Ennis Travel Guide

Ennis is a bustling town that offers most of the Tourist options as some of the bigger cities without the Big City Attitude. Ennis itself is home to the Ennis Festival, which takes place in June.  The festival features live entertainment including Step Dancing contests, booths sporting their fair share of touristy and authentic Irish goods and wonderful food.  The city center is a great place to stop and have lunch, snagging a seat on one of the fountains is always choice.  As in all of Ireland, Ennis houses beautiful cathedrals and architecture, though it isn't anything if not up to date.  Ennis also has it's own grouping of restaurants (Chinese, Italian, Indian etc.), fast food outlets (Pizza & Burger joints),  arcades, casino's and other places of high commerce. It has a lively night life with a variety of Pubs catering for all music tastes (Rock, Blues, Trad, Pop etc), Night Clubs (Brandons, Barge Rooms, Queens etc), Restaurants and venues like Glor where you have Concerts, Stand up Comedy, Musicals and Plays). The Dunnes Mal located there is of formidable size (it's the equivalent to a Wal-Mart or Target here in the US) and hosts a variety of goods at low prices.

  Ideal for the traveller looking to save some money and still enjoy lunch!  Ennis is on the main national route between Limerick and Galway. It offers a nice change for the traveller who is sick of the metropolitan areas of various countries.  It is a very clean city and lends itself to hours of exploration. It was judged Ireland's tidiest town for 2005.  Basing Ennis as your centre, you can explore Bunratty Castle, built in 1425, Bunratty folk park, the Cliffs of Moher (750 feet high, 8km long), the seaside resorts of Kilkee and Lahinch (one of the best Surfing beaches in Europe and only 25 min Drive),  Craggaunowen (a reconstructed lake-dwelling found in Ireland during the Iron-Age).  About twenty minutes beyond the city reaches lies, as previously mentioned Ennistymon and a few other small towns.  If the traveller is daring enough and has either a super human sense of direction or a compass, they can venture out onto the countryside highways and down through some of the considerably less populated areas.  Here, if they're lucky, they'll stumble across signs leading them towards William Daly's Pony Trekking.  There are no street names or directions so one has to pay very close attention, but once you find it, you'll never forget where it's at.  If you love horses, or would like to experience riding a horse for the first time, this is the place to be.  William runs trail rides Ireland style.  He'll set you up with a horse suited to your build and experience and then you're off with a group of however many for one of the three rides offered.  You can opt to take the one hour, two hour or three hour ride, depending on time and determination.  None of them dissappoint.  Here you will be lead by the lead riding instructor and her fiery mare as they take you along Irish back roads, through the countryside, down by a lake and, if you choose the three hour jaunt, down along one of the beaches where, after a brief lesson on how to hunker down and hold on, you'll have the opportunity to launch your horse into an open gallop through the Irish surf and sand. 

A warning: This ride is not for the vastly inexperienced or timid.  You are in control of your animal, where and when he stops is up to you.

if you choose the two hour option you will still get a chance to gallop but on a sort of "controlled course", a 1/4 mile trail that runs up a hill back towards the stables.  Overall, it is a truly amazing experience and a unique way to see Ireland; saddleside!   His prices are reasonable and he's willing to work with almost anyone if they have the desire to ride.