Ireland - Day 4 (Sat)

We started out bright and early on Saturday as we were headed out of Dublin for the day to visit the beautiful west coast of Ireland. We booked two day trips with Paddywagon as they came with great reviews from locals. They offer tours from Dublin to a number of great spots throughout Ireland including Cliffs of Moher, Blarney Castle, Kilkenny, Belfast and many others.

We loaded up at 6:45AM for a couple hour ride to the west coast. Our first stop was the Corcomroe Abbey, founded in 1194 by the King of Limerick for the Cistercian monks also known as the Burren Abbey.

The Burren was our next stop, a karst landscape region and one of the largest karst landscapes in Europe stretching approximately 20 miles. The region support a number of rare Irish species, some only found in this area. The area supports arctic, Mediterranean and alpine plants side-by-side, due to the unusual environment. All plants with wide ranges, specific needs and requirements. Perhaps this paradox is not fully understood, however, a unique combination of climatic conditions and land use sustain and maintain the plants in this limestone region. Snow and frost though not unknown, are rare. Wind is an important feature of the climate and it's influence can be seen on the right-angled thorn and hazel bushes. The views are breathtaking and on a clear day you can see the Aran Islands, a group of three islands located at the mouth of Galway Bay.

Although Irish is the national and first official language of Ireland, it is estimated that less than 11% of the population use it as their first language. On the west coast you will find the locals speaking Irish much more than those in Dublin. During the travels across western Ireland the guide talked about the rich history of Ireland and the impact the Great Famine had on the west coast. Prior to the Great Famine over seven million residents resided in Ireland, today only 4.1 million reside in Ireland and another 1.2 million in North Ireland. This was a time when many Irish immigrated to nearby Scotland and England with thousands more set sail for America. Only in western Ireland will you find rows and rows of stone walls. The story is that the British felt the west coast was worthless and felt that the Irish must work to earn the little food they were provided in the soup kitchens. At first there was a purpose for the stone walls but eventually the walls were just put up everywhere with no reason outside of making sure the Irish earned the food. The west coast is the only province in Ireland with the stone walls and are not found throughout the island. Although the walls signify a difficult time for the Irish, they are working hard to preserve the stone walls as they are an important symbol of their history.

I had heard a lot about the little fishing town, Doolin, from others who had visited Ireland so was excited that it was a stop on our trip. It is known for it's traditional Irish music and food. We enjoyed the traditions of Ireland by enjoying lunch at Fitzpatricks. Being it wasn't the peak tourism season the town was very quiet but from talking with the locals the small town turns into a busy spot in the summer months.

At last we were on our way to visit the Cliffs of Moher which was one of the items on my "must see" list. The cliffs rise 394 feet above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag's Head and reach their maximum height of 702 feet just north of O'Brien's Tower. On a CLEAR day, the Aran Islands are visible as are the valleys and hills of Connemara. The tip for taking this trip is to check the weather as it can make or break the visit. Sadly, the weather was against us as it was extremely foggy.

Our last stop of the day was at Bunratty Castle in the center of Bunratty village. The name Bunratty means the 'bottom' or end of the 'Ratty' river. Bunratty Castle built in 1425, houses exquisite 15th and 16th century furnishings, tapestries and works of art. Medieval banquets are held in the banquet hall, year round.

A stop in Bunratty village means you must stop by at Durty Nelly's pub. The pub is across the street from the Bunratty Castle and is one of Ireland's most famous pubs dating back to the early 1600's.

We enjoyed the ride back to Dublin arriving into the city around 8:00pm. Although I was unable to truly see the Cliffs of Moher, outside of the fog, I highly recommend the trip. The tour guide was entertaining and also offered insight into the history of Ireland.

We ended the night with some dinner at Carluccio's, an authentic Italian cafe with great food, service and wine. Since it was a Saturday night we had to check out the Dublin nightlife with a stop at Cafe en Seine. The Cafe housed a wide range of businesses in the 20th century including a clerical club, bicycle shop, automobile showroom, piano warehouse and insurance companies. In 1917, granite facia and columns were added tot he front and the interior walls covered with plaster and drop ceilings added which obscured the vaulted ceilings. In the early 1990's a developer came across the vacant building and recognized the beauty the building had to offer. The place was very busy with people of all ages sitting around chatting, laughing and of course dancing. It was a great place to people watch!