Many historians and Tolkien lovers actually hold that it was the Burren that served as the true inspiration for much of the Lord of the Ring series, namely Gollum’s cave and the Shire. This has been a great debate over the decades as many local Irishman hold firm that Tolkien got his inspiration in rural Ireland, rather than England as traditional history tell us. Either way it’s easy to see how a young Tolkien might have been moved by the inspiring landscape and rich history.

It was by pure chance that we decided to stop here which ended up being one of the highlights of the trip, not only because of the neat little town and the beautiful surrounding landscape, but also for the locals we met while visiting. Right along the main drag, which is nothing more than a wee street, lies the one and only Roadside Tavern.

The Roadside Tavern has been run by the Curtin Family since 1893 making it one of the oldest pubs in the Burren. The current proprietor, Peter Curtin, also owns and operates the nearby Burren Smokehouse. The tavern’s famously laid-back atmosphere and guaranteed craic (fun) makes it attractive to visitors and locals alike.

When we walked in Peter was behind the bar pouring a pint as we looked around the historic tavern. We sat down and he quickly started to chat us up. We were clearly not from around here as my friend’s French and German accents were a dead giveaway along with my obvious American lingo.

I don’t remember exactly how the conversation got going but before we knew it we were best friends with Peter; hanging out behind the bar, chatting with the local patrons, and even going behind the scenes to see his little brewery. We stayed there for hours shooting the breeze and learning about the history and folklore of the Burren.

Peter told us about the history of the Roadside Tavern and the nearby Smokehouse, which he claimed was the ‘best salmon in the world.’ That was a bold claim and the Irish are known for exaggerating but after sampling it for myself I would have to agree this was the best salmon I ever had in my life.

We learned about the ancient Irish art of oak-smoking salmon, tried some tasty salmon and other fish in myriad forms which were offered as a free tasting. I later learned that this was the same smokehouse that the White House and Buckingham Palace order their salmon from, so it really is world renown.

Lisdoonvarna is also well known for an annual festival called the ‘The Matchmaking Festival’, an Irish tradition of bringing thousands of single people together in rural Ireland to meet and mingle. Every August/September the area around Lisdoonvarna explodes for an entire month of music and dancing from 11 am until late featuring Ireland’s top country musicians.

Matchmaking is an Irish tradition that’s as old as time that began when visiting gentry came to ‘take the waters’ at this spa town and looked to match their children with someone suitable from the upper classes. The opening of the West Clare Railway in 1887 meant Lisdoonvarna increased in popularity as a tourist destination and the matchmaking tradition grew exponentially. With the harvest safely in and September being the peak holiday month, many bachelor farmers began to flock to Lisdoonvarna for a spa town vacation and in search of a wife.

After what seemed like days of drinking, eating, and mingling we said our goodbyes to Peter and the Roadside Tavern and pressed on from Lisdoonvarna up toward our final stop in Galway. But, I’ll never forget the quaint village in the middle of nowhere Ireland, and making friends with the owner of one of the coolest pubs in the country. Cheers to rural Ireland!