Dorp · Co. Clare
Kilfenora is a small village south of the Burren, famous for its medieval high crosses and its role as the filming location for Father Ted. It serves as a base for exploring the karst landscape and the Shannon estuary.
Locals call it the “City of the Crosses.” The Irish name, Cill Fhionnúrach, translates to “church of the fertile hillside” or “church of the white brow.” It sits in County Clare, just south of the Burren’s karst limestone. For centuries, it was the episcopal see of the Bishop of Kilfenora. That history left a mark. Seven high crosses once stood here. Only five remain today. They are the reason for the nickname.
The population is tiny. In 2022, the village had around 150 inhabitants. The 2011 census counted 463 people in the wider Kilfenora area. Then there is the TV connection. Much of Father Ted (1995–98) was filmed there. For many visitors, that comedy is the first thing that comes to mind. But the crosses are the real draw. They are why the stop is worth making.
These stone markers are the landmark. Five stand in the townland around the village. They date back to the medieval see. Kilfenora was a place of learning as well as worship back then. The walk is simple. You go through the street, past the church, and into the fields. The crosses are waiting there. It is the route everyone takes.
The village sits on the south side of the Burren. To the north is the karst country. To the south lies the Shannon estuary. It acts as a pivot point. Roads run west toward the estuary and east back over the Burren. A day trip can cover the crosses, the southern edge of the Burren, or the road west. Kilfenora is the base for all three options.
Getting there is easy. It is a short drive from Ennis and Doolin. The crosses are in the townland near the village. The walk is short. Go in the afternoon. The light on the stone is best then.
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Kilfenora puts the crosses, the Burren edge and the estuary road all within a short drive.
Bekijk de actuele beschikbaarheid voor je data. Beschikbaarheid en prijzen komen van de aanbieder, niet van ons.
Black Head is the north-western tip of County Clare, where the coast turns and a small 1936 lighthouse stands above Kilrush Bay. The headland offers views of Galway Bay and the Burren, with a concrete tower built after complaints from liner captains.
Carrigaholt is a small fishing village in County Clare at the mouth of the Moyarta, featuring a ruined castle and active pier on the Loop Head peninsula’s estuary side.
Doolin is a west Clare village known for nightly traditional music sessions and harbour departures to the Aran Islands, located four miles from the Cliffs of Moher.
Ennistymon is the market town on the Burren's eastern edge, defined by the River Inagh and its Cascades behind the main street. It sits at the junction of the N67 and N85, serving as a base for the karst country and the road to the Shannon estuary.