Dromore Wood is so well hidden that DARRAGH MCMANUSdidn't know it existed until he drove past it one day
THE BURREN is rightly famed for its raw beauty, rare flowers and almost surreal lunar landscape, but its periphery holds some hidden treasures, too. Dromore Wood Nature Reserve is so well hidden I didn’t know it existed until I blithely drove past one day, soon after moving to Co Clare.
A few kilometres north of Ennis, between the villages of Ruan and Crusheen, Dromore covers 400 fabulous hectares of forest and lake. Originally a private estate, it has been protected and state-managed since 1985 and is now a special area of conservation.
Dromore has many riches to be discovered. For starters it offers visitors a lovely, untamed wildness (bisected by well-tended walking paths), just a short distance from civilisation, abutting it like an unruly neighbour. Fens and reed beds, turloughs and callows, trees and ground cover . . . It’s a magical interplay of woodland and wetland.
A huge diversity of wildlife abounds here, exploding into life particularly at this time of year: foxes, hares, otters, hedgehogs, squirrels, pine martens. It is one of Ireland’s most important bat habitats. (Clare Bat Group holds nocturnal walks and talks for those not easily spooked.) For birdwatchers there are jays, kingfishers, swans, ducks, ravens and even kestrels – a breeding pair regularly uses the castle’s ravens’ nest when it becomes vacant. Botanists can savour the violets, honeysuckles, wild strawberries, orchids, bluebells and other plants.
There’s also a fascinatingly eerie built heritage that includes the 17th-century O’Brien Castle – standing guard right by the lake’s edge – church ruins, ring forts, a lime kiln and a children’s burial ground.
But all this is just detail, hard fact and cool information. Dromore is so much more. It truly is – to reluctantly use that worn-out modern term – an escape. Park your car, take deep gulps of that rich, superoxygenated air, and simply be present. Isn’t this what all of us strive for in our lives – the ability to shuck off worry and stress, the gnawing little teeth of the daily grind, and be content and in the moment?
In Dromore it comes easily and naturally. Tension abates like water trickling underground. I suppose there is something elemental, literally and metaphorically, in nature, if we choose to see it; something sublime and enormous, a sort of unforced splendour, that makes the human observer feel simultaneously smaller and so much greater.
For me trees do it every time, and here Dromore does not disappoint: the vague bass note of mental anxiety fades away through the soles of the feet with every step along a forest path. And I would defy even those odd people with little fondness for nature to resist getting the same feeling.
Like with most places, the best way to experience Dromore is by that traditional but ever-reliable mode of transport known as Shank’s mare. The nature reserve has six dedicated walkways, of differing lengths, topography and difficulty, though none is beyond the average person’s capability (and part of the 140km Mid-Clare Way passes through, if you’re feeling really energised).
All have their charms, although my route of choice is to park about 20m beyond the main entrance towards Ruan, hike into the centre, then walk the Castle and Rabbit Island trails. This gives a good variety of rougher terrain and gravelled paths, hills and dips, forest and lakeshore, and, most importantly from an aesthetic perspective, stunning views of the lake as you cross the bridge.
The glass sheet of water being ruffled by the breeze, trees crowding in like an audience at a performance, swans gliding by as though the Children of Lir have returned . . . Truly sublime.
Late spring and early summer is a particularly nice time to visit Dromore: the weather is pleasant but not too warm, the trees are coming into bloom, the place is more lively with families and hikers, with vigorous cyclists and folks strolling the dog. But year round it’s a tremendous amenity, a deep-green ecosystem heaving with life, a real Irish wonderland – even if few seem to know about it.
Dromore Wood, Co Clare
Getting thereHead north on the N18 from Ennis to Galway, pass the Ballyline pub and take the next left, signed for Dromore Woods Nature Reserve. Main entrance is 3.5km along this road.
SuitabilityThere are six marked and tended walks within Dromore: White (2km), Green (3.5km), Red (4.3km), Navy Blue (2.3km), Castle (2.7km) and Rabbit Island (1.5km). All are relatively easy, with some moderate inclines. Five are looped walks; Navy Blue is one-way.
FacilitiesVisitor centre open 10am-5pm, Wednesday to Sunday during May, daily from June to August (065-6837166). Guided tours for up to 30 people available by arrangement. Parking for cars and coaches at the entrance and by visitor centre. Partial wheelchair access.
Accommodation and foodThe nearest accommodation is in Ennis, with a large range of hotels and B&Bs. Dromore has a picnic area only; nearest food is at the Ballyline.