The area around Cooraclare is ideal for walking, on the small side roads as well as across bogland and along the cliffs on the spectacular coast. The small roads are also great for cycling with only little other traffic. [more...] West Clare is the living home of Irish traditional music and dance - impromptu seisiuns are held regularly throughout the year, O'Keefe's Pub in the village has a session every saturday all year long. Beside the sessions the local pubs always offer good Guinness and a chat.

Golf
A 10 minute drive will take you to the renowned Greg Norman designed Trump International Golf links course, luxury Hotel and Spa in Doonbeg or to the beautifully located Golf Links Course in Kilkee. Other renowned Golf courses are nearby in Kilrush, Spanish Point and Lahinch - all less than half an hour from the house. Ballybunion in County Kerry can easily be reached via the Shannon Car Ferry.

Surfing
surfing in Baltard Bay, at Doughmore beach, in and around Spanish Point are ideal and well known locations for surfing. The rolling seas make these areas a paradise for followers of the sport.

Swimming
White Strand Blue Flag beach in Doonbeg is only 15 minutes away and supervised in season. Other beaches are in Kilrush, on the Shannon estuary, in Kilkee, Quilty, Spanish Point and Miltown Malbay. Kilkee also has an indoor pool, which is open in summer.

Bird watching
The coast all along between the Cliffs of Moher and Loop Head Lighthouse is a renowned place for birdwatching, as is Poulnasherry Bay on the Shannon estuary near Moyasta! This popularity is due to the range of seabirds that breed here each summer (including Kittiwakes, Fulmars, Guillemots, Razorbills, Puffins and Gannets), and in particular due to the autumn passage of an amazing array of seabirds and waders.

Dolphin Watching
Dolphin watching tours from Carrigaholt and Kilrush offer 2-hour boat trips in the season to observe the bottlenose dolphins in their natural habitat as well as nature boat trips to observe the diverse other wildlife in the Estuary.

Sightseeing
Kilkee has a beautiful sheltered beach and is also starting point of the Loop Head Drive leading along spectacular cliff scenery to Loop Head Lighthouse. The bustling market town of Kilrush with it’s beautiful marina is just 15 minutes drive away. Boat trips to Scattery Island commence in Kilrush Marina. The town of Miltown Malbay is hosting the annual Willie Clancy Summer School each July which attracts thousands of visitors who are passionate about traditional Irish music and dance. The famous Cliffs of Moher and its state of the art interpretive centre Atlantic Edge is also only a 40 min. drive away. Doolin is only a few minutes further north and is the gateway to the Aran Islands, with boats departing from the pier several times a day. Last not least there's the Burren, famous because of its beautiful limestone landscapes and the remarkable flora of the region as well as its rich archaeological heritage. It is the finest example of a karstic terrain in Ireland, with a full assemblage of the curious landforms and subterranean drainage systems that characterise these limestone terrains.