Castles and Historic Sites in Co. Clare
7 places
1.Craggaunowen Castle & Crannóg
A leather boat that crossed the Atlantic
Ireland's original award-winning prehistoric park where you can walk through a reconstructed Bronze Age village, explore a 16th-century castle, and see the leather boat that crossed the Atlantic — all in one wooded, lakeside setting.
- Highlights
- Reconstructed Bronze Age crannóg lake dwelling
- 16th-century MacNamara tower house
- The Brendan Boat — Tim Severin's transatlantic leather vessel
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
2.Bunratty Castle & Folk Park
most complete 15th-century castle
Ireland's most complete and authentic 15th-century castle, paired with a 26-acre living-history folk park where costumed characters, rare-breed animals, and a full recreated 19th-century village bring the past to life.
- Highlights
- 15th-century furnished tower house — Ireland's most complete medieval castle
- 26-acre open-air Folk Park with 30+ historic buildings
- Costumed village characters and traditional Irish musicians
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
3.Doonagore Castle
170 Spanish Armada survivors hanged here
A fairy-tale 16th-century round tower house perched on a hill above Doolin, with sweeping Atlantic views — one of only three cylindrical tower houses in the Burren. Privately owned and closed inside, but unforgettable from the road, especially at sunset.
- Highlights
- One of only three cylindrical tower houses in the Burren
- Built from distinctive warm sandstone, not limestone
- Panoramic views over Doolin Point, the Atlantic, and Aran Islands
4.Loop Head Lighthouse
74 steps to a 90m-high balcony above the Atlantic
A beacon on the edge of Ireland since 1670 — climb 23 metres to a balcony 90 metres above the Atlantic for views from Kerry to Connemara, then explore the light keeper's cottage and the wild cliffs of the Loop Head peninsula.
- Highlights
- 74-step tower climb to 90m-high balcony
- 360° views: Blasket Islands to Twelve Pins
- One of Ireland's oldest lighthouses (1670)
5.Moher Fort Site Telegraph Station
1808 signal tower with panoramic cliff views
A ruined Napoleonic-era signal tower perched on Hag's Head at the southern tip of the Cliffs of Moher — the free, crowd-free way to experience Ireland's most famous cliffs, with panoramic views south to Loop Head and north along the full sweep of the 8 km cliff line.
- Highlights
- Free, uncrowded alternative to the main Cliffs of Moher Experience
- Napoleonic-era signal tower (c.1808) built on site of ancient fort Mothar
- Panoramic views north along the full 8 km cliff line
6.Caherconnell Stone Fort & Sheepdog Demonstrations
Clare's only sheepdog demo at 1,000-year-old fort
A 1,000-year-old stone ringfort paired with Clare's only sheepdog demonstration — all run by the same family for five generations in a stunning Burren valley.
- Highlights
- Clare's only sheepdog demonstrations
- 1,000-year-old stone fort, still being excavated
- Family-run for 5 generations by the Davorens
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
7.Poulnabrone Dolmen
5,800-year-old tomb older than the Pyramids
A 5,800-year-old portal tomb standing alone on the bare limestone pavement of the Burren — Ireland's oldest dated megalithic monument and its most photographed.
- Highlights
- 5,800-year-old portal tomb — older than the Pyramids
- Massive 5-tonne capstone balanced on standing stones
- Set in the surreal karst limestone landscape of the Burren
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access