A week in Clifden - what would you do
 

I'm travelling to Clifden the last week of June with my 15 member family. We're taking over the Dolphin Beach House and truly looking forward to it.

We've each done the touring trip (or 2 or 3) of Ireland and this time have elected to slow down and stay in one location. My young children are the main reason. The thought of spending hours in a car with a 3 and a 4 yr old isn't my idea of vacation.

Do you have any secrets of the area to share? (Shorter day trips are definitely do-able.) Any great beach walks? (I've noted the Clifden Castle walk.) Any wonderful restaurants - informal or formal? A great grocer? I'd love to hear your advice.

Thanks.
molly

With 15-people there must be people who play Golf (or Golfers). It might be a bit of a hike to get to my favorite Course in all the world: Carne Golf Links near Belmullet (Mayo's wild wild west), but you shouldn't have trouble finding an acceptable Links layout (near Clifden or Westport)
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BTW
Contrary to popular belief, Golf originated in Ireland, not Scotland.

Golfers, indeed. Much obliged for the tip. Thanks.

molly, You are in for a treat!

Sky Drive
Dog's Bay perfect beach near Roundstone
Kylemore Abbey and Garden
Inishbofin Island
Clare Island
Connemara
Cong Abbey, Village and Ashford Castle (they have falconry there)
Westport
Achill Island and Atlantic Drive (if feeling ambitious)
Museum of Country Life in Castlebar

You will not have time for it all. Another trip might happen.

My favorite restaurant in Clifden is Mitchell's. O'Dowd's in Roundstone is good.

We had lunch at O'Dowd's in Roundstone last March. Loved it! Wonderful oysters and seafood chowder. Just watch for the DCC if you're using a credit card. The first bill they brought us was in dollars. But they very cheerfully changed it to Euro when we asked.

Go to Inisboffin. you could rrent bikes and make a day of it. There is a lovely hotel on the island and you vcan go for lunch as well. Only go if the weather is nice and make sure you are in time for the ferry or you will have to stay at the hotel :-). Pop up to the abbey glen castle one night in the bar closer to the weekend. It can get wild but its always froiendly and fun. they have a piano player and the owners son and everyine else gets up for a song or a story or a "dance competition" that we won last time we were there for the "best" (that means worst or silliest) dancers and got a bottle of champagne that we shared with all the people sitting at the Piano. Its small so you will hot all or most of the pubs and restaurants and none pops up in my head at the moment.

Go walk the grounds of ballinahinch castle nearby and pop in for some soup at the bar. Its lovely in the summer here. Roundstone has some good seafood places and stop for a paddle in the water at Dogs bay the beach on the way to Roundstone from Clifden.

Yes, yes,yes Ballynahinch for lunch in the Pub. If it's raining you can still enjoy it.

When I think of Clifden, I think of Walsh's Bakery. I don't know if it's still there, but if so, it's great!

Walsh's is still there and doing a booming business. They have expanded and have a large coffee shop. It makes a nice lunch stop. Excellent cappicino.

On the day you drive to Westport you can 'swing by' Kylemore and the procede to Lenane. From there, turn off on the R355, the road to Louisburg, via Delphi. It will only add a few miles to the over all trip and the scenery is WELL worth your time. That's the road through the Doolough Valley. Look for the Famine memorial marker along the way. Excedingly chilling, set as it is in such wild spendor.

Bob

Molly:

One afternoon or evening, palm the kids off on the rest of the family and you and husband go off to Destry's in downtown Clifden...a fine nouvelle type of cafe/resto...posters of Marlene Dietrich and James Stewart from their classic western "Destry Rides Again"..probably the only restaurant in the world taking Destry for a theme.

The whole famly will love a jaunt to the neaby Kylemore Abbey with its tranquil grounds and lovely chapel (the woodwork interior is something to admire).

Stu T.

I absolutely second Italian Chauffer's suggestion to drive to Louisburgh via the Doolough Valley, the site of the great famine walk. Chilling indeed. Also, you can go horseback riding at Cleggan. It's such a wonderful area.

Thanks, IrishEyes. I am getting the visit-Ireland bug again and so am happy to hear that Walsh's is alive and thriving!

Thank you to everyone who took time to reply. I feel very well prepared and quite excited. (Both are difficult states to achieve when one is the cruise director for one's entire family.) Thanks for the kindness.

molly

Where do you get this "golf originated in Ireland"?

Like most games, pinpointing the exact origin is pretty much impossible, because it depends on what you mean; but there are references to golf-like games in China in the 11th Century, and in the Netherlands in the 13th.

The modern game, with 18 holes and ball size and so forth, is from what I have been able to find definitely Scots in origin.

Croquet on the other hand did originate in Ireland.

I would visit Roundstone. My sister-in-law lives there and we go every year. My brother -in-law own's the "Shamrock" pub.It's about 15 miles from Clifden, a smaller town with a shops, pubs and galleries. Gurteen beach and Dog's Head Bay are beautiful. You might also take a day trip to Inisbofin. The ferry leaves from Cleggan. You can rent bikes at the pier. My husband has family on the island and if you have never been it will be worth it. No great grocer's in the area to my knowledge. We have a 1 1/2 & a 3 yr old, and will be spending a week in Roundstone in May.