Ireland 2012 Friendship Force

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Day 7 – Will & Louise H.

Drive from Killarney to Galway via Adare, Cliffs of Moher, Kilfenora and the Burren

Lodging Menlo Park Hotel, Headford Road, Galway www.menloparkhotel.com



Today we depart the Killarney Towers, our home for the last three days, and await a new adventure. Following a breakfast whose offerings have already become quite predictable, we gather in and about the hotel lobby, before boarding the bus to depart sharply at 9:30-ish. After a short while, we drive by the Kerry airport, not far from Killarney. The airport must have been the prompt to elicit a comment from our driver as to why Aer Lingus pilots have windshield wipers inside the cockpit; another bit of Kerry humor. The weather is good as is the scenery, but it is already not quite as exciting as it was earlier in the trip. Maybe I’m getting a bit jaded.



As we drive through the countryside it seems that the towns we pass through aren’t as prosperous or as “colorful" as Killarney. Perhaps it only appears so because there are fewer brightly painted houses. As we drive north, we pass a number of wind turbines as we have a number of times already. It seems that there are wind turbines on most of the higher ridges. We drive through Newcastle-West. It looked like a pleasant place to stop; ruins of an old castle, picturesque streets and a river running through town. But we didn’t, nor were there any comments. I checked my guidebook, certain that we had missed a major tourist attraction. It wasn’t even mentioned, another indication of the wealth of things to see in Ireland.



We arrive in Adare, billed as the prettiest village in Ireland, where we stop at the information center for a rest stop, and we all disperse. Some spend some time there while others venture out to see some of the near-by sights including the Trinitarian Priory and the old thatched cottages, now housing shops and restaurants. And soon we’re on our way again, passing by Desmond castle, a 13^th century feudal castle and through now familiar landscapes. We cross the Shannon River by driving under it in a tunnel and drive by the restored 15^th century Bunratty Castle. That really is a major tourist attraction, but we’re on our way to other places.



After a rather long drive meandering through several villages, golf courses, tourist developments and innumerable patches of land separated by stone fences, we finally see the sea. But we’re not there yet. Finally, after what seemed like a very long drive down a very narrow road lined by stone fences very close to the road, we arrive at our destination, the famous and spectacular Cliffs of Moher. When first stepping off the bus, words elude me trying to describe my first impression. The only one that really comes to mind is windy. Cold and rainy also fit, as does crowded, since it was a bank holiday. I did enjoy seeing the cliffs and they were spectacular, but having the hood of my jacket blown off a number of times in the rain discouraged me from venturing very far from the visitor center. Viewing the cliffs from a window with a hot drink in the visitor center seemed to be a much better idea. But I wasn’t the only one with that idea. Getting the drink required considerable patience standing in a long, slow moving queue. This led to a long conversation with the woman next to me whose husband was unemployed. This proved to be most informative about current economic conditions and life in Ireland. Every situation has its positive side.



Soon it was time to be back on the bus and on to the Burren, a unique area of rocky barren land dotted with ruined forts and castles and Neolithic sites. As we approach Lisdoonvarna, a large colorful sign proclaims we have arrived in a famous spa town and the gateway to the Burren. But as we drive through it, it appears to be just another sleepy village. A case of over promotion? We soon arrive at the Burren Center in Kilfenora for a short visit, mostly consisting of a short film about the geology of the Burren. An interesting attraction was found next door, the small 12^th century church of St. Fachnan, with the famous high crosses in the adjoining graveyard.



The short visit over, we continue on to the next destination. We drive by Leamaneagh Castle, a shell of a 17^th century mansion, and by a Neolithic site, the Cathermore stone fort, on our way to one of the most prominent and photographed landmarks of the Burren, the Poulnabrone Dolmen, a portal tomb dating back about 5000 years, where we would stop. And I found it to be fascinating. Besides the opportunity to experience the limestone formations and natural environment of the Burren, the setting stimulated my imagination. What were the people who built it like? How did they live? But there was no time for fantasy; we had to move on.



Driving down the hill from the Burren, we got our first glimpse of Galway bay; overcast, no sun and no sunset. Farther along on Galway Bay we drive by Kinvara, which my guidebook describes as a charming fishing village. But a photograph of a restored 16^th century castle in Kinvara called Dunguaire must suffice as it’s getting late and there is still a way to go to Galway. We finally arrive in the outskirts of Galway greeted by all the familiar brands and industrial buildings and soon arrive at our hotel, the Menlo Park Hotel, a contrast to the quaint villages we’ve seen all day. At first I felt disappointed that the hotel was not in the center of the city making it difficult to venture out, but soon I didn’t care. It has been a long day and relaxing with a Guinness was more attractive

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