It was only after having visited Ireland several times that John & I finally took the drive into southwest County Clare to visit the Loop Head Peninsula & once we did, we couldn’t imagine why we had waited so long to visit there. Our friend Martina Sheedy of Sheedy’s Hotel & Restaurant in Lisdoonvarna had mentioned Loop Head to us on past visits. In 2017 we decided to make a day trip there & were fascinated by the wild beauty of the peninsula. This past June we returned to Loop Head & stayed several days to enjoy the splendid scenery.
The Loop Head Peninsula lies along the Wild Atlantic Way & although a bit off the beaten path, is well worth a visit. Those who know us, know that John & I especially like traveling off the beaten path as we often find treasures of people & places outside the usual tourist areas. Among the delights of Loop Head are the: Bridges of Ross, Church of the Little Ark, Cliffs of Kilkee, Hilltop B&B, Kilbaha Gallery, Loop Head Lighthouse, several sea stacks & the warm & welcoming people who live there.
On the drive to Loop Head Lighthouse we felt as though we were driving to the end of the earth (if it were flat that is!) as it sits imposingly on the edge of the peninsula & all you see beyond it is the Atlantic Ocean. The lighthouse is a working one & open for tours; it’s well worth the climb & the 5 euro fee, especially on a clear day. Steven was our pleasant & informative guide for the tour & climb up the lighthouse. The views are fabulous & we could see Kerry Head & the Dingle Peninsula from our perch at the top of the lighthouse. During World War II Ireland placed “EIRE” signs along their coast to let pilots know that they were flying over neutral Ireland during the war. The Loop Head Lighthouse grounds are home to one such WW II “Eire” sign. It was a windy but sunny & beautiful day so after climbing the lighthouse we wandered around the grounds before heading to Kilbaha Village for a snack at the lovely Kilbaha Gallery.
For a real treat, & not just for your stomach, make sure to stop at Ailish Connolly and Liz Greehy’s Kilbaha Gallery in Kilbaha Village. Ailish & Liz are the friendly co-owners (& sisters-in-law) of a marvelous gallery of contemporary Irish artists’ works. Ailish’s husband, Seamus Connolly, is a well known & respected bronze sculptor & has a foundry in Kilbaha. We’ve seen several pieces of his work & they’re beautiful. The art displayed for sale in the gallery is outstanding. The coffee house in the back of the gallery is a favorite & John & I like to pop in for a tasty bakery treat & a coffee. You’re sure to get a warm welcome from Ailish & Liz!
For this visit, we stayed at Hilltop B&B owned by Teresa O’Gorman & her husband John. Teresa is a delightful hostess & we enjoyed our time at Hilltop. As the Loop Head Peninsula is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean & the Shannon River, the water views from Hilltop are spectacular. Breakfast was made to order by Teresa & we always had a good & filling meal to start our day. Hilltop has three bedrooms, two of which are en suite & the third has a very nice large private bathroom across the hall. We stayed there twice this visit & can definitely recommend Hilltop B&B for a visit to Loop Head Peninsula.
One of the things we noticed about the friendly people on Loop Head is their generous community involvement. Ailish & Liz of Kilbaha Gallery & Teresa of Hilltop B&B spoke to us of the numerous community charity drives. The timing of our stay at Hilltop B&B was fortuitous as an annual Trad Session to raise funds for a cancer charity was taking place that weekend. The Trad Session was held at Foley’s Pub in the nearby Village of Cross & was chock full of talented musicians, singers, dancers & storytellers sharing their skills with an appreciative audience. The Pub was packed & John, a fellow guest at Hilltop B&B, was the Master of Ceremonies & Teresa of Hilltop B&B was active in assisting John with the Trad Session.
In addition to the Trad Session & other charity drives we discovered that the Kilbaha playground was the result of another community effort. The engaging & colorful playground has a pretty water view & must be a great source of fun for the children of Loop Head.
John & I took great pleasure in our visit to the Loop Head Peninsula & highly recommend that you add it to your Ireland itinerary.
It looks like a wonderful place with wonderful people. Thanks for sharing it and for the lovely pictures.