Doolin () is a coastal village in

County Clare County Clare ( ga, Contae an Chláir) is a county in Ireland, in the Southern Region and the province of Munster, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council is the local authority. The county had a population of 118,81 ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, on the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

coast. It is southwest of the spa town of

Lisdoonvarna Lisdoonvarna () is a spa town in County Clare in Ireland. The town is famous for its music and festivals. Although the music festival was discontinued in the 1980s, Lisdoonvarna still hosts its annual matchmaking festival each September. The pop ...

and 4 miles from the Cliffs of Moher. It is a noted centre of traditional

Irish music Irish music is music that has been created in various genres on the island of Ireland. The indigenous music of the island is termed Irish traditional music. It has remained vibrant through the 20th and into the 21st century, despite globalis ...

, which is played nightly in its pubs, making it a popular tourist destination. There are numerous nearby archaeological sites, many dating to the

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostl ...

and earlier.

Doonagore Castle Doonagore Castle is a round 16th-century tower house with a small walled enclosure located about 1 km south of the coastal village of Doolin in County Clare, Ireland. Its name may be derived from ''Dún na Gabhair'', meaning "the fort of ...

and

Ballinalacken Castle Ballinalacken Castle is a two-stage tower house located in Killilagh parish of County Clare, Ireland. It is of uncertain date but most likely was built in the 15th or early 16th century. Name The name probably derives from ''Baile na leachan'' ...

are also in the area. The area was officially classified as part of the West Clare

Gaeltacht ( , , ) are the districts of Ireland, individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home. The ''Gaeltacht'' districts were first officially reco ...

(an

Irish-speaking Irish ( Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was th ...

community) prior to the 1950s, and maintains a connection with Irish-speaking areas - including via its maritime connection with the

Aran Islands The Aran Islands ( ; gle, Oileáin Árann, ) or The Arans (''na hÁrainneacha'' ) are a group of three islands at the mouth of Galway Bay, off the west coast of Ireland, with a total area around . They constitute the historic barony of Aran i ...

Amenities and tourism

Layout

The village of Doolin does not have a defined centre, comprising a number of "scattered" sections: * "The Harbour" is the departing point for boat trips to the Aran Islands and the Cliffs of Moher. There is also a campsite nearby * "Fisher Street" has O'Connor's Pub and several shops and hostels. * "Fitz's Cross" has a hostel, campsite, two new hotels and another pub which opened in 2006 * "Roadford" has McGann's and McDermott's pubs, four restaurants, two hostels and a number of B&Bs. Trips to Doolin Cave are also run from here. The Aille River runs from the hills of

the Burren The Burren (; ) is a karst/ glaciokarst landscape centred in County Clare, on the west coast of Ireland.
Burr ...

down past Doolin to meet the sea. The small Crab Island is a short distance out from Doolin Harbour, barren except for the remains of a 19th-century stone constable, constabulary outpost. Doolin cave stalactite

Doolin Cave

The Great Stalactite, measuring 7.3 metres, was discovered in 1952. Doolin Cave claims that it is recognised as being the longest stalactite in the Northern hemisphere. Owing to environmental protection measures, concurrent visitor numbers are limited to 20 per tour.

Surfing

Doolin is a noted surfing destination. A break which generates Ireland's biggest wave, 'Aill na Searrach', is just off the Cliffs of Moher. The wave features in the movie Waveriders. Crab Island is also a local surfing spot.

Rock climbing

As well as serving as an accommodation centre for visitors to the major limestone rock climbing area of

Ailladie Ailladie ( ga, Aill an Daill, lit=Blind Man's Cliff; also known locally as the Ballyreen Cliffs and Ballyreen Point), is an west-facing limestone sea cliff, that varies in height from to , situated on the coast of The Burren in County Clare, ...

(most climbs at or above E1 5b), a short 8 km drive away, Doolin has its own less-popular sea-cliff

rock-climbing Rock climbing is a sport in which participants Climbing, climb up, across, or down natural Rock (geology), rock formations. The goal is to reach the Summit (topography), summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined Climbing ro ...

area, with several routes recorded. Like Ailladie, the cliffs are single- pitch steep

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

; however the rock is not of a high quality, the cliffs are tidal, and access is not as easy. There are also several smaller inland crags scattered throughout the Burren region (e.g.

Ballyryan ; Ring's homestead , photo = Right Crack at Ballyryan - geograph.org.uk - 1593846.jpg , photo_width = 250 , photo_caption = Climbers on ''Right Crack'' (VDiff) in Ballyran , map = Ireland , map_width = 250 , map_caption = Location of Bally ...

, Murroughkilly, Aill na Cronain and Oughtdarra), and some good

bouldering Bouldering is a form of free climbing that is performed on small rock formations or artificial rock walls without the use of ropes or harnesses. While bouldering can be done without any equipment, most climbers use climbing shoes to help se ...

to be found along the coast, most notably at Lackglass, which was first bouldered in April, 2005.

Pubs

Pubs in Doolin include Fitzpatricks, Gus O'Connor's, McDermott's, and McGann's. The Micho Russell Festival Weekend is held each year after the last Friday in February. File:Fitz's.jpg, Fitz's Bar Doolin. Founded 2006. File:Doolin-Gus-OConnors-Pub-2012.JPG, Gus O'Connor's pub, founded in 1832. File:Doolin pub McDermott's.jpg, McDermott's pub, founded in 1867. File:Doolin pub McGann's.jpg, McGann's pub, founded in 1976.

Transport

Ferry

Doolin is one of three places (

Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a city in the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay, and is the sixth most populous city on ...

and the village of

Rossaveal Rossaveal or Rossaveel ( or ''Ros a' Mhíl'') is a Gaeltacht village and townland in the Connemara area of County Galway, Ireland. It is the main ferry port for the Aran Islands in Galway Bay. It is about from Galway city. The Irish name ''Ros ...

on the northwest shore of

Galway Bay Galway Bay ( Irish: ''Loch Lurgain'' or ''Cuan na Gaillimhe'') is a bay on the west coast of Ireland, between County Galway in the province of Connacht to the north and the Burren in County Clare in the province of Munster to the south; Galw ...

are the others) with ferry services to the

, which are visible from the town. A ferry service also brings tourists from Doolin Pier to the base of the Cliffs of Moher.

Bus

As Doolin is close to the

Cliffs of Moher The Cliffs of Moher (; ) are sea cliffs located at the southwestern edge of the Burren region in County Clare, Ireland. They run for about . At their southern end, they rise above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag's Head, and, to the north, they ...

, a bus service between

and Ennis calls at both Doolin and the cliffs in each direction. Bus Éireann route 350 links Doolin to Ennis,

Ennistymon Ennistymon or Ennistimon () is a country market town in County Clare, near the west coast of Ireland. The River Inagh, with its small rapids known as the Cascades, runs through the town, behind the main street. A bridge across the river leads ...

Fanore Fanore () is a small village in County Clare, on the west coast of Ireland. The area was officially classified as part of the West Clare Gaeltacht, an Irish-speaking community, until 1956. Geography Location Lying on the road between Bally ...

Kinvara Kinvara or Kinvarra () is a sea port village in the southwest of County Galway, Ireland. It is located in the civil parish of Kinvarradoorus in the north of the barony of Kiltartan. Kinvarra is also an electoral division. Geography The vil ...

and

. There are a number of journeys each way daily. Onward rail and bus connections are available at Ennis and Galway.

Road

Two regional roads serve the village. The R479 connects the village both with coastal areas to the north and with

to the east. The R459 connects the village to the

, the

Burren Way The Burren Way () is a long-distance trail in County Clare, Ireland. It is long, begins in Lahinch and ends in Corofin, crossing The Burren, one of the largest karst limestone landscapes in Europe. The trail, typically completed in five da ...

and the

Inisheer Inisheer ( ga, Inis Oírr , or ) is the smallest and most easterly of the three Aran Islands in Galway Bay, Ireland. With 281 residents as of the 2016 census, it is second-most populous of the Arans. Caomhán of Inis Oírr is the island's ...

ferry port.

People

Musicians associated with Doolin, who have lived there or played in its pubs, include Micho Russell and his brothers Packie and

Gussie Gussie is a shortened version of the given names Augustus, Augusta, Gustave and others. Gussie or Gussy may refer to: People * Edward Augustus Bowles (1865–1954), British horticulturalist, botanist and writer *Gussie Busch (1899–1989), Americ ...

Sharon Shannon Sharon Shannon (born 8 June 1968) is an Irish musician, best known for her work with the button accordion and for her fiddle technique. She also plays the tin whistle and melodeon. Her 1991 debut album, '' Sharon Shannon,'' was the best-sellin ...

Davy Spillane Davy Spillane (born 1959 in Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish musician, songwriter and a player of uilleann pipes and low whistle. Biography Irish music At the age of 12, Spillane started playing the uilleann pipes. His father encouraged him an ...

, and Steve Wickham of

The Waterboys The Waterboys are a folk rock band formed in Edinburgh in 1983 by Scottish musician Mike Scott. The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. Mike Scott has remained ...

Popular culture

Doolin is the main setting for the 2007

PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on November 11, 2006, in Japan, November ...

game ''

Folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

''. According to the game's storyline, the Netherworld, the world of the dead is a realm that can only be accessed from one place in the world, the sea-side village of Doolin. The Celtic band

Gaelic Storm Gaelic Storm is a Celtic band founded in Santa Monica, California in 1996. Their musical output includes pieces from traditional Irish music, Scottish music, and original tunes in both the Celtic and Celtic rock genres. The band had its first ...

has a fiddle tune which references the town called "The Devil Went Down to Doolin" (presumably a play on the popular song

The Devil Went Down to Georgia "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" is a song written and performed by the Charlie Daniels Band and released on their 1979 album '' Million Mile Reflections''. The song is written in the key of D minor. Vassar Clements originally wrote the basic ...

) on their album Herding Cats.

Notes and references

{{Authority control Port cities and towns in the Republic of Ireland Towns and villages in County Clare Climbing areas of Ireland Surfing locations in Ireland