Things to Do in Clones: Your Practical Visitor Guide to the Town and What's On
The Round Tower, Clones Lace, St Tiernach's Park, the Ulster Canal, the best pubs in west Monaghan — your practical guide to getting the most out of Clones, County Monaghan.
The Round Tower, Clones Lace, St Tiernach's Park, the Ulster Canal, the best pubs in west Monaghan, and a food scene that's better than its reputation — here's everything worth knowing about Clones right now.
Clones is the kind of town that rewards the visitor who slows down. It sits in the far west of County Monaghan, close to the Fermanagh border, and it carries more history per square metre than almost anywhere else in Ulster. A 9th-century round tower visible from half the county. A medieval High Cross in the town diamond. A heritage lace tradition that has dressed royalty. St Tiernach's Park — one of the most atmospheric GAA grounds in Ireland. And a town centre that, if you take the time to look at it properly, is a genuinely interesting place to spend a few hours.
This is the practical guide — what's on today, where to eat, what to see, and how to get the most out of Clones whether you're a local or arriving for the first time.
The Round Tower and Monastic Site
The most immediately striking thing about Clones is the round tower — a 9th or 10th century structure rising from the town's central area that is one of the best-preserved examples of its type in Ireland. Round towers were built as bell towers and places of refuge for monastic communities, and Clones's tower is a remnant of the Augustinian priory that made the town a significant centre of early Christian settlement. The ruins of the priory are adjacent to the tower and set in the town's main burial ground — the High Cross nearby, a 9th century carved sandstone cross of considerable artistic quality, features scenes from the Old and New Testaments and is among the most significant pieces of early Christian stonework in Ulster.
Both the tower and the High Cross are free to visit and can be viewed year-round. They are a short walk from the town diamond — easily combined with a coffee stop and a browse of the town centre.
Clones Lace
Clones Lace is one of Ireland's great craft traditions — a form of crochet lace developed in Clones in the 1840s that became central to the town's economic survival during the Famine era. The lace has been worn by royalty, featured in couture fashion collections, and is recognised by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage. The Cassandra Hand Heritage Centre in Clones — named for the Church of Ireland rector's wife who first taught the craft in the town — holds exhibitions and demonstrations, and local practitioners continue to pass the tradition to new generations.
If you want to take something home from Clones that is specifically, unmistakably local, a piece of Clones Lace or a lace-inspired gift is the obvious choice.
St Tiernach's Park: The Cathedral of Ulster GAA
During championship season, St Tiernach's Park is the heartbeat of Clones. The ground — compact, atmospheric, with stands that sit close to the pitch and a crowd noise that gets trapped and amplified by the bowl of the venue — hosts Ulster Championship games and Monaghan county championship finals that regularly fill the town with supporters from across the province. On those days, Clones becomes one of the most vibrant towns in Ulster, its pubs, cafés, and streets filled with the particular energy that only a big GAA day creates.
If you're visiting on a match day: arrive early, park well outside the town centre, and give yourself time to take in the atmosphere in the pubs before throw-in. The match-day experience in Clones is unlike anything in a more modern stadium.
If there's no match on: the ground itself is usually viewable from the external approach, and the town is a genuinely pleasant place to walk regardless.
The Ulster Canal Stores Visitor Centre
On the main Cavan-Monaghan road, the Ulster Canal Stores Visitor Centre is a perfectly positioned starting point for anyone wanting to understand the remarkable history of the Ulster Canal — the 19th-century waterway that connected Lough Erne to Lough Neagh and passed through Clones as a significant commercial artery. The visitor centre provides a courtyard café, a gift shop, and full disabled access. It is the natural companion to the broader Ulster Canal restoration project — one of the more watched infrastructure initiatives in the north-west, which if brought to completion would bring boat traffic back to this part of the country for the first time in over a century.
Where to Eat in Clones
Clones's food offering is compact but genuine. The town's pubs are the cornerstone of its hospitality scene, and several of them serve solid food alongside a serious pint. Lipton's on Fermanagh Street is a well-known local institution — known for its eclectic stock, friendly service, and the particular quality of a shop that seems to sell almost everything. For sit-down eating, the town's café options have improved in recent years and are best checked locally on arrival for current opening days and hours, as the smaller the town, the more these can vary seasonally.
The Round Tower Bar is one of the named local institutions — a pub with a name that says everything about what matters most in this part of Monaghan. For post-match eating and drinking on GAA days, the pubs in Clones operate at a scale and efficiency that is genuinely impressive — they've had decades of practice.
For a more formal dining experience or a longer stay, Clones is well served by the hospitality infrastructure of the wider west Monaghan area — Newbliss and its surroundings are a short drive, and the Hilton Park estate is nearby.
Clones Golf Club
Clones Golf Club, set in the drumlin countryside just outside the town, is a well-regarded 18-hole course with strong local membership and visitor access. Like the town itself, it is unpretentious and welcoming in equal measure.
Annie Mc Ginn's Pub, Newbliss — The Nearest Destination Pub
If you're in Clones and looking for a particular evening, Annie Mc Ginn's in Newbliss — less than 15 minutes' drive — is one of the most warmly regarded traditional pubs in the whole county, and worth the short detour.
Getting to Clones
Clones is on the R212 from Monaghan Town (approximately 25 minutes) and is accessible from Cavan via the R188. Public transport serving Clones has historically been limited — the town once had a railway station on the Great Northern Railway (closed 1957) and at one point was a significant junction. The Local Link 176 bus service now operates a route that connects the town to the wider county network.
For GAA match days, shuttles and coaches from Monaghan Town and surrounding towns operate regularly — check with Monaghan County Board closer to each fixture.
This Weekend in Clones
The Monaghan Tourism website and the Clones local social media channels are the most reliable sources for current events. Key things to check for:
- Monaghan GAA fixtures at St Tiernach's Park — the county board website lists all upcoming home games
- Ulster Canal Stores events — the centre runs seasonal programming
- Local club and community events — Clones Gaels, Clones town events, and parish-level activities
Browse all Clones businesses — pubs, restaurants, trades, and services — on monaghanbusinesses.ie.
See our heritage and cultural guide to Clones for a deeper look at the town's history and monuments.