demm42 - County Clare (Ireland) #2/6

Expenses in Ireland

Our first day in Ireland was the worst day weather wise, so we decided to visit some of the indoor visitor attractions and the local supermarket. This is when we discovered how much more expensive items were in Ireland. The only exceptions seemed to be the Petrol (which was slightly cheaper than the UK) and the cost of the self-catering (which was 25% less than we normally pay).

However, this extra money was soon spent in the shops. Generally, as a rule, goods were 50% more expensive in Ireland. So something that cost £1 in the UK was about £1.50 in Ireland. Even the Aldi store in Gort was more expensive than the UK stores.

Obviously we then started budgeting a little more conservatively over the week.

The second thing youll discover when shopping in Ireland is the fact that you have to pay for the plastic bags. About 15 cents (12 pence) per bag. The reason behind this. A government tax to help reduce plastic bag rubbish. While we found this a little inconvenient at times, I personally think its a good idea. You see a fair few plastic bags blowing around in the UK, stuck up in trees and the like.

While it might be an unpopular move in the UK, maybe our government should consider such a tax as well. The could then use this money raised to offset fuel tax rises!!

Anyway, Ill get off the soapbox and back onto Ireland.

Kilfenora

Kilfenora is a small village thats the home to the Burren display centre. The Burren is a large area of picturesque limestone landscape a short distance from the village. While I cant comment on the actual exhibition centre itself (a little too expensive for us), the gift shop and tearoom were nice. Its also an ideal place for a toilet stop as well.

In fact, there are a few gift shops in Kilfenora all with a homely feel, so be sure to have a little walk around.

Because of the cost of things in Ireland, we only ate out once during the week. Most of the meals out seemed to come in at around 12-16 (which was about £8-12). The pub just down the road on the right (can't remember it's name. One day I'll learn to make notes) from the view above was where we had this meal, and comes with a demm42 recommendation. The cost of the meal was at the lower end of the above range, and therefore reasonable when compared with the prices of other places we looked at.

One thing you do notice about Ireland is the religious monuments or shrines dotted around the villages. (The one shown on the left is just outside Kilfenora). Most villages seemed to have one, and each seemed to be looked after with no signs of vandalism that would occur in the UK.

In fact we found that while Ireland is generally nowhere as near as religious as the Hebrides, religion does play a part in the culture, with the catholic church taking the lead in that culture. This was also evident on some of the radio stations and a couple of the TV programmes we watched.

Anyway, I'll just mention that most of the larger shops do open on a Sunday (usually 12-6pm), so if you arrive late on a Saturday you'll have no problem stocking up on the Sunday.

Ennistymon (Inis Diomáin)

This small town is about 5km from Kilfenora are was a good place to stock up for the week from the Supa-valu supermarket which is just off the main street. Just make sure you park close by if you dont want to pay extra for the bags!!

Other recommended shops include the bakers near the Ennis/Lahinch/Lisoonvarna road junction in the centre of the town. There is no way youll be able to resist it as you walk past.

There are also a few take-aways/cafes in the town, so eating is no problem. And make sure you take a look at the river/waterfall behind the shops.

One of the other things we noticed about Ireland is the pubs. Nearly every place has several pubs. Some villages have more pubs than houses. Ennistymon is no exception. The one that really got my attention was Eugenes (shown on the right). While we didnt actually go in it (because of our daughter being with us), it did look very nice both outside and inside (Every time I walked past I'm sure I was being called in).

It has to be said that the majority of pubs in Ireland are decorated in a similar fashion. Maybe not all of them are as attractively noticeable as Eugenes, but they are certainly painted and decorated in a striking fashion. It makes them a certain individual feel.

The toilets in the town are located just off the main street by the library.

Burren Perfumery and Floral centre

About 10km North-East of Kilfenora is the Burren Perfumery and Floral centre. Situated in a rural location, this centre has a little exhibition/video display and tearoom, along with the numerous perfumes, sprays, etc made at the centre. Definately a good place to pick up a little gift for your loved one.

There is also a tearoom for those wanting a drink or a bite to eat, and toilets (I think) as well.

Now, youve probably noticed above that Im mentioning the toilets on each place we visited. The reason behind this is the that we tended to find a lack of public toilets in a lot of the places we visited. Obviously you could probably go into one of the many pubs to visit the loos, but then youll feel obliged to buy a drink (no problem with that unless youre driving). In fact some pubs did have noticed saying that the toilets were for customers only. So the advice is, if you see toilets, use them!!!

That concludes page 2 of the tour. Continue to Page 3 for a look at the southern coastline and estuaries in County Clare.