Dysert O'Dea is a rewarding archaeological cluster in the countryside north of Ennis, centred on a restored tower house and the remains of an older ecclesiastical landscape. The wider trail links a high cross, church ruins, earthworks, and field monuments, giving a much richer visit than a single castle stop.
It is best for travellers with a car or bike and a taste for quiet historical sites. The 4km trail can be walked or partly driven, and it gives a good feel for rural County Clare before the tour buses concentrate farther west around the Burren and Cliffs of Moher.