Miltown Malbay Irish Music Center

Miltown Malbay County Clare Ireland / Tourist Office? No.
Below please find Map, Distance Chart and Bus Timetable Download.

Miltown is situated about a mile from the Atlantic shore and is one of a cluster of towns including, Lahinch and Ennistymon and close to Spanish Point.

As the first part of the name Miltown suggests it was in the past a milling center for grain and there were at one time 5 corn mills operating locally and there are still some ruins to be seen today.

Malbay is thought to represent the place where the body of Mal the witch who in folklore drowned after jumping off Loop Head in pursuit of the legendary Cuchulain washed ashore, you have to ask where was her broomstick!

Music, storytelling and dancing are to the fore here and in early July the biggest music summer school in the world (Willie Clancy Week) takes place and accommodation in the town and surrounding areas can be difficult to find so bear this in mind if intending to visit at this time.

Transport To and From
Bus Eireann the National Bus Company runs a daily service to and from Ennis with several stops along the way or if arriving from Galway you need the express service to Cork stopping at Ennis and connecting.

Bus Timetable Download From Bus Eireann

• From Ennis to Miltown Malbay to Doonbeg route.
• From Galway to Ennis to Limerick to Cork and return route.

• See All Bus Eireann's County Clare Routes and Timetables.

Past History
The town has a turbulent past, in the 19th century trouble between the despised landlords, the Morony's and their tenants was never far away and in the famine years a lot of people left the district for far off places including Argentina. Evictions were commonplace and a boycott of the landlords resulted in many arrests of the shopkeepers because they refused to serve them or their staff.

Music Festival
The town is host to an annual music festival called 'Willie Clancy Week' (Willie Week) named after the reknowned uillean piper . Willie Clancy was born in 1918 and died in 1973. He is buried in Ballard Cemetary close to the town.

Ideally Situated
Centrally located Miltown Malbay provides an ideal base to explore the Loop Peninsula, the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher which are all nearby. Leisure pursuits to suit every taste are in abundance and there is plenty of entertaiment in the local pubs to enjoy after a day's sightseeing.

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See selected distances from Miltown Malbay below.

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