Bus trip / Ferry ride to Inis Oirr and the Cliffs of Moher- We grabbed a quick bite of breakfast and coffee at the University of Limerick and then hopped on the bus taking us on another fantastic outing! First we made our way to up to Doolin Pier and hopped on the ferry boat to take us over to Inisheer / Inis Oirr. Before we even pulled away from the dock the staff was going around offering plastic bags to the passengers!!! The waves were a bit treacherous making it challenging for some! We were fortunate…as someone mentioned, “Not quite as smooth as the Queen Mary 2!” We had about 2 hours to venture around the island. The ride back to mainland was a bit smoother, fewer bags needed this time around! The crew were great! I can’t imagine dealing with sick passengers every single day! Off to take in the Cliffs of Moher! While Ken has visited Ireland at good 20 times, he never played the tourist! So these adventures are all new for him as well! Just a short time to take in these breathtaking sights!
We were very fortunate to be one of the first in line for the bus so we were able to grab the coveted front row seat just behind our amazing guide, Mary and the driver! The views out the front of the bus window…Wow! The skill these drivers have to navigate the tight roads is incredible!! Their turning radius is hands down better than our Ford F350!
Ken enjoying the ocean adventure! He really wanted to sit up top, but was heavily discouraged by the crew because of the rough seas. He would have been drenched! The seas were calmer on our return to the mainland so we were thrilled to be allowed to sit up top!
Our ferry boat, Doolin Ferry. They offer food and drink, but the seas were a bit too rough to try and tackle balancing a drink!
Roswitha from Germany, taking in the island. She is standing in front of one of the many stone walls seen throughout Ireland. The walls are used to show the property lines! Stones were cleared from the fields to create the walls and/or hedges were planted to show the dividing lines. It is illegal to remove the hedges or stone walls. If farmers need to move their livestock from one property to another they will dismantle the wall and then reassemble. It is said installation of a gate is considered the lazy way out!
A “beehive” built in this small town. We learned later in our stay that this type of “building” is used for meditative purposes all across the country!
The cemetery sits up on top of a hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The stones are incredibly old and worn. The views are breathtaking!
This church is sunken. The Sunken Church of Inis Oírr, Teampall Chaomháin or St Kevin in English, is a 10th century ruin. Our guide mentioned that the ground around it rose up. If these walls could talk! We really enjoyed getting down into it!
The play of sunlight was so breathtaking! As we have mentioned and will continue to mention, the pictures do not do justice to the incredible beauty!
More of the 10th century church! Look how thick the walls are! And the arches are still intact!
A shipwreck on the island of Inis Oirr. We walked all the way out to see the wreck. Some rented bikes or took a jaunty cart out to the wreck.
Not enough time to walk out to the lighthouse on this trip!
These stone walls lined the entire road out to the shipwreck! So much beauty in this!
Here’s a map of the island of Inis Oirr. The island relies on tourism to help support it. Fresh drinking water is delivered by a tanker boat twice a day. There are multiple Inns and Beds & Breakfasts in the island.
The beach was busy despite the chilly temperatures! We chatted with a couple of elderly ladies (one walking with a walker). “We took a dip this morning and had a lovely swim, we plan to spend the afternoon drinking wine! Would you like to join us?” Oh if we only had the time!
Back to the mainland and back on the bus for a short drive to the Cliffs of Moher! Being on the bus tour was great! The parking lot, if traveling by car, is a bit of a walk! The buses get to park next to the visitors center! The views ~ breathtaking!!
A tower at the Cliffs of Moher. You can climb up to the top for a view if you want. We walked over to the tower, but did not go up.
Another view looking north. There is a long path to walk along. Many warnings about staying on the path. There have been 3 fatalities just in the past 2 weeks, of folks loosing their footing. So sad.
No words!
We found a sticker in a coat pocket and left it with others!! If you happen to visit the cliffs, perhaps the sticker will still be in place?
