Lahinch, Moy (1891)
Proceeding still northward, by road or rail, the sea is never lost sight of, and we soon reach Lahinch, which is one of the oldest established bathing places on the coast. Its strand, for length, width, and evenness of surface, is not to be excelled in Ireland. The accommodation is excellent, and not only are the lodges in town, but those on the cliffs, and everywhere around, are neat and respectable, and so graduated in size and arrangement, as to admit of being let at prices to suit the position and circumstances of all classes. There are hotels in Lahinch also, all of which are in good, central positions, affording every comfort to those who patronize them. As a centre from which excursions may be made, to objects and places of interest in the locality, there is no other part of the coast that excels it. The West Clare Railway Company have a station within a few minutes walk of the shore, and its opening has been the means of familiarising the public with the West Coast to an extent that it was not possible to accomplish before the line was constructed. It is a most interesting sight to watch the tiny engine, and those fancy carriages attached to it, trailing along, like a serpent, on the railway track, which is cut out at the base of a range of hills, running parallel with the sea, for miles, between Lahinch and Miltown; and those who travel by it enjoy a view of the sea and coast-line, which, if it were seen on the Continent, would excite the tourist's admiration, and crowds would flock to enjoy the spectacle.
Lahinch is well sheltered;
at the same time it is an open situation, as one feels when the summer sun shines
down upon it, and the health-giving breeze from the sea blows on it; hills rise
landward, and southerly is the open sea; on the west, a bold promontory affords
shelter from the prevailing wind more or less. At Moy is a well-wooded ravine,
just close to Lahinch, protected by the cliffs, from the sea breeze, through
which a stream flows and discharges into the sea. Trout abound in this stream,
and a day's fishing, to those who like it, may be enjoyed in its waters. The
"puffing hole," at Freagh, already described, is only about one hour's
drive from Lahinch.
Holiday Haunts on the West Coast of Clare by H.B.H
Courtesy of Clare Local Studies Project
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