Doolin

If you find yourself on the road from the Shannon Airport to Doolin you should stop in Ennis. We stopped at the Old Grounds Hotel for a cute Irish breakfast. After breakfast we strolled the shops, bought our first wool products and off we went. 

The cliffs or Mohr are on the way to Doolin so be sure to stop there for one of Ireland’s biggest attractions. Despite drawing a large crowd, it’s a really simple process to park your car and make your way across the road to the cliffs. The nice thing about the cliffs, is you can spend as much or as little time there as you want. Some people ambitiously hike from nearby towns along the coast. We opted to just stroll the pathway from the welcome center up to the viewing castle. The castle is appealing, but I didn’t see a big enough draw to pay the 1 or 2 euro charge to go up a single level for a “new view.” 

The cliffs of Mohr- view from the walking path

Doolin is small village that is known as the center of traditional Irish music. It’s basically one long road with a pub on one end, a pub in the middle, and another pub on the other end. A day is long enough to see the main sights. Our time was spent strolling the street and popping into each of the pubs. The best part of going in June was that the sun sets at about 10 PM, making our stroll to the pub more enjoyable as we passed by the cows.

The sweater shop is a must-see. The bright pink building will make for a memorable photo. 

Mom at the sweater shop

Doolin is the perfect place for a pub crawl. Dedicate your night to listening to the live music at each location. The stroll through town will take you to:

• Gus O’Connor’s
• Fitzpatricks Bar (attached to Hotel Doolin) 
• McGann’s Irish pub (best spot!) 

Travel Tip- Stay at Hotel Doolin. It's conveniently located in the middle of the town. The hotel is reasonably priced, has an adorable courtyard, has a pub downstairs, and is a short walk to the two other main pubs in town.