The Cliffs of Insanity!

When “The Princess Bride” is one of your favorite and most quotable movies you can’t miss seeing the real life Cliffs of Insanity, aka the Cliffs of Moher, while visiting County Clare. For five miles, the cliffs rise as high as 650 feet above the Atlantic. We got to see the cliffs both from the paths above and the sea below.

The Cliffs of Moher Visitor Center was one of the only inside locations in Ireland where we felt overwhelmed by tourists. It was a very windy day out on the cliffs, but at least outside there was plenty of space for all the visitors.

Another day, we took a ferry to Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands, where we spent a memorable day cycling the island. Included in our return ferry trip was a ride out to the Cliffs of Moher to see them from below. They are just as stunning from the sea as they are from above. 

In addition, our visit to Dun Aengus, an Iron Age stone fortress sitting on the edge of a 200-foot cliff above the Atlantic, and Inishmore's most famous site, also produced some great photos.

Have fun (and good luck) storming that castle.

Shana & Jeff 

County Clare: The Burren

Another favorite place we enjoyed exploring in Ireland was County Clare, and specifically the Burren – an exceptionally interesting landscape. The word Burren is derived from an Irish word meaning “rocky place,” which it definitely is. 

We visited the Burren National Park and took a guided tour that explained the geological formations, flora and fauna. Our guides were terrific, and we learned a lot! The Burren may look like a barren moonscape, but the limestone is a unique ecosystem supporting species from different millennium and regions that have adapted over the past 10,000 years. The greatest diversity of plants in Ireland can be found here. You can find Mediterranean and Arctic wildflowers blooming side by side. Without the guides we would have missed so many interesting things. 

We even saw the location of a “turlock,” which is a disappearing lake (and apparently an Irish first name). During the rainy season, the shallow water table rises forming a lake, but in the dryer, summer season, the water table is low enough that there is no water. Since the true rainy season had not started, we were able to walk through an area that would soon be covered with water again.

Here are a few photos of the Burren, which is part of the European Geoparks Network:

The Burren area is also home to many prehistoric sites, including Poulnabrone Dolmen, a large portal tomb dating to the Neolithic period, probably between 4200 BC and 2900 BC. It is one of 172 dolmens found in Ireland.

Finally, the Burren is where some of Ireland’s most fascinating artifacts have been found. In 1930 a farmer found the Gleninsheen Collar, a gold necklace from the Bronze age, while hunting with his dog. We saw this piece in Dublin at the National Archaeology Museum. It was found in a rock cleft in the limestone.

We enjoyed County Clare and its small villages. We stayed in a cute bed and breakfast. Imagine our surprise when we ran into the Dutch family that had been part of our cycling tour in Kilkenny staying at the same place!

Never a dull moment,

Shana & Jeff

Bru Na Boinne

Sorry for the delay in getting this post up, but from September 3rd until the 13th, we were very busy as our nephew David visited us. We enjoyed showing him San Sebastian including the beaches, old city and local hiking, along with visits to Zumaia to take a flysch tour, and Biarritz just to enjoy the beautiful scenery (and eat French food). In addition, he spent a week studying Spanish at Lacunza (our old Spanish school). Overall a very busy trip and another satisfied visitor. Now, however, we want to return to Ireland, and one of the coolest places we visited there: Bru Na Boinne. 

Bru Na Boinne is a site north of Dublin where there are approximately 40 burial mounds built over 5000 years ago. To give some perspective, these mounds are older than the pyramids at Giza. Like the pyramids, these sites are archaeological marvels. With bases of stones that weigh five tons, no one is quite sure how the ancient people who built these sites did so, but they are fantastic.

Since these sites are obviously quite fragile, you can't just drive to them yourself. You start at the visitors center where you can learn a bit about the mounds, including their discovery and excavation, as well as some speculation about the people who built them. Interestingly, it appears that these people lived in wooden buildings, which means they built much stronger and longer-lasting places for their dead than for the living. I am sure that means something.

From the visitors center, you take a bus to the first site, Knowth (rhymes with south), which contains several burial mounds, the largest of which is 220 feet wide and 40 feet high.

Although the mound is now supported by a concrete shelf, you can see the large stones on which it rested when built. Amazingly, many of these large stones contain carvings, mostly of geometric designs such as spirals.

After a bit of time to wander around the Knowth site, where Shana interrogated one of the docents who passed the test with flying colors, the bus brings you on to Newgrange, where there is only a single, albeit quite impressive burial mound:

Unfortunately, due to Covid, one of the coolest parts of the tour is not available right now. That part allows people to enter the main chamber of the burial mound at Newgrange down this narrow corridor of large stones, and stand in the main burial chamber. Another knowledgeable docent noted that keeping people out for the past 18 months has allowed some small nesting birds to return to the site. 

Perhaps the most interesting and amazing part of the entire site is the fact that the above opening to the main burial chamber is aligned to the rising sun on the winter solstice such that at dawn (assuming no clouds) the sun shines directly down the narrow passageway and lights up the chamber. It is the only time of year that the chamber is touched by the sun, and archaeologists who have studied the site do not believe it is a coincidence that this occurs on the solstice as ancient people viewed that day as a kind of rebirth as days would start getting longer thereafter. This affect was discovered in 1967 by an archaeologist who had been working on the Newgrange site and who was likely the first person in over 5000 years to experience it.

On our return to the visitors center, Shana and I learned that there is a drawing every year for the opportunity to be in the main burial chamber at Newgrange on one of the days around the solstice when this affect can be seen! So, when we returned to Spain, we signed up for this year's drawing. We would love to experience this amazing effect created by an unknown people over 5000 years ago. But, even if we don't win the lottery, it was a great place to visit and we highly recommend a trip to Bru Na Boinne if you are ever in Dublin.

Hasta pronto,

Jeff and Shana

Driving the Kerry & Dingle Peninsulas

 

Ireland has a beautiful coastline and one of the best and most popular places to experience the coast is County Kerry in the southwest region. The area includes rugged and striking terrain, a national park, historical landmarks, and charming small villages.

We started our Kerry journey in Killarney National Park where we enjoyed a sunny day (one of the only ones we had). We did a fun bike ride through the park visiting Torc waterfall, the grounds of the Muckross estate, and the remains of Muckross abbey (a former Franciscan friary). The courtyard yew tree, the burial place of ancient chieftains, is said to be as old as the abbey (circa 1450). 

The Ring of Kerry along the Iveragh Peninsula is a 135-mile drive that takes nearly an entire day as you stop and admire the fantastic scenery. It’s a journey through an unspoiled landscape where each turn seems to bring a better view.

There were three particularly memorable stops: (1) the Skellig Chocolate Factory, (2) the Skellig Experience Center on Valentia Island, and (3) the ring forts. The first needs no explanation; suffice it to say there were lots of free samples.

The Skellig Experience Center explains the history of Skellig Michael, a fascinating island monastic settlement dating back to the sixth century. It is best known as the place where Luke Skywalker is found at the end of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It’s a rugged little island that isn’t hard to get to if the weather cooperates, but it didn’t for us, so we missed out on our boat tour around the island and seeing the seabirds. Still, we learned a lot about the monks’ lives and history by stopping here.

The ring forts are circular stone forts built sometime between 500 BC and 300 AD without the aid of mortar or cement. These impressively large structures have withstood the test of time and the rainy Irish climate. Jeff’s position in each photo gives some perspective on their size.

The Dingle Slea Head Loop is much shorter at 30 miles but is even more charming. We stopped at various sites, one even included the opportunity to feed some farm animals. You can become a bit jaded since in Ireland it’s one stone structure after another, but these structures were built somewhere between 1700 and 2500 years ago without any mortar (note in the third photo below Jeff has removed a stone from the wall - with enough space and time, you could simply dismantle the whole thing, yet it has withstood the elements for centuries). The Dunberg Fort, built right on the edge of a cliff offered great views as you can see; and we visited a group of beehive huts, which are unique specimens even for Ireland. Finally, the 1,300-year-old Gallarus Oratory is a well-preserved early Christian church, which is tiny and could only hold about a dozen monks for prayers. Amazingly, in all of the centuries, and with all of the rain Ireland receives, it has never leaked.

While we didn’t have great weather on either day, we enjoyed the scenery and stepping back into history along the way. Both drives are highly recommended.

More posts and photos to come,

Shana & Jeff

Up Close with a Hawk, a Falcon, an Owl, and a Puppy; and some History

 

While staying near Kilkenny, our first stop after leaving Dublin, we had several fun adventures. We spent a very special morning with Hawkeye Falconry meeting Mabel the hawk, Elvis the falcon, Turbo the owl, and Lily the cocker spaniel puppy. You don’t know me at all if you can’t guess which wonderful creature was my favorite. We learned a lot about birds of prey and witnessed Mabel hunting, albeit not catching anything.  We even got to play a part as we learned how to call Mabel to our gloved arms (with the help of a bit of raw chicken placed strategically). We also learned that when Lily grows up, she’ll help flush rabbits for the hawks to hunt. Elvis provided a fantastic show as he attempted to catch a lure swung by our host. The most amazing part of that was the incredible speed with which he did so. We could literally hear him flying past us.

Mabel and Elvis were amazing – highly intelligent, fast, and efficient in their movements; while Turbo was almost as cute as Lily – almost.

We did a bike tour of Kilkenny, a town with an interesting medieval history. It turns out that small Kilkenny is home to Cartoon Saloon, an animation company that has received several Academy Award nominations. Its co-founder painted the mural in the photo. The town’s castle includes a wonderful park area for the public to enjoy.

Also in the area, we visited Jerpoint Abbey, founded in 1180, and the Rock of Cashel, seat of the ancient kings of Munster (AD 300-1100).

The abbey was built by Cistercian monks who became the dominant religious authority by creating a network of monasteries.

The Rock of Cashel is a fortified hill that became a prominent castle and church. St. Patrick baptized King Aengus on the Rock in about AD 450, which was a key moment that started the expansion of Catholicism in Ireland. This site is fascinating for several reasons. First, it was a site being fought over by competing kings (important for its strategic hillside position) before one of them donated it to the Catholic Church to keep it from the hands of his rival (pretty clever). In addition, the buildings on the site were built over many centuries: in the first two pictures below, the round tower was the first building built on the site when the Catholic Church took over in 1101, while the surrounding church was built between 1230 and 1290. Finally, and this is something we saw throughout Ireland, the graveyard on this site has been in continuous use for centuries and is still in use by the local town. Thus, you’ll see ancient graves adjacent to modern ones.

More rocks and more history to come.

Shana & Jeff