The Clare Museum is small but rewarding, occupying a single ground-floor exhibition space on Arthur's Row just off O'Connell Square. Its 'Riches of Clare' permanent display walks through the county in five thematic chapters — earth, power, faith, water, and energy — using objects loaned from the National Museum of Ireland.
The highlights are the prehistoric and early-medieval material: bog finds from the Burren, the Mooghaun gold hoard (replicas, the originals are in Dublin), and the 14th-century McMahon helmet. The museum is free and rarely crowded. Plan 45 minutes.