Popular Destinations and Their Drive-Times to/from Shannon Airport

Bunratty village has a good choice of accommodation: hotels/guest house and b&bs, plus several good restaurants and pubs. And of course, if you have a couple of hours to spare, there's Bunratty Castle and Folk Park to explore.
Conveniently, there's a small petrol station in the village where you can refuel the car before returning it to the depot at Shannon airport.

Bunratty - Shannon: 10 minutes (12km)

Ennis is the county town of Clare, and offers all the facilities one would expect of a small town in Ireland (hotels, shops, restaurants, pubs etc).


Ennis - Shannon : approx. 25-30 minutes (23.82km)

A quiet, unspoilt, untouristy village in East Clare, where you'll find a different style of traditional music in the pubs in nearby villages of Feakle, Tuamgraney and Bodyke.

Accommodation recommendation: Clondanagh Cottage, where you will find a warm welcome and intimate knowledge of the surrounding area, plus superb lake fishing on your doorstep.

Tulla - Shannon (via Sixmilebridge) : 30-35 minutes (30km)

This is a pretty little village with a ruined friary, well worth visiting.

If you're lucky, there might be music in the Abbey Tavern.

Quin - Shannon : approx. 30-35 minutes (19.63km)

A lively city with good choice of hotels and restaurants/pubs.

Limerick - Shannon : approx. 30-35 minutes (26km)

A small village on the west coast of co. Clare with a big reputation for traditional music sessions in the pubs. The Cliffs of Moher are a 5-minute drive south of the village.

Good choice of accommodation, and 4 pubs in the village: O'Connors, Fitzgerald's, McGann's and McDermott's.

O'Connor's Pub is probably the most well-known pub, and is located at Fisherstreet end of the village.

I prefer the quieter Rivervale/Roadford end of the village, where you'll find McGann's and McDermott's pubs, together with Roadford House Restaurant and Cullinan's Restaurant. Both have good reputations for food, plus they also offer accommodation.

Doolin - Shannon : approx. 70-80 minutes (67km)

A pretty village on the shores of Galway Bay and with the Burren mountains behind it. There are some very nice guest houses in and around the village, plus a choice of pubs and restaurants.

Ballyvaughan - Shannon : approx. 75-90 minutes (80km)

A favourite of mine, the stunningly beautiful Dingle Peninsula deserves a minimum
2-night stay.

The town has a superb choice of guest houses, restaurants and pubs, together with quality shops selling souvenirs made on the peninsula: crystal, woollens, jewellery, and arts and crafts.

A full day spent exploring the Slea Head Drive, stopping at historic sites, rocky headlands and sandy beaches is a highlight of any visit to the area.

My favourite place to stay: Pax Guest House.

There is a choice of routes:

Dingle - Shannon, via Limerick city: min 3hrs (179km)

my preferred route:

Dingle - Shannon, via Connor Pass, Tralee and Listowel to the ferry at Tarbert which takes you across the Shannon to Killimer, then via Ennis bypass to Shannon:

min. 3.5hrs, allow 4hrs to be on the safe side (172km)