Lahinch (Leacht Ui Chonchuir) Overview

In the 1880s, small, lively Lahinch became a summer haven for the well-to-do. The knit sweater-clad moneyed still come to Lahinch for its championship-level golfing and 800m beach, but surfers and teens in wetsuits and board shorts create an interesting mix of cultures. Main St.’s elegant hotels cater to the preppy golfers, while the beach promenade is the surfer’s hangout.

Transportation And Practical Information. Buses stop near the golf course one to four times per day during the summer, coming from Cork, Doolin, Dublin, Galway via Ennis, and Limerick. Also in the summer, buses run to and from the Cliffs of Moher (4-6 per day, €2.50). Individuals run taxi services: Paddy Daniels (☎087 674 0226), John O’Shea (☎086 855 5407), Carol’s Cabs (☎086 170 9000), or Creedon Cabs (☎087 333 0200). The nearest bike rental establishment is Griffin’s, in Ennistymon. (☎707 1009. €10 per day, €50 per wk. ID deposit. Opens 9am. Bikes can be returned any time to the bar next door.) The Lahinch Fáilte tourist office, at the bottom of Main St., offers local info and free area maps and keeps tabs on changing bus schedules, including service to the Cliffs of Moher. (☎708 2082; www.lahinchfailte.com. Open daily during summer 9am-9pm; winter 9am-6pm.) The office also has a currency exchange and a 24hr. ATM. There is a second ATM inside the Centra at the top of Main St. (☎708 1636. Open June-Aug. daily 9:30am-10pm; Sept.-May 9am-8pm.) Medicare, on the corner of Main St. across from the tourist office, is the only pharmacy in town. (☎708 1999. Open Sept.-May M-Sa 9:30am-1:30pm and 2-6pm; June-Aug. Su 11am-5pm.) Mrs. O’Brien’s Kitchen and Bar, Main St., has Internet access available until late. (☎708 1020; www.mrsobrienskitchen.com. €6 per hr. Open M-Th and Su 9am-11pm, F-Sa 9am-midnight.) Free Internet access is available at the Ennistymon Library, The Square. (☎707 1245. Open M-Tu and Th 10am-1:30pm and 2:30-5:30pm, W and F 10am-5:30pm and 6:30-8:30pm, Sa 10am-2pm. 1hr. session per day; no pre-booking for non-members. ID required.) The post office on Main St. also changes money and has a Western Union. (☎708 1001. Open M-F 9am-1pm and 2-5:30pm, Sa 9am-1pm.)

Accommodations And Camping. Book accommodations in advance, especially on summer weekends and during the Willie Clancy music festival in nearby Milltown Malby in early July. The hostel, and a number of local pubs, hire summer staff. B&Bs abound in Lahinch; the weary will find rest on almost any road off Main St. St. Mildred’s B&B , next to the hostel on Church St., is not only the oldest B&B in Lahinch—it’s also the oldest house. Despite its age, the hospitable owners keep it in top condition. The sitting room and most of the bedrooms have sweeping beach views. (☎708 1489. Singles €40; ensuite doubles €56.) The Lahinch Hostel (IHH) , Church St., at the end of Main St. away from the tourist office, has dorms that are remarkably free of surfers’ sand tracks. (☎708 1040. Laundry €5. 4-, 6-, and 8-bed dorms €17; doubles €70.) Walk 10min. up N67 in the Milltown Malbay direction, past the campground sign, to Cois Farraige B&B . This serene house has spotless rooms with light wood paneling and views of the sea and the family’s horses. Ask for the spacious upstairs room. (☎708 1580. June-Sept. singles €40; doubles €68; low season €35/60. Student discounts available.) Lahinch Caravan & Camping Park , also on N67, makes space for campers amid a well-entrenched set of caravans. (☎708 1424. Open Easter-Sept. Reception daily July-Aug. 9am-9pm; Sept.-June 9am-5pm. Laundry €5. Tents €7 per person.)

Food And Pubs. Lahinch’s dining options are less than tantalizing, making the shelved food of the Centra, Main St., all the more appealing. (☎708 1636. Open daily June-Sept. 8am-10pm; Oct.-May 8am-8pm.) The Spinnaker Restaurant and Bar , next to Lahinch Fáilte, serves up traditional fare and hosts dancing most nights. (☎708 1893. Meals €7-17. Live music weeknights; DJ Sa. No cover.) Most Main St. pubs have live music every summer night except Monday and Tuesday. Danny Mac’s , Main St., is a family-friendly pub extension of Mrs. O’Brien’s Kitchen (☎708 1020. Entrees €12-19. Open daily 12:30-9pm.) Flanagan’s, Main St., is a popular pub that hooks people of all ages with its eclectic mix of nightly live music—everything from reggae to jazz, acoustic, trad, and pop gets a turn within these cozy confines. (☎708 1161.) On weekends, sharply dressed clubbers pack into the modern space of Coast, inside the Clare Mont Hotel at the top of Main St. During the week cool cats sip their cocktails in the front bar next to a backlit fish tank. (F-Sa cover €10.)

Outdoor Activities. Visitors to Lahinch Seaworld & Leisure Centre, at the far end of the promenade, watch as baby lobsters take their first unsure steps, beginning a miraculous cycle of life, death, and butter sauce. The center’s aquarium houses crustaceans, giant crawfish, and the sounds and smells of the sea; the pool complex has a jacuzzi, a sauna, and a steam room. (☎708 1900. Pool open daily 10am-10pm; Aquarium open daily 10am-8pm. Aquarium or pool €8, students €6; combined admission €13/11.) Willie O’Callaghan of O’Callaghan Angling runs day-long sea angling trips, cruises to the Aran Islands and Cliffs of Moher from Liscannor pier (3km up the coast from Lahinch), and sunset cruises under the cliffs. (☎682 1374 or 086 152 7755; www.ocallaghanangling.com. Apr.-Oct. evening cruises €25; angling trips 9am-6pm €90 (includes lunch at Inisheer); Aran Islands and cliffs cruise €20.) Lahinch is world-renowned for its golfing. A trip to the links at the Lahinch Golf Course, a short way down the road toward Ennistymon, starts at €60 for the Castle course and €130 for the Championship Course. Reservations should be made two to three months in advance, although walk-ons are possible. (☎708 1003.) John McCarthy, of Lahinch Surf School, which is housed in the white shack at the far end of the promenade, seeks out the breakers year-round. (☎960 9667; www.lahinchsurfschool.com. 2hr. surfboard rental €9; bodyboard €5.50; wetsuit €9. 2hr. lesson with equipment €35, under 16 €22, weekend surf camp €80. 1 wk. course: 5 lessons €140, 7 lessons €160.) Surf Report is a good source of info. (☎081 836 5180). Beachside arcades are packed with youngsters.