Dromore Castle, an O’Brien tower house begun in the early 1500s, stands above the shore of a lake that many Clare visitors drive straight past on their way to the Burren. It is the centrepiece of Dromore Nature Reserve, near Ruan in County Clare, an area of oak woodland, limestone pavement and disappearing turlough lakes that the State has protected since 1985. Entry is free.
The lake and the loop
Dromore Lough (Loch Droma Mhóir) is small, about 2 km long and 1 km wide. The River Fergus flows out of it and on towards Ennis. The lake sits inside a rare mix of habitats that the reserve exists to protect: limestone pavement, fen peat, reed beds, seasonal turloughs and floodplain callows alongside mature semi-natural woodland, all within the wider Dromore Woods and Loughs Special Area of Conservation.
The way to see it is the Dromore Wood Loop. The Sport Ireland route is an easy 6.4 km loop from the Dromore Wood car park. Follow purple arrows on yellow backgrounds along lanes and woodland tracks, past the ruins of Killakee Church and the shores of Lough Garr and Dromore Lough. Wear shoes with grip for the wet sections, and keep dogs on a lead.
Wildlife
The lake earns its reputation in winter, when whooper swans, wigeon, teal, tufted duck, goldeneye, pochard, shoveler and gadwall gather on the water. Little grebe, coot, moorhen, water rail and heron are here year round, and a white-tailed eagle was recorded over the reserve in 2011–12. The woods hold red squirrels, pine martens, badgers, otters and several species of bat; a pine marten study carried out here in the 1970s is still a reference point for the animal in Ireland. Bring binoculars if you would like to watch waterbirds from the paths.
History
Dromore Castle is the standout. The tower house dates to the early 1500s and was repaired and enlarged by Teige O’Brien in the 1600s; the family held it until 1689, after which it slid into ruin through the 1700s. Look for it through the trees as you follow the lakeside route. Scattered through the reserve are more ruins, including Cahermacrea Castle, Killakee Church, two ring forts, an 18th-century lime kiln and a cillín, a children’s burial ground. Dromore House, a 19th-century seat of the Crowe family, was demolished in the 1930s. The State bought the woods in the 1940s, worked them for timber, then turned to conservation.
Practical information
Getting there: the reserve is near Ruan village, north of Ennis. Use the Dromore Wood car park at the signed trailhead.
Paths: the paths include lanes and woodland tracks, with wet sections after rain, so wear shoes with grip. Check the reserve page for current information before you set out, as facilities and visitor centre opening can change.
On the paths: stay on the marked route, keep dogs on a lead near nesting birds, and treat this as a place to walk and watch rather than to get on the lake.
Come in winter for the wildfowl, or early on a summer morning for the woods. It is a less pleasant outing on a wet day, when the fen paths are heavy going.