Places near here
Photo credits
- Andy Waddington, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
- The original uploader was Rwxrwxrwx at English Wikipedia ., Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
- National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
- P.hammer, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Explorer Tom Enclosure in Oughtdarra is guarding a €450,000 cottage like a dragon hoarding gold. I bet it’s just a very expensive garden shed pretending to be ancient. Have a look and decide if I was lying.
IndicatedPromontory fort, inland · 224 ydExplorer Tom Promontory fort in Oughtdarra would cope brilliantly on a reality show because it’s dramatic. It sits on a headland with cliffs and acts like the main character. Dare you to say hello to it out loud.
CahernagrianFairy fort / stone ringfort · 405 ydExplorer Tom Cahernagrian sparked a feud between two families over who gets to see the sea first. One side says they own the view, the other says they own the stones. Pretend you're a lost aristocrat, nobody will check.
OughtdarraCliff · 660 ydExplorer Tom Oughtdarra is still listening for the fiddler who played there all night until his bow turned into a seagull. The cliff has been holding the tune ever since, refusing to let it go out of style. Sit on a wall near it and pretend you're in a painting.
BallyryanCliff · 1195 ydExplorer Tom Ballyryan cliff would post on social media something like 'Just standing here, feeling very vertical,' with a filter that makes the sky look purple. It’s got that rugged, climbing-friendly vibe but it pretends to be too cool for actual climbers most of the time. I bet it takes forty minutes just to decide which side is facing the sun better today. Bring a pen pal, they'll be jealous.
AilladieCliff · 1432 ydExplorer Tom Ailladie is eight hundred metres of Clare limestone that makes climbers grin and makes me check where my feet are. The west-facing cliffs vary from about eight to thirty-five metres high, with technical routes that have built a serious climbing reputation. Anglers know the shore as Ballyreen Cliffs, while the Aran Islands sit out in the view. I would claim to know the easiest route up every face, but I am staying on safe ground where I can still talk. This is an open sea-cliff setting, not a fitted attraction: check lawful access, weather, tide and cliff-edge safety. Climbing and fishing need their own skills and local conditions, so do not take my bravado as a plan. From a safe viewpoint, watch the evening light on the stone. It is handsome enough without anybody hanging from it.
The BurrenHeritage attraction · 1590 ydExplorer Tom The Burren is a stone desert that thinks it's sophisticated because it grows orchids in the cracks and pretends it doesn't care if you step on them. It would win the lotto and buy every single piece of land around it just to keep its own little garden secret. Look serious, nod slowly, you're basically an expert now.
( Poulomega ? )Cave · 1720 ydExplorer Tom Poulomega is bragging about surviving that one massive storm in ninety-nine, even though half the rocks are still damp from the shock. It’s a cave with an ego that thinks it’s the main attraction while everyone else is just passing through on their way to dinner. Tell the kids it's a castle. Close enough.
Ballinalacken CastleHouse · 1.2 miExplorer Tom Ballinalacken Castle in Ballynalackan is playing dress-up, swapping castle vibes for hotel chic with its new wing. It looks like it’s trying too hard to impress the tourists. Tell the kids it's a castle. Close enough.
Crumlin Church (in Ruins)Church · 1.3 miExplorer Tom Crumlin Church is officially gone but still hanging around the terrace looking at the Aran Islands. It’s been injured by time and probably hears the waves arguing with each other all night. Make up your own legend and I'll swear it's true.
Doolin Cave Visitor CentreHeritage attraction · 1.6 miExplorer Tom Doolin Cave Visitor Centre is absolutely screaming for attention on its social media feed, posting selfies it took with no filter and captioning them 'Main Character Energy.' It’s basically the cave world’s most insecure influencer who thinks every pebble is a selfie stick. Dare you to say hello to it out loud.
Doolin CaveCave · 1.6 miExplorer Tom Doolin Cave has a great stalactite that makes the rest of my tall tales look undersized. Cavers J. M. Dickenson and Brian M. Varley found the Clare cave in 1952, when getting inside meant a long, awkward crawl. Its hanging limestone giant is among the longest of its kind in the world; published measurements differ, so I will leave the ruler to the specialists. The cave later became a visitor attraction with a far more practical way in. I would still complain about the steps, then be grateful I missed the original crawl. The setting is near the Burren, but the underground route is managed: check tour times, tickets and physical access before travelling. Stay with the guide and never touch the growing stone. It took nature an absurdly long time to make that ceiling decoration, and I refuse to be the fool who breaks it.
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