Weekend in West Country

On Friday morning we left for the West Country. The west coast is known for its coastline cliffs and unbelievable views. It was a 4.5-hour bus ride to our hostel but we stopped about an hour out at the Rock of Cashel, one of Ireland’s most historic sites. This is where St. Patrick baptized King Aengg. It is also a spot that has been fought over for hundreds of years, and a nice site if you ask me. We didn’t stay long though; we were ready for some cliffs

For our first day there, we were without an itinerary. Conveniently, Dr. Snyder asked a group of us to go golfing with him at a local par- 3 course called Doolin Pitch and Putt. The sites from the course were beautiful and it was a beautiful day to be outside. We had our fingers crossed that we would be so fortunate the rest of the weekend.

We woke up early Saturday morning with plans to catch the Doolin ferry to the Aran Islands. The archipelago consists of three islands, the largest of which was only 9x2 miles. The landscape on these islands is rugged, rock and divided by thousands of stonewalls. We rented a mountain bike upon our arrival. Our plan was to fast track our way through these twisting, sloping roads. Our first stop was on the top of the island’s highest point. Oun Arann Lighthouse and Signal Tower is the oldest lighthouse on the island. From atop it, you can see the entire island. It was a spectacular view, mazes of stonewalls scattered over grass hills. I’d say it was worth the hike. The ride down the hill was great; we practically coasted into our next destination, Oun Aong Hasa. This site is known as the most spectacular semi circular Celtic stone fort in all of Europe. The view of the island is one of the most lovely sites that I have ever seen. Absolutely breathtaking. The 200-year-old fort rests at the edge of a cliff 300ft above the Atlantic. Looking down the coast is a gift from the heavens. We hung our heads over the cliff to get views that bring the ocean to life and put chills down your spine. This site alone was worth a weekend, and we still hadn’t seen the more well known, Cliffs of Mohor. After a nap on the ferry ride back, we were ready for dinner. A local pub did the trick with a steak sandwich and some great seafood chowder. As for a drink, a couple of Buhlmer’s held me over.

Sunday was the day we had most anticipated, a trip to the Cliffs of Mohor, but first, the a look at the Burren. The Burren is a windblown limestone wasteland that hides flora, fauna, caves and a whole lot of history. It seemed like an intergalactic experience, with its lunar imagery. I have never seen anything like it. It was reminiscent of the Elephant graveyard in The Lion King. It was a nice prelude to the equally surreal Cliffs of Mohor.

The cliffs soar 650 feet above the Atlantic. There are no railings or fences restricting you from views.

Fact: Wind gusts have been fatal, resulting in an average of 2 deaths per month.

I still hung over the cliff to get some pictures. I think I’m getting a hold of this heights fear I have. Being up there was majestic. Think Avatar’s “Floating Mountains” and you’ll get an idea of what the area looked like on such a foggy day. Pretty great.