Gort , a rapidly expanding market town situated half way between Galway City and Ennis , and ideally located to explore the Burren and South Galway / North Clare. Nearby are the famous Coole Park (Nature Reserve and Heritage Centre) formerly the home of Lady Gregory and cradle of the Irish literary revival ; Thoor Ballylee ( Formerly the home of the poet W B Yeats ) and a small museum at Kiltartan Old School , the Gregory Museum. The town of Kinvara is only 9 miles / 15 km away , with its sea-angling and the Burren is easily accessible to the west. The town of Gort has been designated a heritage town , and its street-plan and shop-fronts (some of the finest examples of traditional shop-fronts in Ireland ) are the reason for this. It is proposed to open a heritage centre in Gort in the near future, but due to a current lack of available location a decision has yet to made to where it will be situated. The countryside around Gort is geologically interesting , being a porous limestone ; the Gort River disappears and reappears a number of times before going underground for good just below the town. There are several turloughs (disappearing lakes) in the vicinity , which fill and empty with the rise and fall of the water-table in the ground. The important monastic settlement of Kilmacdough is 5 miles / 8 km away , and the town has a splendid new 18-hole golf course. A wide variety of accommodation is available to any visitor to the town, Ireland Mid-West Online recommends Sullivan's Royal Hotel for those seeking hotel accommodation and the Burren View guesthouse for B&B seekers. There are also a number of places to eat in Gort. Over 20 bars and several cafes and restaurants which have good friendly service and a wide choice of food.

Local Attractions

Kilmacdough	Thoor Ballylee	the Burren