48 Hours in Doolin
(From the Perspective of Helen at Galavanting Ireland)
A weekend away is always something to look forward to- whether you are travelling with friends, family or a special someone- the anticipation starts building mid-week, and by the time Friday comes around, you just want to be there. On a Friday afternoon, we left the busy streets of Navan to head to our destination for the weekend- Doolin in County Clare. 3 hours later, our car was making its way through the twisty turns of Corkscrew hill, and we could smell the Atlantic!
Our first stop of the evening was our accommodation for the weekend- Wild Meadow Huts. The Huts are ideally located overlooking the village, far enough away to be a quiet location, but close enough to be able to walk to the local pub. Wild Meadow Huts only opened last Easter and offer the most luxurious accommodation you will find in a hut! A comfy bed, lots of storage, two ring hob, fridge, bathroom with a shower and so much more. On arrival, we were treated to a basket of home-made scones with local jam and a snipe of prosecco! A fabulous way to start our weekend.
After enjoying our glass of bubbles on the terrace, we made our way down the lane to the village and although we found it hard to pass the sounds of the traditional music sessions happening in McDermotts and McGann’s, we made our way to Russell’s Seafood bar at the Fiddle and Bow Hotel to enjoy some local fare. To say it didn’t disappoint is an understatement! The menu features all the gorgeous seafood that you would expect, as well as recommended wines to go with each dish. We were also treated to a great music session happening just behind us.
We finished our drinks on the picnic benches listening to some great Irish tunes before heading to Fitz’s Pub down the street for another great live music session! The long drive started to catch up with us so we headed for the leaba and enjoyed a great sleep in Wild Meadow Huts!
Saturday morning started with a cup of tea and a light breakfast on the terrace of our hut. You can hear the waves from here as well as taking in all the wildflowers and nature that this part of the Burren is famous for. After chatting with Conor (one of the owners) we headed for the Cliffs of Moher and Guerin’s Path to park the car. For the next 2 and a half hours, we made our way along the Cliff walk to Doolin. Although there was a sea haze for a lot of our walk, we did get some amazing views in and we got our steps in for the day too!
On returning to Doolin we made a beeline for The Ivy Cottage. We had passed it that morning and the smell of cooking made us return! Situated just over the bridge on Fisher Street, we opted to sit outside on their wonderful terrace and enjoy a lunch fit for a king!
That afternoon, we took a stroll to Doolin Pier and made a mental note to book a Ferry to one of the Aran Islands on our next trip. The nearest island is Inisheer and the ferry only takes 15 minutes. After a wander through all the lovely craft shops in the Village we made our way home to get ready for another evening of food and music in Doolin.
We settled on McDermotts Pub for dinner and the service was second to none. Their menu was jammed packed with more local produce and all the usual favourites you would expect from a busy Irish Pub. We settled on the Salmon and the Bangers and Mash and it was delicious! We were persuaded to try the fruit crumble for dessert also! After dinner- another great music session ensued. McDermotts offer a Traditional Music Session every night of the week from 9pm.
We finished off our evening with a visit to McGann’s Pub across the Bridge where there was another great music session taking place! We sat at the bar and had great fun with some of the locals before retiring to our huts for some rest. What a day in Doolin!
On Sunday morning we reluctantly checked out of our cute Dandelion hut at Wild Meadow Huts and made our way to Doolin Inn for breakfast with a view! I would highly recommend their black pudding sausage rolls and coffee! We perched ourselves overlooking Fisher Street and enjoyed the sound of live music coming out of the restaurant. This was a weekly open session that happens at 11am on the Sunday. We really didn’t want to leave.
Before we hit the road, we visited Doolin Cave- just a 2km drive from the village itself and we took the tour down to view the largest Stalactite in Europe. The tour was informational as well as incredibly interesting and it is a must visit when you are coming to Doolin. Another pit stop was made in Lisdoonvarna and The Burren Smokehouse to pick up some of their amazing smoked salmon. We were too late for the tour as it was already fully booked so we made another mental note to book in advance on our next visit.
We spent the drive home planning our next visit back to this beautiful corner of Ireland. One thing we did agree on was that we needed more time- we could visit Doolin for a week and probably not get to experience everything we wanted! We missed out on a visit to Caherconnell Fort, an evening at the Music House, an afternoon at one of the most scenic Pitch and Putt Clubs, a trip to the Islands and so much more.
We will be back and we can’t wait!
(Helen visited Doolin from the 12th to the 14th of May 2023)
Read Next: 9 Travel Tips for Planning an Adventure to Doolin
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