Today was my trip out to Inisheer and the Cliffs of Moher by ferry. In checking things out last night, I discovered that the piers where the ferries dock is about two miles from where I’m staying at McGann’s Pub. The ferry was set to sail at 10:00, and everyone was supposed to check in by 9:30, so I left McGann’s at 8:30 to walk. I made it in plenty of time, which is good.
This is Doonagore Castle, in the hills over Doolin. Got a decent view of it as I walked down to the pier.There are two or three different ferry companies running boats to the Aran Islands, and – of course – they all have their offices down at the pier.The sea was doing its level best to put on a good show for us. Some very impressive waves along the coastline.And just to make sure you didn’t forget that it’s summer, there are wildflowers growing up everywhere amid the limestone of the Burren.Yes, the name of the ferry is Happy Hooker. It’s important to point out that a Galway Hooker is a type of traditional fishing boat.
The ride out to Inisheer was a little bit jouncy, but overall, quite nice. The temperature was decent, but there was a fierce wind coming in that cooled everything off. I was glad I had brought my windbreaker.
We sailed past an island with a ruined watchtower on it. It’s just off the coast, and provides some shelter for the piers.O’Brien’s Castle sits atop the highest hill on the island, inside an old hill fort called Dun Fhormna. You can see it from pretty much anywhere on the island.Pretty much the first thing you see as you get off the ferry is the line-up of locals offering to take you on a tour. A couple of them have minivans, but the majority have a horse and cart. Guess which one I chose.We got a good view of the castle, with the later addition of a Norman-style tower behind it as we circled the island.This is what a lot of the streets in the village look like. The roads around the island are very similar, except maybe two feet wider, and gravel.Another shot of the castle as we circled it.Cnoc Raithni is a bronze-age tomb that shows the island was inhabited as long ago as 2000 BC.A different angle on the castle.In the 1960s, the cargo ship Plassey got on the wrong side of a warning buoy and was holed and wrecked. The inhabitants of the island managed to save the entire crew. It was stuck on the rocks you see in the right of the picture, but high seas in winter time washed it farther up onto the shore.A neat looking stone house surrounded by stone walls.Much of the island is a maze of these stone fences, with narrow roads running between them.Here’s a view of the castle from about the site of the signal tower. Have you noticed that I don’t have any pictures form inside the castle? That’s because the horse wouldn’t climb that high. When I went walking later, I couldn’t find a trail in – the maze of narrow, rock-lined roads and trails kept leading me away. I KNOW you can get in; I saw people in side. But after three quarters of an hour, I declared myself defeated and went to have some lunch.
After lunch, it was time to get back on the ferry for the second part of the cruise. This took us to the base of the Cliffs of Moher. I visited the top last time, and thought this would be a good way to see them again.
Okay. So, we were in a smaller boat. Instead of cutting right into the waves bow-first, we were cutting across the waves, taking them on our side as we approached the Cliffs. I got pretty thoroughly splashed several times, including some times when I had my camera out. I also got dumped on my butt a couple of times. Really glad I had taken some motion-sickness tablets.
The upshot is that the pictures of the Cliffs are not as stunning as I might have hoped. Still, here you go.
Here we are coming up to the Cliffs of Moher from Inisheer.The cliffs really loom as you get close to them. Also, tons of birds. Mainly seagulls and what someone told me were puffins, but they didn’t look like puffins to me. Then again, what do I know about birds?If you look very carefully and squint a little, you can see the tip of O’Brian’s tower at the top of this cliff. That’s where I took some good pictures of the cliffs last time.This spire of rock at the base of the cliffs is just awe-inspiring.
And then the ferry went back to the pier. I got off and walked back to McGann’s. I wasn’t in a rush, this time, so I checked out a few shops along the way, and generally had a nice little stroll.
This is McGann’s. I’m staying in a little room on the second floor. You can’t see my window – which is in my bathroom – from here. There’s a magnificent skylight over my bed, though.
Now, laundry is hanging to dry, this post is done, and I’m going to go downstairs in a few minutes to have some supper and wait for the music to start. I may post something later, if something interesting happens, or I may just stay late listening to the session. I don’t have to be up as early tomorrow – my tour of the Doolin Cave doesn’t start until 11:00.
