Kilrush (Cill Rois) Overview

Despite its small size, Kilrush is home to the coast’s principal marina and an active square of shops and pubs. The first permanent settlement here appeared in the 12th century, when monks from nearby Scattery Island built a church in a mainland meadow. Centuries later, famine-stricken tenants banded together to withhold rent from their absentee landlords; “Boycott” was the name of the first deprived debt collector. Today, music, boating, and dolphin-sightings bring steady numbers of travelers to town.

Transportation And Practical Information. Bus Éireann (☎682 4177) stops in Market Sq. on the Cork-Galway route. In the summer, service between Kilkee and Ennis (with connection to Limerick) also stops in Market Sq. There is no ticket office in town; buy a ticket on the bus and inquire at the local tourist office or the transportation center in Ennis for times and prices. Bike rental is available at Gleesons, Henry St. (☎905 1127. €20 per day, €60 per wk. ID required.) The tourist office is on Frances St.; stop in for extensive information on the activities in town, its accommodations and bus schedules, and free maps. (☎905 1577. Open May-Sept. M-Sa 9:30am-1pm and 2-5:30pm.) AIB, Frances St., has a 24hr. ATM. (☎905 1012. Open M 10am-5pm, Tu-F 10am-4pm.) There are also 24hr. ATMs in Market Sq. and on Toler St. Anthony Malone’s Pharmacy, on the right side of Frances St., has everything for a quick fix. (☎905 2552. Open M-Sa 9am-6pm, Su 11am-1pm.) One hour of Internet access is complimentary at Kilrush Library on O’Gorman St. (☎905 1504. Open M-Tu and Th 10am-1:30pm and 2:30-5:30pm, W and F 10am-1:30pm and 2:30-8pm, Sa 10am-2pm.) The post office is on Frances St. (☎905 1077. Open M and W-F 9am-5:30pm, Tu 9:30am-5:30pm, Sa 9am-1pm.)

Accommodations. Katie O’Connor’s Holiday Hostel (IHH) , on Frances St. next to the AIB, provides clean quarters in rooms that date back to 1797. Hostelers enjoy a central location and a warm welcome from the owners, Mary and Joe. (☎905 1133. Check in at the store next to the sign for the hostel. Self-serve kitchen open 24hr. Dorms €15.) Irish, American, and Canadian flags fly over The Grove on Frances St. Inside this guesthouse are spacious rooms with tables and desks for finishing up those long-neglected postcards. Out back, guests volley on the tennis courts. (☎905 1451; www.groveguesthouse.net. Singles €42; doubles €65.)

Food And Pubs. A gargantuan SuperValu sells groceries at the marina end of Frances St. (☎905 1885. Open M-Sa 8:30am-10pm.) The pleasant aroma wafting down Frances St. comes from Cosidines Bakery 1. (☎905 1095. Soda loaf €2. Open M-Sa 8am-5pm.) For a quick lunch, the Quayside restaurant and coffee shop offers soups, salads, and sandwiches from behind baskets of homemade scones. (☎905 1927. Toasted sandwiches €3-4. Salads from €7.50. Open M-Sa 9:30am-5:45pm.) Henry Street offers a variety of options to please the palate. For greasy burgers (€4.50) hop into the new Taster’s Diner , Henry St., is a notch above typical pub grub. (☎905 1811. Sandwiches for lunch €10.25, dinner entrees €13.50-19.50 Open daily noon-9pm).

Of Kilrush’s 15 or so pubs, at least one is sure to have music on any given night.  Crotty’s Pub, Market Sq., is where concertina player Mrs. Crotty helped re-popularize trad in the 1950s; the pub hosts inspirational tributes to the legendary lady in a set of small, character-filled rooms. (☎905 2470; www.crottyskilrush.com. Trad Tu-Th and Sa after 9pm.) Charlie Martin’s, next to the hostel on Frances St., hosts trad sessions every Saturday and Sunday.

Sights And Outdoor Activities. Kilrush’s real attractions lie offshore, and most visitors head straight for the marina. The Shannon Estuary is home to Ireland’s only known resident population of bottlenose dolphins. Climb aboard the M.V. Dolphin Discovery for a 98% chance of cruising alongside the playful swimmers. (☎905 1327; www.discoverdolphins.ie. 2-2hr. May-Sept. 3 per day; sailings based on weather and demand, so call ahead. €20, under 16 €10.) The eco-cruise passes by Scattery Island, the site of a 6th-century monastic settlement. The island’s resident population took off for the mainland back in the 70s, leaving behind the rubble of monastic ruins, churchyards, and a 36.5m circular tower. The Scattery Island Centre gives insight on the island’s natural and cultural history and includes a dolphin and marine wildlife display. (☎087 836 2491. Free.) Scattery Island Ferries sail often during the summer, departing from the marina, and irregularly during other seasons (May-Sept. 2-4 per day; return €14, under 16 €7). Transportation can be arranged with Gerald Griffins (☎905 1327) or at the marina. More active aquatic exploration starts at the Kilrush Creek Adventure Centre, in the gray building across the small bridge from the marina. Instructors lead 1hr. sessions of sailing, kayaking, canoeing, archery (€20-30), and multi-activity sessions (€30-50). Five-day camps, which teach the ins and outs of adventure, start at €200. (☎905 2855; www.kilrushcreekadventure.com. Call ahead for schedules.) In the center of town, a monument facing town hall remembers the Manchester Martyrs of 1867 (see Ennis).

The Éigse Mrs. Crotty Festival (“Rise up, Mrs. Crotty!”) celebrates the glory of the concertina with lessons, lectures, and non-stop trad in the pubs and on the streets for a weekend in mid-August. (Contact Rebecca Brew of Crotty’s Pub at ☎905 2470 for more info, or check out www.eigsemrscrotty.com.)