The Flaggy Shore is the area stretching from New Quay to Finavarra in Co. Clare. It is the second most northerly point in the county beaten only by Aughinish island. Seamus Heaney wrote about Flaggy Shore in his poem, Postscript;

And some time make the time to drive out west
Into County Clare, along the Flaggy Shore,
In September or October, when the wind
And the light are working off each other
So that the ocean on one side is wild
With foam and glitter, and inland among stones
The surface of a slate-grey lake is lit
By the earthed lightning of a flock of swans,
Their feathers roughed and ruffling, white on white,
Their fully grown headstrong-looking heads
Tucked or cresting or busy underwater.
Useless to think you’ll park and capture it
More thoroughly. You are neither here nor there,
A hurry through which known and strange things pass
As big soft buffetings come at the car sideways
And catch the heart off guard and blow it open.

Today the Flaggy Shore is a discovery point along the Wild Atlantic Way and one of nine geosites that are of great importance in the Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark.

1. Exercise

The Flaggy shore have a paved road of 2.5km along the shoreline which makes it ideal for walkers and cyclists.

Along the road, you will pass Mount Vernon, built for William Persse but most famously the summer home of his descendant, Lady Gregory. Famous literary figures such as Y.B. Yeats and George Bernard Shaw have stayed and written their pieces here including The Player Queen. There are three cypress trees out front which are said to have been a gift from George Washington, a friend of William Persse after whom the house is named.

Further along the road, should you choose to do the looped walk (6km) you will see Lough Murree. This is a freshwater lake and an anomaly as it has no river to form an inlet and no outlet to the sea.

Lough Murree

2. Visit Cafe Linnalla

At the end of the paved road, you will find a path that leads to Cafe Linnalla. This family run business uses fresh milk and cream from their herd of shorthorn cows to produce high quality home made ice cream.

The menu varies from cones to sundaes and milkshakes as well as tea and coffee so it is a perfect place to stop, relax and enjoy the views over Galway Bay. You can find out more on their website, https://www.linnallaicecream.ie/cafe-linnalla/

3. Hunt for fossils

The Flaggy shore is a brilliant spot to see fossils. Along the shoreline you will be able to see striations in the rock, carved out during the ice age. You will also find beautiful corals in the carboniferous limestone that date back over 330 million years. You will also notice erratics, giant boulders brought in during the ice age. As well as limestone you will find some sandstone and granite.

Photo by Clodagh Helen

4. Go foraging

There is an abundance of seaweed and different plants along the shoreline. Some examples are sea radish, samphire, sea blight, scurvy grass and mayweed, just to name a few!

5. Visit the Martello Tower.

In Finavarra, you will find Martello Tower and the barracks. Built during the Napoleonic Wars, the tower was used to defend Ballyvaughan and New Quay from attack. It’s a beautiful drive and although you cannot go inside, it is a nice spot to explore.

The Flaggy shore also has a heritage trail and you can find more information on it here, https://www.burrengeopark.ie/discover-and-experience/trails/heritage-trails/#Flaggy