A Town Guide To Ballybunion In County Kerry, Ireland

In the south-west corner of Ireland lies the small seaside village of Ballybunion. Many golfers will recognize the town name due to its world class course, while many Irish know its name due to numerous childhood summer holidays to its wonderful beach. A key factor in the village's popularity is that it is one of the few towns in the area not to have been over-commercialized with coffee shops and trendy bars.

Instead it has retained a small traditional Irish town feel to it that foreign and Irish visitors still wish to experience.

The town has two main attractions of note.

The first, which all the family will enjoy, are the beaches in Ballybunion.

The second is the world renowned Ballybunion Golf Club.

The central focus of the town in summer is the main beach.

It is a family friendly beach with plenty of space and good quality sand.

The local surf school has become popular in recent years offering equipment rental and surfing lessons for all levels (the waves are not particularly high so it is an ideal spot for beginners). Ramblers, and those seeking a more tranquil setting, can set off from the main beach along the cliff walk. This takes in some magnificent sea & countryside views, passing the ruins of Ballybunion castle and leads to a number of quieter beaches. Ballybunion Golf Club is possibly the best golf course in Ireland and the Old Course is regularly placed in the top-20 lists of golf magazines.

The Old course was founded in 1893 as a links style course and proves to be a challenge to most players. Given the prestige of the course it is essential to book a round well in advance and most golfers choose to play the Cashen course (the easier and newer of Ballybunion's two courses) in preparation for the challenging Old Course. A place of honor has been set aside for one of Ballybunion's most famous golfing visitors. Former president Bill Clinton visited the golf club in 1998 to play a round of golf and to commemorate the visit the town elders installed a full size statue of Mr. Clinton in the town centre (the first such statue for the former president anywhere in the world).

The number of Ballybunion hotels and accommodation options is limited. While this has helped retain the charm of the town, it does mean that visitors often need to base themselves outside the village itself. This should however be seen positively as the surrounding County Kerry countryside is a wonderful backdrop to some fine hotels, bed & breakfast guesthouses and even some castle hotels. Ballybunion town has a small tourist office on its main street providing details of local amenities, information and attractions, such as details of the local bus service to Listowel town. Note however that the tourist office is only open in the summer season.
Visit the Ballybunion Hotels HQ website for independent advice about hotels, amenities, day trips and Ballybunion Golf Club

Trending Articles