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Published: September 10th 2008
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After taking leave of our lovely hotel in Killarney, Tommy drove us north towards the Shannon River as we had an appointment with a ferry at 9:30 am. When we reached the waters edge our bus drove onto the boat. Once Tommy parked amidst the other buses and cars and the ferry started to move the doors of our bus opened and we were let out to roam around. Up on the upper railed in deck areas surrounding the vehicles we took pictures through the misty, foggy morning of the surrounding water, islands, lighthouses and coastline.
Back on dry land Tommy headed the bus towards the Cliffs of Moher. This was to be hands down the best experience of the trip. Though I had heard of the Cliffs and seen pictures I never expected the wonderous beauty or the brand new visitor center with the wide, railed paths and viewing areas. We got off the bus and made our way up to the main viewing platform in front of the visitor center. From there the path branched off in two directions. We went up to the north and walked the long, wide steps leading up to O'Brien's Tower. The views
were amazing. Absolutely breathtaking in every direction. The wild flowers were sprouting up giving the cliffs even more color and texture. Up past the tower there was a cow pasture with cattle grazing right at the cliff's edge. Signs warn visitors "Danger, Unstable Cliff Edge." We walked back along along the path by the field picking shamrocks and taking pictures. The cliffs, the village below, the tower, it all fits together just wonderfully to mark the edge of Europe and the beginning of the Atlantic Ocean. Down in the visitor center we didn't have long before it was time for Tommy to pick us up, so we quickly did our shopping and then climbed back on the bus to leave this one of a kind destination. It surpassed all expectations and left me with a need revisit this magic place. With wonders like this you come to understand the Celtic people's belief in fairies and mythical creatures.
Lunch was in a pub in a little town near the cliffs called Doolin. Not much to see there, but then we just saw the small group of shops where the bus stopped. I hear the town is a tourist attraction for
their focus on Irish folk music.
Our next stop was Galway. This was just a short shopping stop and I have to say that I was not impressed with Galway. Much too "big city" for me. It was literally the only place in Ireland where I felt like I had to watch my bag and try not to get pickpocketed. But we did buy some things on their pedestrian shopping street. We cut our visit short though and ended up being the first ones back on the bus.
After a night at the Galway hotel we set off again. This time we were headed the the Connemara district. Our first appointment was with the Killary Fjord Cruise. This again was one of those things that I'd seen in the itenerary, but didn't really care about. Oh, but the experience was much more. Windy and cold, but so enjoyable. Besides the scenery we saw fishermen putting out their nets in front of coastal hills filled with sheep, there was the muscle beds being harvested by little boats and the salmon rings. This area of Ireland was hit especially hard during the potato famine and you could still see the
remnants of the centuries old potato beds scraped into the sides of the surrounding mountains like nails down the hillside. Old Celtic forts that have lasted thousands of years dotted some of the mountain tops. My family sat on the back of the boat, wind whipping hair in our faces, and watched the green, rolling, sheep filled, ancient hills of the fjord pass by. Created thousands of years ago by passing glaciers, now it is a gateway to the Atlantic. We went inside to warm up and had hot chocolate around one of the little tables before we had to meet back up with Tommy at the dock.
Picture stops along the way revealed the location of the Quiet Man bridge that Maureen O'Hara and John Wayne had passed over during the movie. Our lunch stop was at Peacock's. An inn that boasted a sheep grazing on the grass out front and a replica of the Quiet Mann cottage, complete with dummies of the actors inside. I had Fish & Chips that day and thought that it was amazingly good. Shopping here was a good experience too. They also had a lovely calico cat that seemed to enjoy the
tourists.
On the way back we had two major stops. The first was at the Connemara Marble Factory. The man in charge gave us all a talk about the quarries and the different kinds of marble that come from it. Then he showed us a bit of what they make. It was all quite interesting. And then we were let loose in the store. Poor Tommy. It took a bit longer to get the group out than he intended. Such lovely jewelry. As Tommy said, if you buy a bit of this you would be literally taking a bit of Ireland back home with you. I think he even had to go back in after a few people.
Next stop, The Celtic Crystal Factory. Mary, the owner there took us through the showroom, explaining various pieces and their meanings. Intricate, beatiful Celtic designs modeled after designs used in the thousand year old Book of Kells. For their large design pieces they use the shamrock, the harp, the Celtic Cross and the claddagh. All symbols of Ireland in one form or another. She divided our group into two smaller groups and we were led into a work area. There
the master carver gave us a demonstration as he made a plain glass bowl into a beautifully carved candy dish. It was amazing to watch him work. This delicate piece of glass over this large spinning wheel of rock. The man stood there, no safety glasses or anything, and created a work of art in record time. Of course, I'm sure he does this many times a day, he could probably carve candy dishes in his sleep. Also, this was the mastercraftsman who had carved one of the show pieces outside that had taken seven weeks to finish and was done in three massive parts. He was truly a skilled artist of the highest caliber. Aftwards, as we were waiting for the other group to finish their demonstration, mom and I bought candy dishes for ourselves just like the one he made while we watched. As we talked to the owner of the factory we found out she had been to Phoenix last year and was coming back this year. She invited us to her show at the Irish Festival and we wrote our address down for her so she could send us the details. We got the invitation in
the mail yesterday.
Overall, this was my favorite day. The scenery, the picture stops, the shopping and the people we met. Everything just meshed together to make it such a completely beautiful Irish experience.
Next stop...Back to Dublin.
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