Killkee Cliffs and Dromoland Castle Visit

17th July – Killkee Cliffs and Dromoland Castle Visit

This morning, set out to explore the Cliffs of Kilkee, one of County Clare’s hidden gems. Though not as tall as the world-famous Cliffs of Moher, these dramatic sea cliffs are every bit as impressive, offering sweeping Atlantic views and a quieter, more intimate experience.

After your cliffside adventure, your journey continues to the elegant Dromoland Castle, a historic estate steeped in centuries of Irish heritage. Here, you’ll indulge in a traditional afternoon tea served in luxurious surroundings, followed by a guided tour of the castle and its enchanting grounds. This visit offers a glimpse into Ireland’s aristocratic past and provides a serene, refined way to conclude the day.

Killkee Cliffs are located on the Loop Head Peninsula in County Clare, Ireland, the and are an uncommercialized stretch of the Wild Atlantic Way. The cliffs themselves reach heights of up to 200 meters (656 feet) and offer visitors a more authentic coastal experience. The walk starts at the Diamond Rocks Cafe at the West End of Kilkee town. We walked a 5.5 mile portion of it which had a 560 elevation gain. It reminded me a lot of the Southwest Coast Path.

We were lucky with cooler and sunny weather.

We saw some interesting things along the way. For example, this Eurasian Rock Pipit.

this anomoly waterfall

The Richard Harris statue. Evidently, he was from this area and played tennis nearby a lot.

the bishop's hide away

a well kept holy well

and our turn around point with an arch.

I was sure someone would go to see these flowers and fall off the cliff

Because this area of Ireland is on the verge of drought, things were dry enough to walk down close to the shore.

Dromoland Castle

is located near Newmarket-on-Fergus in County Clare, Ireland, is a five-star luxury hotel ($1200/night) and 450-acre estate. Originally a 16th-century tower house, it was the ancestral seat of the O'Brien family (for 500 years), who trace their lineage back to Brian Boru, the last High King of Ireland. The current Gothic Revival structure was completed in 1835.

We never did get the castle tour and were rushed through our (rather) expensive cream tea. There was quite a lot of drama around getting the left-overs which we were promised, then lost (probably thrown out instead of misplaced). We ended up with about 3 more boxed up complete cream teas which found a home with a bunch of motorcycle riders. At least Lisa found a good home for the food.

We had a falconing experience which was one of the more interesting I've had. The "falconess" was a transplant from the US (and many other countries as well). It seems in medieval times the kitchen staff also took advantage of the birds to get meat for the evening meal. Many terms we use today are originated from falconing. For example: being wrapped around someone's finger comes from wrapping the bird's teather around the falconner's finger.

We were actually allowed to hold the birds. One got off my glove and those talons were sharp and drew a bit of blood. It was my own fault as my hand wasn't high enough.

Buni was quite concerned....

I think this robin got lost...or was pretending he was a hawk

I was the only one to really take advantage of, and get my money's worth from the cream tea. As a result, I skipped dinner tonight, but the rest of the group went back to the Cornerstone.