The compact medieval centre of Ennis can be walked in an hour. The two essential stops are the ruins of Ennis Friary and the Clare Museum on the same square — between them they cover everything from the O'Brien kings of Thomond to the prehistoric finds from the Burren. Add the 19th-century Daniel O'Connell monument in O'Connell Square and the bridges over the Fergus and you have done the town proper.
Most visitors use Ennis as a base. The Cliffs of Moher are 45 minutes west, the limestone landscape of the Burren the same. Bunratty Castle is fifteen minutes south on the Limerick road, Quin Abbey ten minutes east. For traditional music, the Cois na hAbhna cultural centre on the Galway road is the formal venue; the pubs around Lower Market Street and Parnell Street are where the sessions actually happen.