The following are some of the ways to get in touch with each other The curves of a hilly road Bunratty Castle. Through an open windows, I can hear a harpist playing notes as the sun is setting over the battlements. On the other side, smoke is drifting from Durty Nelly’s pubA singer is about halfway through The Parting Glass. The limestone facade of the nearby cathedral is just a short distance away. the Creamery hints at its past lives – as a stagecoach stop, a dairy, a roadside inn. Tonight, the pub is open.
Inside, Bríd O’Gorman plays the fluttering melody of The Cliffs of Moher on her flute, accompanied by Michael Landers on guitar – a quiet moment before the small crowd erupt into applause as Cian Lally pulls our pints. Bunratty village is just 10 minutes drive from Shannon airport and located in Ireland’s southernmost county. Along the bar, visitors from the US and France lean in, quietly captivated – likely having their first experience of an Irish music session.
Clare County is at the heart of Ireland’s music scene. Clare is the closest county to an island. Hemmed in by the Atlantic on one side and the Shannon – the country’s longest and widest river – on the other, it was, for centuries, a place almost adrift from the mainland. Clare, until the 18th century when bridges tethered the island to the rest, was only accessible by boat, or by crossing the Burren, a stony and unyielding terrain.
Clare’s cultural identity was also shaped by Clare’s isolation. This corner of the West, far from the capital, became a stronghold of language, music, and tradition, which flourished on its terms in the twilight. This independence is felt in the villages that line the coast. The land falls abruptly into sea at the coastline. Cliffs of Moher – or farther south, where Loop Head Peninsula stretches defiantly into the Atlantic, a windswept outpost that feels like the end of the world.
Clare has two stories that are as distinct as their landscapes. If you draw a straight line from Bunratty through Ennis and the northern end of Clare, the divide is evident. Locals talk about more than just Clare, but of east Clare and west Clare – each with its own rhythm, character and musical soul.
I catch Bríd as she packs away her flute, and the audience turn back to their conversations and pints. She is intimately familiar with this music. She’s a native of east Clare. She believes the heart of Irish traditional is not just in the well-worn pubs. Gus O’Connor’s The following are some examples of how to use McGann’s Doolin in Clare west; it pulses silently and powerfully throughout the hills and lakes of the east.
“East Clare has its own music,” she says. “It’s known for being slow, expressive, understated – soulful, even. It’s almost like you can feel the landscape from which it came. The gentleness of the hills, the stillness of the lakes of east Clare – it’s a stark contrast to the jagged landscapes of north and west Clare.”
Its voice is loud and clear. The monastic ruins are located on Holy Island (Inis Cealtra) – a round tower and churches – lie just off Mountshannon on Lough Derg, often shrouded in mist. Edna O’Brien’s final resting spot is here. It’s a place with quiet dignity that echoes her writings. Clare’s lyrical side is evident in both words and music. The land is lush and flat, with narrow roads and bright brooks that offer their own soft melody. At Quin AbbeyIn the picturesque marina town of Killaloe the cathedral bells and the cries of gulls mingle above the lake. The music in the countryside is not loud and dramatic but calm, confident and waiting for you.
“People often look north-west when they think of music in Clare – Doolin, Ennistymon, Miltown Malbay,” says Bríd. “But east Clare has just as much life,” says Brid. “You just have to know where to search.”
Feakle is one such place, a hillside village hidden in east Clare’s lush green landscape. It was the home of the wise and famous herbalist Biddy Early. A plaque on the village’s square is dedicated to Johnny Patterson, a 19th century singer. A plaque is located at a fork on the village’s approach. Pepper’s BarA distinctive vernacular yellow-and green building, which has served the local community since 1810. Its main room has a cozy fireplace, dance-worn floors and low-hanging rafters.
On a Wednesday evening, the space fills with the pulse of jigs and reels performed on fiddle, bodhrán, tin whistle or accordion. Music can be frantic, hypnotic or even mesmerizing. Some of Ireland’s best players perform complex arrangements, such as Martin Hayes and Liam O’Flynn. Sharon Shannon, Matt Molloy and Kevin Crawford are also among the finest. In east Clare, in villages like Feakle or Scarriff you may find that you are the only person in the room not to sing, play or dance.
Ger Shortt from Shortt’s in Feakle plays guitar on Thursdays, accompanied by a full band. Meanwhile, it seems as if anyone not playing is likely taking part in the Siege of Ennis, a céilí dance performed with spirited energy.
Even further afield, Irish language sessions are held at Gallagher’s, in Kilkishen. Gleeson’s, in Sixmilebridge, also hosts occasional music nights. These all contribute to the rich musical tapestry in east Clare. Even the Honk Bar – hidden away on a bramble-filled lane near Shannon airport, not far from where Johnny Fean, one of the founding members of Celtic rock band Horslips, grew up – is known to host the occasional session. But all roads to Ennis lead eventually.
“It’s the heartbeat of Clare’s music scene,” Bríd says. “There’s a session most nights at Ciarán’s, Knox’s, Cruises, the Diamond, the Poet’s Corner in the Old Ground, Nora Culligans. And don’t forget PJ Kelly’s – it’s a great spot too.”
Not every tune is played in a pub. “One of my favourite places to play is Glór in Ennis,” Bríd adds. “We run an open session there once a month – myself and Eoin O’Neill on bouzouki. It’s in the foyer, free to all, and open to musicians of every age and level. It’s spacious, welcoming and it’s been running for years. People love it.”
Ennis’s music scene is among the richest in Ireland, thanks to its deep pool of local talent, lively pub culture and a spirit that blurs the line between performer and audience. Mike Dennehy, owner of the red-and-black-fronted Knox’s Pub on winding Abbey Street, says: “Knox’s has a wealth of musicians of various styles from all over Clare playing daily. We’re known not just for the quality, but for our open sessions, with up to 20 musicians at once.”
The list of regulars is like a Who’s Who in traditional music. Ennis has some of the most sought-after players in the world such as uilleann piper Blackie O’Connell, accordionist Murty Ryan and banjoist Kieran Hehir. One of the scene’s crown jewels, is Piping Heaven, Piping HellBlackie o’Connell hosts a uilleann piping weekly session. Mike says that it began as an afternoon session and has now become a weekly gathering for pipers all over the globe. Held in Ciarán’s and Lucas’s pubs, it features a guest piper joining the regulars for an afternoon of music, laughter and storytelling.
Ennis is also a major player on the festival circuit. Fleadh Nua The month of May is a time for celebration. Ennis Trad Fest in November – events that have drawn legends such as Moving Hearts, Sharon Shannon, Andy Irvine and Lankum, and cemented the town’s status as a musical capital.
West Clare’s scene is relaxed, immediate and the music flows seamlessly into the conversation. Evenings such as the Russell festival Doolin begins the year in the month of February. By July, it is the end of the year. Willie Clancy summer school Miltown Malbay is transformed into a vibrant, welcoming village with a thriving soundscape. It’s where my own daughter, Síofradh, honed her harp skills in a chaotic makeshift class.
Clare has a unique charm. Whether it’s a gentle melody in Bunratty, a fireside session in east Clare or the lively pull of Doolin, the music – and the welcome – are always there.
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