County Clare and the Burren - Ireland 2014 - page 408

Sleeping in Ennis
I've listed two fancy hotels that you'll share with tour groups, two B&Bs, and a hostel.
$$$ Old Ground Hotel is a stately, ivy-covered 18th-century manse with 105 rooms
and a family feel. Pan Am clipper pilots stayed here during the early days of transatlantic
seaplane flights (Sb-€80-105, Db-€100-170, suite-€160-210, best rates online, 2-night
weekend stays include a dinner, Wi-Fi, a few blocks from station at intersection of Station
Road and O'Connell Street, tel. [phone], www.flynnhotels.com/Old_Ground_Hotel ,
[e-mail] ).
$$$ Temple Gate Hotel 's 70 rooms are more modern and less personal (Db-€80-140,
suites-€150-190,ratesloweroff-season,Wi-Fi,justoffO'ConnellStreet,incourtyardwith
TI, tel. [phone], www.templegatehotel.com , [e-mail] ) .
$$ Grey Gables B&B has 12 tastefully decorated rooms (Sb-€35-40, Db-€70-75, Tb-
€99, Qb-€125, cash only, Wi-Fi, wheelchair access, parking, on Station Road 5 minutes
from train station toward town center, tel. [phone], marykeane.ennis@eircom .net,
Mary Keane).
$$ Stonehaven B&B is a kid-friendly place with three comfortable rooms (Sb-€50-55,
Db-€60-75, Tb-€85-90, cash only, Wi-Fi, 10-minute walk from town on N-68 Kilrush
Road, tel. [phone], www.stonehavenclare.com , [e-mail] , Marie Keat-
inge).
$ Rowan Tree Hostel is a well-run budget option, centrally located beside the gurgling
River Fergus. It incorporates a grand old gentleman's club into its modern additions with
better-than-expected private rooms and tidy dorm rooms sleeping from 4 to 14. A pleasant
café/bar rounds out the complex (dorm beds-€15-22, Sb-€30-40, Db-€50-68, Tb-€66-78,
Qb-€80-100, on Harmony Row next to the bridge, Wi-Fi, coin laundry, kitchen, lockers,
tel. [phone], www.rowantreehostel.ie , [e-mail] ) .
Eating in Ennis
Primavera Ristorante is my pick for a satisfying Italian dinner, cheerful atmosphere, and
central location (€18-22 meals, €16.50 two-course early-bird special 17:00-19:00, open
daily 17:00-22:00, 7 High Street, tel. [phone]).
The Old Ground Hotel serves up hearty meals in its Poet's Corner pub (€10-15
lunches, €15-22 dinners, daily 12:00-21:00).
For better than average pub grub, I like Knox's Pub & Bistro on Abbey Street (daily
12:00-21:00, tel. [phone]). Or try one of the places mentioned earlier, under “Night-
life in Ennis.”