The Cliffs of Moher and Galway City
This was another day with an early start, but thankfully the meeting point for our Cliffs of Moher and Galway City tour was just down the block. So, a quick stop for cafe latte and then we were ready to go.
A stop in Galway, City
The tour bus took us on a two hour bus ride to the historic town of Galway. Although small, the town offered a lot to see. To start, our tour guide brought us just outside the Claddagh Museum for a quick history lesson on the ring. The ring was actually created in a small fishing village, Claddagh, near Galway. It was designed by a silversmith that was taken captive and then sold as a slave to a Moorish goldsmith. During his years of slavery he perfected his skills and made a ring for his love. When he was eventually released, he went back to his love. He presented her with the Claddagh ring representing Love, Loyalty, and Friendship.
After a few tips and direction, we were encouraged to explore Galway city. Although, not in this order, we found the Oscar Wilde Statue, Lynch’s Castle, St. Nicholas Church, Nora Barnacle’s House, Quay Street, Hall of the Red Earl, and Eyre Square. The two large, cast-iron cannons at the top of the square next to the unique Browne Doorway made an impressive entrance to the park. While in Eyre Square, we also found a monument dedicated to to John F. Kennedy! We have since learned that Eyre Square is also named Kennedy Park.
At some point during our wandering, we enjoyed brunch at the lovely Caprice restaurant. We both had a delicious breakfast with hot tea in this quaint restaurant.
Shortly after lunch, while wandering the city, we realized we were almost out of time. We did not want to get left behind, so the two of us quickly navigated our way back, running most of the way. Poor Katherine was worn out!
Irish History and a stop at Burren National Park
The next part of the bus ride was long, so our guide gave us a lot of information about the Irish countryside, pointing out significant sights along the way. There was also a bit of a history lesson throughout the afternoon.
We took the winding coastal route of Wild Atlantic Way for a good part of the drive and eventually stoping at Burren National Park. This short stop offered fabulous views from cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, as well as, the unique landscape of rock and grass. Locals coined it the Lunar Landscape.
The Cliffs of Moher
Our trip continued along the Wild Atlantic Way for a while until we arrived at the Cliffs of Moher! After some quick information and directions, we took the short walk to paths along the Atlantic coastline and relished the most picturesque view. With such a gorgeous clear day, many pictures were taken of the cliffs as we hiked the steep paths as far as we could go in either direction.
An End to our Trip to Ireland
A few hours later, we were back on the bus for our long ride back to Dublin. We both snoozed a bit along the way. Another quick dinner and off to bed for our final day in Dublin.
The following day was our final day in Dublin and we did not have much time before our lunchtime flight. We were able to sleep in, but had a quick breakfast, so we could get to the bus stop on time. The bus was packed, and thankfully we got on since we had pre-purchased our bus tickets.
Navigating the airport was easy and our flight was on time. It was a nice conclusion to our fantastic trip to Ireland.
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