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Come for Tuamgraney.
Then discover East Clare.
We are biased, of course — we live here. But Tuamgraney really is worth a trip. We sit on the western shore of Lough Derg, right in the heart of Ireland's Hidden Heartlands, and East Clare is one of Ireland's best kept secrets. There is more going on here than most people expect, and we love showing it off. Want to make a full day of it? Scroll down for some ideas.
McKernan & The Weaver's Café
You will hear the looms before you see them. That rhythmic click-clack pulling you through the door is the sound of scarves being made right here by Eugene, Anke and their talented team. Watch them and the machines at work, handle what comes off those looms, and when you're ready, follow your nose to the colourful Weaver's Café and its sun-trapped walled garden. The shop is open daily from 10am to 5pm, the café 10am to 4pm, and tours can be booked on mckernan.ie
Nuala's Pub & Restaurant
Nuala's has been part of this village since 1850 and has had only three owners in all that time. The last one knew every single person who walked through the door and was still behind the bar well into her nineties. A proper Irish dinner here, sitting among the locals, is one of those simple pleasures that's hard to beat. Food is served Monday to Friday from 9:30am, Saturday from 10am, Sunday from noon. More at nualas.ie
Wilde Irish Chocolates
When you step inside, the smell hits you first. This is a real working chocolate factory where you can watch handmade chocolate being made and taste what's on the go. It is free to visit and open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm. There is also a BUILD YOUR OWN CHOCOLATE BAR experience, which you can book in advance, where you go home with something you made yourself, which turns out to be brilliant for children and honestly for everyone else too. Find out more and book at wildeirishchocolates.com
The Village Green
In the middle of the village and across the road from McKernan's is the triangular village green, where a crucifix honours the men and women of East Clare who fell during the Irish War of Independence. Alongside it, a massive lime tree grows straight out of bare rock with no soil in sight, which is either a miracle or just one of those things that nature does when nobody is watching. There are benches and lots of grass if you want to sit for a while, which on a good day is a very nice thing to do.
St. Cronan's Church
Over a thousand years old and still open every day, with no ticket and no guide, just you and one of Ireland's oldest churches. Walk through the same doorway as Brian Boru, pick up the free audio guide, and let the place tell its own story. Outside, ancient trees have watched generations come and go, their roots winding quietly through the graves beneath, and a small stream runs along the edge of the churchyard where there's a bench if you want to sit and take it all in. It's the kind of place that stays with you.
Reddan's Quay
Turn back towards the village and take the first road to the right, this will bring you on a ten minute walk down to Reddan's Pier on the Scariff River. On the way, stop at the old lime kiln, built in 1913 to produce lime for local farmers and one of the finest surviving examples in Ireland, carefully restored by the local community over many years. At the pier, the river widens and slows on its way to Lough Derg, and on a good day you'll see hired boats drifting past and if you're lucky a kingfisher darting through. Not many people find their way down here, which is part of what makes it worth the walk.
Wasteland's Salvage
The road to Killaloe climbs out of Tuamgraney and if you take the first left at the top of the hill, you'll find one of those places you stumble into and come out an hour later wondering where the time went. Wastelands salvage discarded items from Clare Waste Recycling and turn what other people throw out into something worth finding — furniture and tools, clothing, antiques, art and general curiosities. There's a small coffee dock too, with indoor and outdoor seating, if you need a moment to think about whether you really need that old steamship smokestack. Check opening hours before you go at
wastelandssalvage.com
