On behalf of Doonbeg Community Development Ltd it’s my privilege to welcome you to our website and to our community.
Through our website we hope to provide contact information for business and accommodation, sporting organisations and events.
Located in West Clare, where the Doonbeg River reaches the Atlantic ocean, Doonbeg Parish is a community rich in sporting and cultural tradition. From gaelic games and currach racing, to athletics and golf, from drama and dance, to traditional music and jazz, and we have a number of festivals through the year in celebration of our traditions past and present.
The name Doonbeg is derived from An Dun Beag or the small fort, a 16th century castle around which the village grew. The castle was built for the then Earl of Thomond, Daniel O Brien and since its construction it has had a turbulent history. It was captured by Turlough Mc Mahon in 1585 and ten later was recaptured by the O Briens who, as victors, and following a fierce siege, hanged the entire garrison back to back. O Brien, a supporter of Queen Elizabeth I, received a grant of most of McMahon’s property including the castle. When historian and archaeologist T.J Westropp visited the castle in 1893, it stood 60ft high with a frontage of 45ft a depth of 33ft. However it lacked gables, battlements and chimneys. Despite its deteriorating condition it remained occupied until the 1930’s. Sadly, since then it has fallen into ruin. While today all that remains is the north western corner, it remains a prominent part of the Doonbeg skyline, defying all the elements.
Despite it coastal location, Doonbeg is generally protected from the worst of the Atlantic elements and we have fine beaches suitable for swimming, surfing, walking and sea angling and water sports. Our most popular beach, the White Strand, annually achieves the much sought after European Blue Flag award for standards of excellence. In keeping with our maritime traditions, we have our annual seafood festival, which is organized by the people of Doonbeg, attended by local and international chefs and which reflects the great local fishing tradition and the emphasis on seafood in the local restaurants in the area.
We are also fortunate to have in our community, the internationally renowned Greg Norman designed Golf Course with accommodation par excellence in its adjoining 5-star Lodge. Our 8km and 20km walking and cycling trails, introduced in conjunction with Discover Ireland & Slí na Slainte afford the participant the opportunity to visit local landmarks and explore the local raised bog land where you can discover evidence of ancient forestry.
A rural community with a tradition in farming and fishing, we are very much tourism orientated and look forward to sharing our heritage, knowledge and traditions with you.
Regards,
Michael Flanagan