Adare

By car

Adare is 15 km south-west of Limerick city on the principal Kerry-Limerick road (N21). It can be easily accessed by bus or taxi from Limerick, although a car would be an advantage.

By bus

The Bus Éireann bus stop for Limerick city and onwards is outside the Heritage Centre. For Kerry and the south the bus stops outside the Post Office.

As a village, Adare is best explored on foot.
Generally free on-street parking can be found. There is a free public car park (which is monitored by CCTV) behind the Heritage Centre on Station Road.

The best place to start is the on Main Street, open daily 09:00-18:00. Use the free car & coach park behind. The centre has a small exhibition (free), a restaurant, and inevitably a large gift shop.

• Desmond Castle13th C ring-fortress, the stronghold of the Earls of Kildare till 1536 then forfeited and awarded to the Earls of Desmond. Visit by guided tour from the Heritage Centre.

• Augustinian friaryNow the Church of Ireland.

• Trinitarian friaryNow the Catholic Church.

• Franciscian friaryRuin.

• Thatched cottages throughout the village.
• Adare Manor is now a plush hotel, see "Sleep".

Adare has two golf courses, the Adare Manor Golf Club and Adare Golf Club. The Adare Golf Club, home to the 2007 Irish Open, also boasts a driving range.
Clonshire equestrian centre is a must for show-jumping enthusiasts.
There is a medium-sized park in the center of the village for walks and some R&R.
The library is located next to the Heritage Centre (across from the Village Hall).

• Knockpatrick Gardens

  phone: +353 69 65256
  An award winning 3 acre garden overlooking the scenic Shannon Estuary is located 2 km from Foynes on the N69 from Limerick.

There is a 24hr ATM outside the AIB bank next to the roundabout in the centre of the village.
There is a number of craft shops throughout the village. These are primarily focused on tourists.

• The Arches

  phone: +353 61 396 246
  address: Main St
  Friendly restaurant, good place to bring kids.

• Blue Door

  address: Main St
  Bistro gets consistently great reviews for food and welcome.

• Houfu

  phone: +353 61 396 383
  address: Main St
  Good Chinese for sit in or takeaway.
• The Maigue is in Dunraven Arms Hotel, see "Sleep".

• The Wild Geese

  phone: +353 61 396 451
  address: Rose Cottage, Main St
  Upscale Irish cuisine in 1820s cottage, reservations recommended.

Adare has four pubs:

• Bill Chawke's
• Collins
• Aunty Lena's
• Sean Collins'

Café:

• Heritage Centre

All three hotels have bars.
Most Restaurants have a licence.
Both Golf clubs have a bar and restaurant.

• Dunraven Arms Hotel4 star.

• Woodlands House Hotel3 star.

• Numerous B&Bs and guesthouses.

• Splurge at

  Adare Manor HotelGrand hotel & golf resort, mostly 19th C - in 1836 the entire property was valued at £130! Also hosts Adare Golf Club and Limerick Cricket Club.

The Post office is located in a pink building on the main street next to Collins' Bar (across from the Village Hall).

The Garda (Police) station is located in a yellow building across the street from the Post Office.

Adare is a good location for onward touring around the southwest of Ireland as Tralee and Killarney are about 1hr 30 min away by car. Adare is a nice location to cycle around and from as the local roads are generally quiet.
Adare is near Limerick City, Shannon and Bunratty.