As
Ballyhannon Castle is situated close to the centre of Ireland, by
staying there at you are ideally based to explore anywhere in Ireland,
and most conveniently the West and South coasts which are known the
world over for their beauty of landscapes and warmth of hospitality.
From the countless picturesque villages to the bustling cities of
Limerick, Cork and Galway, or from the wild countryside from Dingle to
Connemara to the mighty Shannon River and unique flora and fauna of the
Burren, there is simply nowhere else quite like it. Ballyhannon Castle
is perfectly positioned on the West of Ireland in Co. Clare – the heart
of the west coast.
The Property
is
at the end of a long
private avenue (cul-de-sac), just off a minor road which connects to the
main Limerick to Galway motorway, also serving
Shannon International Airport
approximately 10 miles
away, and allowing
easy access to everywhere on the west coast.
It is approximately:
-
3 miles from the local villages of
Newmarket-on-Fergus
and
Quin,
with its famous Quin Abbey; also minutes away is
Knappogue Castle,
providing
top-class medieval entertainment where traditional pageantry and
banquets are held weekly (and nightly in high season)
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10 minutes' drive to
Bunratty Castle
and Folk Park,
a
heritage visitors centre consisting of a Medieval village beside
its famous 15th century castle. It is an impressive living and
working museum that recaptures life in Ireland centuries past.
It has urban and rural dwellings, 8 farmhouses, a village street
with school, post office, pub and pawn shop. There are daily
demonstrations of bread-baking, knitting and weaving. This is
where the O’Brien clan lived for 8 generations before moving to
their more comfortable Dromoland Estate. Nightly, musicians and
singers in period costume-dress entertain their guests during a
4-course banquet. Its finger-licking, cutlery-free and meade-filled
guests pay homage to an Earl and Lady randomly selected on the
night; |
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40
minutes to The Burren,
with flora and fauna unique to Ireland, underground rivers and
caves open to the public. This local landscape has been a source
of fascination and enjoyment for visitors, both local and
international, for generations. Its name comes from the Irish
for ‘rocky place’, and being home to a variety of flora and
fauna, is often referred to as Europe’s largest rock garden
because of its rare artic, alpine and Mediterranean plants
growing side by side in the miles of limestone rock. The Burren
is a trail of 20 miles that crosses lands, rock hills, paths and
green roads similar to lunar-like landscape, making it popular
with hikers, as well as artists and archaeologists interested in
its pre-Christian dolmens; |
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The Aran
Islands are one of the Irish-speaking areas of
Ireland and are Europe's most westerly point. Inishmór is the
largest island, home to the impressive Iron Age fortress of
Dun Aengus, while Inisheer’s atmospheric beauty has
attracted countless writers and artists over the years, and
has history dating right back to a 4th century monastic
settlement.
60 minutes to the
Cliffs of Moher,
ranked as one of Ireland’s most famous and
visited sights. They rise over 700 feet high, stretch 5 miles
along the coast and display wild and rugged coastline. They
are home to thousands of screeching puffins and you can take a
coastal walk to see unparalleled views of the Atlantic
seascape. The O’Brien tower at the top of the cliffs offers
views of the Aran Islands;
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20
minutes south on the motorway to the famous city of
Limerick.
For those interested in shopping, eating out or nightlife, this
historic city is dominated by the awesome 13th
century King John's Castle, once the most formidable English
fortification in Ireland. Limerick is where the famous Hunt
Museum is located, home to one of Ireland's finest collections
of Bronze Age, Celtic and Medieval treasures;
-
10
miles from
Ennis,
County Clare’s largest and cultural town,
voted the “Tidiest town in Ireland for 2005”. Ennis is the home
of traditional Irish music, plenty of pubs with live Irish music
sessions nightly, cobble-stoned streets lined with a great
restaurants and shops, and has a market day on Saturday. Founded
in Medieval times, the countryside surrounding Ennis is home to
a host of abbeys, ruins of castles and ancient monuments, and
the beautiful 13th century Ennis Friary;
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A
60 minute drive north on the motorway to
Galway City,
the unofficial “capital of the West” and a delightful,
prosperous city brimming with history and filled with top class
shopping precincts, theatres, pubs and restaurants. Its vibrant
cultural life includes a year-round calendar of events such as
the Galway Arts Festival, the famous Galway Races at the end of
July, the Jazz Festival in February, the Cuirt Festival of
Literature at Easter and the Galway International Oyster
Festival at the end of September.
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From Galway, one can pop across to
The Aran Islands,
which are one of the few remaining Irish-speaking areas
of Ireland and are Europe's most westerly point. Inishmór is the
largest of these islands, home to the impressive Iron Age
fortress of Dun Aengus, while Inisheer’s atmospheric beauty has
attracted countless writers and artists over the years, and has
history dating right back to a 4th century monastic settlement.
It is from these islands that the Aran sweater originated;
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90
minutes to the wild and rustic countryside of
Connemara.
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