Cliffs of Moher

This morning I’ll be heading out to the Aran Islands and the Cliffs of Moher!

Instead of doing this on my own, I opted to book a day tour in order to get out to these two spots. Normally I like the freedom of doing things on my own, however in this case, given my limited time in Ireland and the cost of having to rent a car and getting out to these locations it made a bit more sense to go with a tour. This tour was provided by the Galway Tour Company and I booked through Get Your Guide.

Irish countryside

So this morning, I meet up at the designated starting spot, we hop on the bus and we’re off soon after! Up to this point, not experiencing Ireland  much, driving through the rural areas of Ireland really affirms the images I expected to see when coming here. Things like rolling green hills and stone walls line the countryside!

Aran Islands

After about an hour on the bus we arrive at a small dock where we hop onboard a ferry towards the Aran Islands. We will be visiting Innis Oirr today which is the smallest of the three islands. The island itself is very quaint and very walkable. There is a tiny town right near the dock and a few other landmarks on the island. There was an option to rent a bike to get around the island, but I didn’t take that option. Instead I decided to stroll around on my own and visiting a few of the sights on the island.

MV Plassy

My first stop is the MV Plassy. The Plassy is a rusted shipwreck that hit rocks in the 1960’s and is kind of a unique thing to see on such a quaint and lovely island. It certainly sticks out among the other features of the island. But its super unique and has a rustic charm to it. I spent a bit of time walking around and into the the ship itself. I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to explore wrecks this close in the future, so this was a very cool experience!

O’Brien’s Castle

After the Plassy I did a short walk up the hill to O’Brien’s Castle. This is a ruin of an old ring fort that stood at the top hill on the Island. From the top of the hill you can get some spectacular views of the eastern side of the island. If I had to categorize the views, I would say these are the views of “Ireland” I was expecting to see throughout my trip!

Cliffs of Moher (From the Sea)

Soon after, it was time to get back on the ferry to the mainland. While our outbound trip to the island is a direct crossing, the return takes us to the southern end of the Cliffs of Moher, before a leisurely cruise North along the face of the Cliffs. One of the reasons I had picked this specific tour was for this reason. Most tours seem go to the top where you look out upon the water, however this tour also allows you to see it from the bottom. I think the ability to see it from both perspectives is pretty neat. When you get close to it you actually gain a stronger appreciation of just how big the cliffs are. It’s impressive to say the least.

McGann’s Pub

Upon returning to the mainland, and before heading to the top of the Cliffs of Moher, lunch was in order. For this we stopped at McGann’s Pub in Doolin. Here I ordered a pint of Guinness and some traditional fish and chips. While it was a bit rushed, it is good to get some food in the belly after a busy morning of exploring. The pub itself is right by the ferry terminal, so if you’re ever in the area, its not a bad spot to make a pit stop.

Cliffs of Moher (From the Top)

After lunch, we then got to head to the top of the Cliffs of Moher to walk along the “edge”. I think having seen it from the bottom, you really then appreciate being up so high while at the top. Obviously due to safety there is a fair amount of fencing to keep people from falling over the edge. But even being offset from the edge a few feet, its still a bit of a distressing thought if you somehow slipped and fell off the side! I really enjoyed seeing the cliffs! These sheer drops into the ocean isn’t something I see back in Canada so It’s unique to me and something I can appreciate quite a bit!

The Burren

Befor heading back to Galway we made one more stop along the Burren. The Burren is this expanse of land that is pretty much exposed rock for miles and miles. It’s kind of crazy because its such a contrast to the rolling green hills that I’ve become accustomed to seeing! In some ways its almost like stepping onto another planet. It’s just this limestone and it goes on and on. Comparing it to the fields of this morning, its a weird notion to think that the fields are only a half hour drive away!

Hooked

By the time we returned to Galway it was evening. And my thoughts turned to getting some dinner. One of the things Galway is known for is its seafood, so I setout to try and find myself some! Before getting to the restaurant, I did enjoy a short stroll through Galway at night and I think its a really cool place to be! Given the choice I probably would have stayed another evening just to be able to check out the local night life!

But onward to the restaurant and this evening (through recommendations and blogs) I ended up at a restaurant called Hooked. It’s not completely central to Galway but offers up some great local seafood. There was a bit of a wait, and I can safely say that should you ever find yourself in Galway, worth it. I ordered their white , their seafood chowder and a local beer (No Guinness tonight!). Everything came out beautifully and really hit the spot. I’m not sure if its just cause it’s been a long day, but I really enjoyed this meal! 

After dinner, it was a small walk back to my hotel where I needed to pack a little and get ready for an early start. I will be leaving Galway tomorrow and taking an early morning bus back to Dublin before boarding a train onward to Belfast.