff's during sunset hours to avoid the crowd and to see the sun set on the Cliffs, however I do not think there was a bad time of day to go. You will not be elbow-to-elbow with tourists when visiting the Cliffs and the site stretches over 14 kilometers, so there is ample space for everyone. Though I did not have the opportunity to walk the entire trail, I was adventurous and explored the unpaved portion of the trail that extends to the northern end of the cliffs. If you are terrified of heights, there is a natural sunken trail parallel to the regular path that will keep you safe. Finally, many travel websites mention buying the parking pass in advance and I would fully recommend doing so. Even though the parking lot was not packed when I visited, it was still fairly full and given I am a Type A planner, I did not want to leave anything to chance.

If you want to visit an attraction much closer to the Dromoland Castle Hotel, there is the Bunratty Castle. I personally did not enjoy the whimsical folk park, but there were a few points of interest inside the park that didn’t make it all too terrible. For one, we were able to roam inside a real medieval castle, and you would be surprised how narrow and steep the staircases were. There were even people making apple pie from scratch, as they supposedly did in years past, which was fun to watch. However, I hate to say, the rest of the park was a dud. If I had small children with me, then this park would be more in the ballpark of something I would enjoy doing with them, as there was a kid’s playground within the grounds. But as an adult roaming the park, I was bored.

If you want to be active in other ways, I surprisingly recommend doing a hiking trail at the Burren National Park. I say “surprisingly” because at first impression, this park looks disappointing. There are no big signs letting you know you are at the park, there is not a parking lot and there are not any true directions on what to do without visiting the visitor center. At first, we just drove by the entrance of the walking trails but the only reason we decided to head back to the same area was because we noticed a few cars parked to the side of the road. The book recommends taking a 28-mile trail from one end to the other, but that was not going to possible for us. For those avid hikers, have at it! I was totally happy with my 2 mile trek. The trail paths are easy to understand, well-marked, and self-explanatory. Read: you will not get lost in the park! The best thing about it was that there weren’t any bugs flying around you and ruining the tranquility of the walk. It was quite peaceful walking around and enjoying the scenery while taking in the fresh air. It is also free to enter, so there is absolutely no reason you shouldn’t visit the park and hike a trail. You won’t regret it, because I sure didn’t.

If you do end up completing the 28-mile hiking trail, congratulations! You should reward yourself with a stay at the Gregans Castle Hotel where the trail ends up leading you to. Even though the word castle is in the name of this hotel, it definitely is not a castle but more of a cottage masked as a mansion. And even though the property is large, it still provided an intimate bed and breakfast vibe during our stay. I would normally stay in a standard room (which allows for easy hotel-to-hotel comparisons) but the only room that was available was the Martyn Suite. As you can see from the pictures, the room is huge with its own private outside garden. I loved the nook by the side of the bedroom (that would be perfect to have breakfast in), the overall hotel decor and finally, vibe. I wished we could have stayed longer. Patricia also recommended dining at the hotel, which I also recommend as well. The summer days in Ireland are long so even though we had a 7:00 pm dinner reservation, there was still sun outside and we were able to view the wonderful greenery outside our dining window while enjoying the meal. We ended up opting out of the prix-fixe meal and going a la carte with the items we wanted to try instead. Either way you can not go wrong. And of course, do not miss out on their breakfast buffet either. Although it is not as extensive as the spread at Dromoland Castle, but it did feel more intimate.

Finally, if you are looking for other food options, there were three Doolin pubs that were recommended from the List. The first pub we visited was Gus O’Connor’s, which is the closest to the Cliffs of Moher and the busiest out of the pubs during our visit. I did not read about these pubs beforehand so I am not sure why Gus’ is more popular than the other two. However, my assumption is that the other two pubs are located more remotely than Gus’, whereas Gus’ was located in a fairly residential (and busier) neighborhood. We ordered fish and chips at the bar, and till this day, I still cannot remember if the food was good or bad (ie. it was not memorable). But, then again, keep in mind it is bar food. The next pub we visited was McGann’s pub, which looked similar to Gus’ but with additional outdoor seating available. I did not order anything so it was a quick visit, but it had similar decor as Gus’. The last pub was McDermott’s, which seemed to be the smallest of the three pubs. Since we just ate at Gus’, we also did not order anything at this pub either. Given the early afternoon time of visiting, this pub seemed to be more of a nighttime pub than a place you visit during the day. Especially since I saw a sign that said there would be traditional Irish music nightly from 9:00 pm. Regardless of which pub you choose, I think your experience will be very similar among them.