Neus · Co. Clare
Black Head
The north-western tip of County Clare, above Kilrush Bay at the entrance to Galway Bay — the headland that turns the coast, and the small 1936 lighthouse that the liners’ captains asked for.
The town
Ennistymon — Ennistimon officially, the spelling most widely used is Ennistymon (Inis Díomáin in Irish) — is a small market town in County Clare, near the west coast of Ireland. The River Inagh, with its small rapids known as the Cascades, runs through the town behind the main street, and a bridge across the river leads to nearby Lahinch. The town is at the junction of the N67 and N85 roads, and it is the market town for the Burren’s east edge.
The name
The town’s official name is Ennistimon, although Ennistymon is the spelling most widely used, and historically it was spelt Inishdymon. This is believed to derive from Inis Diomáin, meaning “Diomán’s island”, though Míchéal Ó Raghallaigh argues that the name derives from Inis Tí Méan, meaning “island of the middle house” or “river meadow of the middle house”. The river is the reason for the town: the Inagh runs through it, and the Cascades behind the main street are the town’s landmark.
The ground it sits on
Ennistymon is located on the border of the upland area of County Clare known as the Burren, and the Cullenagh River is called the Inagh after the Ennistymon Cascades, at which point it becomes tidal. The town is the east gate of the Burren country: the karst pavement begins just to the west, and the market town is the base for the Burren’s east side as much as Doolin is the base for its Atlantic side. From Ennistymon, the road runs west into the Burren country and south to the Shannon estuary.
Practical
Ennistymon is at the junction of the N67 and N85, a short drive from Ennis and Doolin; the Cascades are behind the main street, and the bridge to Lahinch is in the town. The town works as a base for the Burren’s east side and the estuary road south.