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LISDOONVARNA , nine miles south of Ballyvaughan and five miles inland from Doolin, is most notable for its month-long matchmaking festival held annually in September. The origins of the festival lie with the farmers who would come down after the harvest from the hills to spend their hard-earned cash and look for a wife in a festival of singing, dancing and drinking. It remains popular with a middle-aged crowd who come along for all manner of merry making, so if you want to be here in September, book your accommodation well ahead. On the whole Lisdoonvarna is probably best enjoyed in spring and early summer as it serves as one of the handiest spots from which to explore the Burren. It's renowned for it's spa too: the spring waters here contain magnesia, iodine and iron, and reputedly have restorative qualities. The town's principal sulphur spring is in the Spa Wells Health Centre (June-Sept daily 10am-6pm; tel 065/707 4023), where you can take the waters in the pumphouse, or have a sulphur bath (June-Sept Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-2pm), a sauna, a shower or a massage. Generally full of elderly holiday-makers, the centre offers an invigorating afternoon for weary cyclists and walkers. The whirlwind tour of The Burren Smokehouse (daily 9am-7pm), right in the centre of town, will fill you in on all there is to know about traditional methods of smoking fish: frankly, there's not much to it, but it's worth taking for the banter and the sliver of smoked salmon thrown in to tempt you to buy more. Recommended B&Bs here are St Joseph's , Main St (tel 065/707 4076; GBP26-33/?33.01-41.90) and Ballinsheen House (tel 065/707 4806; GBP33-40/?41.90-50.79). When it comes to eating , plenty of pubs serve food; especially good is The Roadside Tavern (until 8.30pm). All of the pubs have music most nights during July and August, some of it pretty mixed, but The Roadside Tavern is a good starting point. The Ballyvaughan road leads you northbound through a brief area of dank forestry and out onto the corkscrew hill , a famous winding descent with fabulous views between grey hills to the broad expanse of Galway Bay - a visual treat and an especially exhilarating release for cyclists after the long steady climb.
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