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Loop Head

It's the Clare coast, but without the hoards of tourists you will find around the Cliffs of Moher. The scenery is no less dramatic on the Loop Head drive, and it is extraordinary that so few people seem to find it. Loop Head has no shops or interpretive centres, indeed precious few buildings, and you may well be alone as you walk along the cliffs.

The highlight is surely the extraordinary Bridges of Ross, a geological phenomenon where naturally created rocky bridges connect towering cliffs to rocky outcrops, passing high above the Atlantic. The bridges, or rather the spaces beneath them, were created over the years by the battering of the Atlantic against the rocky coastline. The Loop Head lighthouse and its keeper's cottage at the very tip of the head has been restored and while not open for tours you can, imagine this, rent it out and stay there!

Scattery Island

From Kilrush you can take a ferry to Scattery Island, where the 6th century St Senen's Monastery with its round tower and churches are in a remarkably good state considering their exposure to the elements. Over the centuries the Island was invaded by Vikings and visited by the Spanish Armada. The interpretive centre on the mainland is worth visiting to get a feel for the Island amazing history.

In the Area

Other places worth seeing are the Little Ark in the church at Moneen and the Holy Wells of St. Credaun and St. Cuan. There are also some lovely beaches, which will be totally deserted.

Location Map for Loop Head

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