Heading Westward

Our trip to Co. Clare was the last in a series of group trips- first Dublin, then Paris, and finally Lisdoonvarna. Our first stop was the Rock of Cashel. We stopped on the side of the road first, in order to get a good photo of course. Then we made our way up the hill. Upon entering, we watched a short introduction and then got to take a look around. Even though it was currently undergoing restoration and was slightly obscured by scaffolding, the architecture was still impressive.

After looking around, we stopped to get a bite to eat before getting back on the bus for the rest of the trip to Lisdoonvarna. Once we arrived, the first thing we saw of the town were the signs for the annual Matchmaking Festival which takes place in Lisdoonvarna every September. Arriving at our hostel, the Sleepzone Burren, we got settled in and then trekked around the town before finding something to eat. We had a quiet first night in order to get ready for the rest of the weekend.

Our second day out west, we took the ferry from Doolin to the Aran Islands. We spent the day on Inis Mor, the Big Island. Ray, Joe and I rented bicycles and headed out for Dun Aonghasa, the large semi-circular fort considered to be the best example of its kind. Taking the shore road, we passed lots of cows and fields on one side, and got beautiful views of the sea on the other. Once we arrived, we climbed up a hill to the fort and looked out over the three-hundred foot high cliffs. The views were amazing! After a little bike mishap, we made it back to the ferry just in time.

The next day was spent on a tour of the Burren. The Burren is characterized by the exposed limestone which was deposited by glacial movement throughout the region. While I know that we've been in Ireland for the past 8 weeks or so, traveling through the Burren was one of the first times that I've really felt connected to this country. Telling my friends about it later, I would say that this area is really what you picture when you think about Ireland. Our first stop was a cliff overlooking the ocean- another breathtaking view. We moved on throughout the area, and then stopped at Corcomroe Abbey and a thousands-year-old Dolmen.

Our last stop was famed Cliffs of Moher. I have to admit, I've never seen so much fog! Somehow, it made the cliffs seem even steeper. My fear of heights came into play a lot here, but the sheer awesomeness of the cliffs made me overcome it. Although, I wouldn't sit on the edge as many people were doing- didn't want to push my luck! The cliffs were my favorite part of the weekend. I've never seen something quite so amazing before. Going to Co. Clare, for me, was a good kind of wrap-up for our trip- the ten weeks in Ireland wouldn't have been the same if we hadn't seen the different sort of beauty that only occurs in the west.