The Inn at Dromoland is a 3 star family-friendly hotel in Co.Clare. It’s a great hub for exploring some of the best spots Clare has to offer.
- Bunratty Castle and Folk Park (12 minutes)
- Ennis Town (14 minutes)
- Father Ted’s house (35 minutes)
- The Burren (35 minutes)
- Lahinch (40 mins)
- Doolin (50 minutes)
- Alliwee Caves (50 minutes)
- The Cliffs of Moher (50 minutes)
You’ll have endless things to do and wonderful places to experience.
And don’t let a 50-minute drive put you off either. The routes are scenic with some absolutely stunning views to enjoy. The journey from A to B flies by with the beautiful distractions outside.
Alternatively, if you don’t fancy driving and you just want to hang out in the hotel, that’s fine too. Children won’t be able to stare at you and say, “I’m bored mom/dad”, because the on site amenities will keep them entertained for hours. Choose from a session in the swimming pool, adventure centre, outdoor playground, tennis, mini golf and more.
Our first day arriving at the hotel we checked in and made good use of all the activities on offer. We literally dropped our bags and followed a jam packed schedule. Lunch, swimming, adventure centre, dinner then bed. The day was gone before we knew it. Phoenix was fit for bed the second we got back to our room. He fell fast asleep as soon as his little head hit the pillow. That’s what swimming and the ball pit will do for you.
Dining, If you’re feeling peckish, there are two dining options on site, Deerfield’s Restaurant and Shannigan’s Gastro Pub. We had the pleasure of dining in both restaurants during out stay. We preferred the more relaxed atmosphere in the gastro pub. The gluten free seafood chowder in Shannigan’s was mouth watering. It was creamy and loaded with fresh chunks of salmon, cod and veg. And the gluten free chocolate cake in Deerfield Restaurant was absolutely scrumptious. There were definitely some good options for coeliacs.
Picnic Baskets
Hotel guests have the option to pre-order a picnic basket or a packed lunch to take with you on your outdoor excursion. The service was ideal for our day trip to the Cliffs of Moher.
Menus can be altered to suit your dietary requirements. Gluten free bread was available and the chips were cooked separately to ensure no cross contamination. The picnic basket came fully loaded with gluten free options for one – sandwich , crisps, cake – all gluten free.
Swimming
Swimming sessions (45 minutes) must be booked 24 hours in advance. Due to Covid 19 only 10 people are allowed access the swimming pool at any given time.
The changing room has a play pen available for your convenience. Phoenix was only delighted when I popped him in the pen (doesn’t he look it), while I got myself dressed and organised.
The Play Inn
The hotel comes complete with a full size adventure centre for kids. The Play Inn must be booked 24 hours in advance. Due to Covid 19 only 18 guests are allowed in the centre at any given time. The Play Inn is only open to residents of the hotel.
Hotel Tips
Bring your own salt/pepper shakers. For hygiene and Covid 19 safety reasons hotels and restaurants supply their customers with sachets salt, pepper and other condiments. Limited amounts are given to customers to prevent waste, so you’ll often find that you have to ask for more sachets. This goes in the hotel and restaurants in general. To save yourself the inconvenience, just bring your own.
Book everything in advance of your arrival – pool, dining, adventure centre.
Cliffs of Moher
After I had booked our tickets for the Cliffs of Moher, a few people got in touch to say that you can just walk up to the Cliffs. Meaning you don’t actually need to purchase tickets. However, the fact that we were with Phoenix (19 months) and the nannies (90 years), it was more suitable for us to have access to the car park and view the Cliffs from a safer environment. Sure my nerves were gone when David had P sitting on the wall, which even has a few meters of grass on the other side of it.
Imagine if we had just rocked up and did our own thing, I wouldn’t be able. I still get a pang in my stomach thinking of Phoenix on the edge of the cliff. Also, the viewing area is buggy friendly, toilets are available and there are buskers playing traditional music along the walk up to O’Brien’s Tower. It makes sense to buy the tickets!
Tickets were €10 each, €9 for over 65 and students, and free for toddlers. It’s recommended that you book your tickets in advance. Online booking here.
Father Ted’s House
A trip to Father Ted’s house was an impromptu decision. I knew it was in the area, thanks to fellow blogger Ciara and Saoirse, but we had no idea where it was located. We decided if it wasn’t too far from the Cliffs, and in the direction of our hotel, we’d do a pit stop for a cup of tea – Mrs. Doyle style! Luckily it was only 35 minutes and somewhat in the direction of the hotel.
It was tricky to find the address on Google Maps. We discovered if you put, Lackareagh into google maps it brings you to the Glanquin farmhouse aka Father Ted’s House. We also discovered that Craggy Island is fictional – shocking, I know.
Bunratty Castle & Folk Park
Bunratty Castle and Folk Park was a very pleasant surprise. Prior to our arrival, we were under the impression that there was a castle situated in demesne lands. And maybe some sort of play area for kids?! It didn’t take long to discover that there was a lot more on offer.
We were greeted by Michael on the fiddle, who interacted with all the family and gave us such a warm welcome. We only strolled past him and we met the Pygmy goats. The friendly goats inquisitively ran towards us and peered over the wall, looking for some human interaction. As we turned or heads we were faced with cottages, fully furnished and original to 19th century Ireland.
A while later we arrived at the castle where we were treated to a guided tour. Our very friendly tour guide was dressed in full period style costume. She shared the history of the castle and transported us back in time for the duration of the interactive tour.
Honestly, the further we went into the grounds it just got better and better. From the Village Street, Fairy Trail and Walled Gardens to Pa’s Pet Farm, dining options and an outdoor playground, it’s a fantastic day out for all the family.
#ittnireland
