Music and Matchmaking
Doolin & Lisdoonvarna
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Doolin: Cliffs of Moher Cruises makes the 75-minute voyage past sea stacks and crag-perched birds. Boats depart from the main pier in Doolin (same dock as Aran Islands boat) or from Liscannor (find the dock by following signs near Vaughan's pub). A free shuttle bus takes you back to whichever port you departed from (€22, runs daily April-Oct, 3/day from Doolin, 1/day from Liscannor, weather and tides permitting, call or go online to check sailing schedule and to reserve, tel. 065/707-5949, mobile 087-245-3239).
Sleeping in Lisdoonvarna: Ballinsheen House perches on a hill with five tastefully-decorated rooms and a pleasant glassed-in breakfast terrace (Sb-€40-48, Db-€60-74, Tb-€90-118, Qb-€120, parking, 5-min walk north of town on N-67 Galway Road, tel. 065/707-4806, mobile 087-922-0390, fax 065/707-4859, ballinsheenhouse@hotmail.com, Mary Gardiner).
Marchmont B&B rents two large twin/family rooms and two small doubles in a fine old house (Db-€60-65, on N-67 Galway Road near main square, just past post office, tel. 065/707-4050, Eileen Barrett).
St. Enda's B&B is an old-fashioned whitewashed place, with four modest rooms, run for the last 56 years by proper proprietress Mary Finn (Sb-€47-51, Db-€64-70, non-smoking, parking, 2-min walk north of town on N-67 Galway Road, tel. 065/707-4066, stendasbb@eircom.net).
Updated for 2008
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Doolin and Lisdoonvarna
By Rick Steves
This town is a strange phenomenon. Tourists go directly from Paris or Munich to Doolin. It's on the tourist map for its traditional music. A few years ago, this was a mecca for Irish musicians. They came together here to jam before a few lucky aficionados. But now the crowds and the foreigners are overwhelming the musicians, and the quality of music is not as reliable. Still, as Irish and European music-lovers alike crowd the pubs, the bodhrán beat goes on.
Doolin has plenty of accommodations and a Greek-island-without-the-sun ambience. The "town" is just a few homes and shops strung out along a valley road from the tiny harbor. Locals generally divide the town into an Upper Village and Lower Village. The Lower Village is the closest thing to a commercial center.
Doolin is famous for these three pubs, all featuring Irish folk music: Nearest the harbor, in the Lower Village, is O'Connor's Pub (tel. 065/707-4168). A mile farther up the road, the Upper Village straddles a bridge with the other two destination pubs, McGann's (tel. 065/707-4133) and McDermott's (tel. 065/707-4328). Music starts in the pubs between 21:30 and 22:00, finishing around midnight. Get there before 21:00 if you want a place to sit, or pop in later and plan on standing. On my last trip, I hit Doolin on a mediocre music night. The craic is fine regardless. Pubs serve decent dinners before the music starts. (Dial-A-Cab is a handy service for folks without wheels wanting to link a night of fun in Doolin with a bed in Lisdoonvarna; mobile 086-812-7049 or 087-290-2060).
The Michael Russell Heritage Centre in Doolin may eventually become a museum of traditional music. For now, some ceilidh dances are held here. Ask at a pub if anything's scheduled.
From Doolin, you can hike or bike (rentals in town) up Burren Way for three miles to the Cliffs of Moher; get advice locally on the trail condition and safety. Doolin also offers boat cruises along the Cliffs of Moher (see sidebar).
The boats from Doolin to the Aran Islands can be handy but are often canceled. Even a balmy day can be too windy (or the tide can be too low) to allow for a sailing from Doolin's crude little port. If you're traveling by car and have time limits, don't risk sailing from Doolin. Without a car, you can travel on from the Aran Islands to Galway by the bigger boats, so Doolin might work for you. But it's a longer trip to Inishmore (some sailings make a stop at Inisheer en route), so consider an overnight stay on the islands.
Lisdoonvarna
This town of 1,000 was known for centuries for its spa and its matchmakers. Today, except for a couple of September weeks during its Matchmaking Festival, it's pretty sleepy. (The bank is only open one day a week.) Still, it's more of a town than Doolin and, apart from festival time, less touristy. Lisdoonvarna has good traditional music in its pubs. I'd stay here, rather than in Doolin, and commute (see sidebar).