Travel Information

One of the advantages of traveling through Ireland by car is that you can experience the country as the locals do. Commercial tours will only take you to the typical tourist destinations, leaving out the areas that are equally beautiful and culturally significant attractions, as well as the out-of-the-way spots that have been sheltered from the march of time. By hiring a car and including these hidden sanctuaries in your car travels, you can see the “authentic Ireland”, and even choose to live in it---albeit only for a while. One of these spots is the Loop Head Peninsula, your car drive will lead you to the Loop Head Lighthouse and the adjacent Lightkeeper’s cottage. This is one of Ireland’s most beautiful areas, and the sight of sheer cliffs dropping hundreds of feet into the turbulent Atlantic Ocean is already worth the car trip. Living in the light house can also help you experience Ireland of the past. George Halpin built the light house in 1854. Its distinct feature, the way two seconds of light were followed by four seconds of dark, was achieved by rotating a screen around the lamp. Until 1971, the mechanism had to be manually wound until it was replaced by an electric machine. The light house has been restored, but care has been taken to preserve as much of the original infrastructure as possible. The only major change has been to pierce the outer seaward wall to create several narrow windows, or loops, to gives guests a better view of the sea and allow more light to penetrate inside. Facilities for the disabled have also been incorporated. Five people can stay in the house at any given time, and can use the kitchen, living room, bathroom and a small dayroom and study. To preserve some of its Old Ireland charm, the house doesn’t have a telephone, television or microwave. Otherwise, you have the modern benefits of central heating and running water, and utensils like linen, crockery and cutlery. The light house is remote enough to feel like an escape, so hiring a car is essential both to getting there and getting around. It is a three-mile car drive from the post office, shop and pub, as well as boat hire. It is a 10 to 15 mile car drive from Kilkee and Kilrush, and an hour and a half car drive from Limerick and Shannon Airport. You can find a car hire agency in the airport or within any major city, from which you can begin your car travels to this beautiful place.