Carrigaholt, Co. Clare - Home of The Red Wood

A small fishing village on the Loop Head Peninsula, with plenty of character. Sitting at the mouth of the Moyarta river, which then flows into the estuary of the River Shannon, Carrigaholt is a picturesque, West-Clare village, which up until around 1956, was officially an Irish-speaking community as it was located in the heart of the West Clare Peninsula. As with many Irish villages, the origins of its name are very interesting. Carrigaholt means the ‘Town of the Rock of the Fleet,’ and its origin is traceable to the anchorage for vessels, under a rock, on the shore.

Any visit to Carrigaholt is incomplete without a visit to the famous Carrigaholt castle. Built in 1840 by the MacMahons, the chiefs of West Corkavaskin on the Loop Head peninsula. The five-story tower house sits on the fishing pier in the village and offers spectacular views of the Shannon estuary. It is surprisingly well preserved for its age & has many features like; the surrounding bawn (walled courtyard), its murder holes, spiral staircase, stone-vaulted roof & a bartizan, all of which are evidence of its turbulent history. 

During the Spanish Armada in 1588, the castle was occupied by Teige Caech "the short-sighted" McMahon, when 7 ships from the armada anchored in Shannon Estuary. Despite offering no aid or support to the Spanish contingent, the castle was unsuccessfully besieged by Sir Conyers Clifford, who was Governor Of Connaught at the time. Shortly after this, it was once again besieged, this time successfully, by the fourth Earl of Thomond (Donagh O’Brien) who captured the castle after 4 days of siege. He followed this by breaching the terms of surrender and hanging all defenders of the castle.

The last siege of the castle occurred in 1649 when it was besieged by General Ludlow. The last MacMahon in residence was Teigue Keigh before it was granted to Henry O'Brien by Queen Elizabeth. The last inhabitants were the Burton family, who lived there until the last part of the 19th century.

Despite the lure of the castle, there is plenty more to love about Carrigaholt including the Small Fishing Village feel of the place. In the past, the fishing industry was a major employer in the area and provided a lot for the local economy. We can see this in publications such as “County Clare: A History and Topography 1837 by Samuel Lewis” which stated:

A small quay or pier was constructed partly by the late Fishery Board and partly by grand jury presentments: it is of considerable service to agriculture and the fisheries, and is frequented by six hookers, of seven tons each, and upwards of 500 corrachs, which give employment to about 400 persons, particularly in the herring fishery, which commences in July.

Despite a steep fall-off in fishing activity in the area, Fishing is still continued in the village with a small number of boats delivering their catches to a local processing company. Luckily, the area has benefited from tourism in recent years, with many businesses and amenities popping up to cater to this increase including; water activities like angling & boat trips. One of the most popular boat trips is to the mouth of the Shannon to view Europe's largest group of resident bottlenose dolphins (Approx. 120 dolphins). 

As you can see, Carrigaholt is a beautiful place to visit at the best of times. But, now as we announce our Red Wood site for Shelbourne FC being located only a few minutes outside the village, we think it’s the ideal summer destination for not just Shelbourne fans but for anyone in the CoolTribe! 

The village is also home to the 2015 pub of the year "The Long Dock”, which will be a perfect place to kick back and relax after a day of exploring the Red Wood.

If you’d like to find out more about the Red Wood, you can follow the link below: