2014 and the year of Brian Boru

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East Clare Heritage is an approved visitor information point and operates from one of the oldest churches in continuous use in Ireland or England, St Cronan’s, Tuamgraney, County Clare.

We aim to provide information on the rich and varied heritage of the area and as a Failte Ireland Visitor information point, assist visitors to the area.

We will be opening again to the public in April 2014.  To help celebrate the millennium of Brian Boru’s death we are planning a special event on Saturday 31st May.  This year we will also be launching a publication related to Brian Boru.

We look forward to welcoming you to County Clare this year and please email us with any queries you may at eastclareheritage@gmail.com or post on our facebook page.

Itineraries

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Gateway East Clare Heritage is going to be adding itineraries within the next couple of weeks. These will be suggestions of schedules for day trips to east Clare and will appeal to the whole family.

As a sample of what’s yet to come here’s an itinerary suggested by our very own east Clare local Noreen:

East Clare

A day spent in the beautiful location of East Clare will appeal to all the family – adults and children alike.

  • Firstly, why not call into St. Cronan’s 10th Century Church in Tuamgraney, home of the East Clare Heritage Centre. Here the friendly and helpful staff will give you a guided tour of this historic building, which is closely associated with Brian Boru, and houses an interesting and varied array of artefacts.
  • The Heritage Centre staff will also show you the nearby 16th Century O’Grady Tower House, a very important feature of this historic village.
  • Armed with leaflets and information from the staff, you can then travel the short distance out of Tuamgraney village (on the Ennis road) to the Casaoireach – Famine Memorial Park – where you can pay your respects at the graves of the thousands of inmates of the local Scariff Workhouse, who died during the years of the Great Famine (1845 – 1849).
  • A short distance further on you will see a holy well, named after St. Coelan, who lived c690 to 750.
  • Travel the 3 miles or so to the East Clare Golf Club where you can enjoy a round of golf on this very scenic course.
  • Back to Tuamgraney to visit the local Wilde’s Chocolate Factory and McKernan’s Handweavers.
  • Then it’s time for a leisurely lunch in Teach Uí Bhriain in the village.
  • A trip to East Clare would not be complete without a visit to Iniscealtra (Holy Island) on Lough Derg. Local historian, Ger Madden, runs boat trips to the island from the pier in the beautiful village of Mountshannon. The staff of the Heritage Centre will have given you a brochure with the contact details.
  • Dinner can be enjoyed in any of the three restaurants in Mountshannon – The Mountshannon Hotel, An Cupán Caife or The Snug.
  • Alternatively, you can travel to the village of Feakle, which is steeped in Traditional Irish Music. Here you can have dinner in Pepper’s Bar & Restaurant and stay on to experience the ‘craic’ of an authentic Irish Music Session.
  • If your day trip happens to fall on a Monday, another option would be to return to your starting point of St. Cronan’s Church in Tuamgraney and enjoy a Celtic Traditions Concert in this magnificent setting.

This beautiful part of East Clare offers a rich and varied mix of attractions and experiences to the visitor so, should you decide to prolong your visit to East Clare (highly recommended!), there are many excellent accommodation options available, including B&Bs and Self-catering accommodation.

Come to East Clare and experience it for yourself!