Quilty Tourism

Profile of the Quilty Area

Traditionally associated with Irish music and set-dancing, fishing and agriculture, Quilty is a small village on the west coast of Clare, at the northern end of the Kilrush Electoral Area. The catchment area of Quilty includes several townlands including Seafield, Tromoroe West, Tromoroe East, Tromora Castle, Quilty East, Quilty West, Rhineroe, Clune, Ballymakea Mor, Ballymakea Beg, Emlagh, Salus, Shandrum, Clounahinchy, Clonadrum, Kilclohane, Creggane, Kilmurry and Caherush. Though the locality enjoys an influx of visitors to the area during the summer, the year round resident population is close to 750 people.

Physical Location

Though relatively small in population size, Quilty has one of the most advantageous locations in County Clare. It is positioned mid-way along the western Atlantic seaboard of the county. Thus, the area is blessed with natural scenic beauty and is en-route to all the major attractions up and down the coast, including:

• A 25 minutes drive north bound on the N67 brings the traveller to the Cliffs of Moher. One of the most popular tourist destinations in Ireland. This route leads to the Burren and the attractions of Lahinch, Ennistymon, Ballyvaughan and Lisdoonvarna.

• A 15 minutes drive south bound on the N67 brings a person to the village of Doonbeg and its now famous Greg Norman designed golf course. This route leads to Kilkee and the Loop Head Peninsula.

• A 20 minutes drive south bound on the R483 brings tourists to the market town of Kilrush and attractions such as the Vandeleur Walled Gardens, Scattery Island and Kilrush Creek Marina. This route also leads to the Killimer-Tarbert Car Ferry crossing to Kerry.

• Surfing enthusiasts need drive only five minutes from Quilty to reach Spanish Point if they want to enjoy their favourite sport!

It should also be noted that Quilty is a mere 35 minutes drive time from the county town of Ennis and a 60 minutes drive from Shannon International Airport and the attractions at Bunratty.

Natural Resources

The sea provides the Quilty area with its greatest natural resource. Seafield has two long sandy beaches that remain unspoilt and Quilty village itself has seen a natural beach area form thanks to tidal patterns. The reef and rock formations around the local coast still provide a plentiful supply of lobsters, crabs, shellfish and seaweeds, such as carrigeen moss and seagrass, just as they have done for centuries. The Seafield and nearby Mutton Island areas are particularly associated with birds such as the Purple Sandpiper and the Barnacle Goose. This natural amenity has led to the area becoming increasingly popular with sea anglers, bird watchers, walking enthusiasts, painters and photographers.

Sporting Tradition

The names of Quilty and Kilmurry Ibrickane have long been associated with Gaelic football. The game has as strong a following now as it did in 1935 when two local teams, Quilty and Kilmurry, contested the county football final. This historic game was referred by Joe Connole from Kilfenora. Monica Sterling has recorded the names of the men who made up both teams in a poem that may be found online at www.quiltyns.net. The ongoing successes of the Kilimurry Ibrickane parish teams at county and national level are a continuation of a sporting tradition that goes back far into the last century. The development of the excellent G.A.A. grounds in Quilty is a reflection of the community's commitment to preserving the sporting tradition of the parish for many decades to come.