Today we journeyed west once again, this time over to the Cliffs of Moher. This had been one of the things that ranked high on our list of things we wanted to see. Heading out from East Clare, we were worried that the weather would hamper us from seeing this great wonder. It rained all morning and for our entire drive. When we arrived, the rain had kicked into full gear, which combined with the winds from the ocean made things very cold. We stepped inside the visitors center (which is built into the side of the hills leading up to the cliffs) for a few minutes, and when we stepped out, the rain had stopped and the sun was fighting its way out of the clouds. It made for some really pleasant weather while we were there.
The cliffs themselves rise nearly 400 feet over the Atlantic Ocean, and we had the chance to walk all around the cliffs. There were stone walls along the perimeter of the cliffs that kept people from getting too close and falling in. However, many people found ways alongside the gaps to hike further in and get closer at their own risk. With the drop like that, I was fine with taking the beautiful pictures from behind the walls. In the second picture above, you can see the original fence that was previously there and has long since fallen apart.
At the top of the tallest hill along the cliffs sits O’Brien’s Tower, an observation tower that Sir Cornelius O’Brien built in 1835 apparently to impress women. We got some nice pictures around the tower, but opted to not spend the extra money to go in.
Upon leaving the cliffs we went down to Doolin, a tiny neighboring town that is home of Gus O’Connor’s pub. This pub is that epitome of an Irish pub, and what was exactly what I was I had in mind when I pictured Irish Pubs. We had a great lunch of fish & chips and a pint.
We ended our afternoon by driving along the coast to Galway and then back to the cottage to cook dinner at home. This was an early day, as we are leaving early Wednesday morning for Dublin.