Ireland Wrap -up

Here are the last few bits and pieces from our Ireland trip.

Roadsides lined with fuchsia bushes and montbretia.

Ancient bee hive huts.

Gallway, a college town.

Ring of Kerry. Green beauty.

When I think of Ireland I'll think of: green pastures, friendly people, pristine landscapes, rocks, brown bread, wild flowers, ocean, rain, sun, beach, butter, Guinness, and beauty. Add Ireland to your list.

Beach Day in Dingle

The girls (and Bryce) desperately wanted to spend a day at the beach. With the unpredictable Irish weather we weren't sure it would happen. As luck would have it our last day in Dingle was gorgeous.

Destination Dingle

The drive to Dingle was just as beautiful as Dingle itself. First we crossed the Shannon River by ferry (very windy!)then drove to the Dingle Peninsula.

Dingle is a darling little town complete with a famous dolphin. Living in Dingle Bay is a dolphin named Fungie. He has been swimming around in the Bay for 27 years now. We took a boat trip to meet Fungie, the famous bottlenose dolphin of Dingle, and as expected he was more than willing to pay us a visit. We were also joined by a few of Fungie's friends who swam into the bay. It really was exciting to see the dolphins. I think it was quite a memorable experience for the girls. Not surprisingly, we came home with 2 dolphin stuffies as souvenirs.

Here are a few more pictures of Dingle Bay.

More from Dingle soon!

The Burren

Along with the Cliffs of Moher, County Clare is also know for any area called The Burren. The Burren is characterized by it's rocky, windswept terrain. The rocks are limestone and started their existence under the sea. Now you can see them as massive limestone pavements that produce a landscape called karst topography.

There are large, deep cracks in the pavements known as grikes. Grass and wildflowers grow from the grikes.

In addition to the karst landscape, there are also large isolated boulders of limestone scattered randomly through out the area. These are called clints. It is really something to behold. It has a strange beauty to it, like fragile, new life after destruction.

The time to visit The Burren is spring when the wildflowers burst from the grikes. 75% of Ireland's wildflowers can be found in The Burren as well as 28 different butterflies and moths.

The Burren is also home to many of Ireland's prehistoric tombs, one of the most famous being, Poulnabrone Dolmen (see top picture and above.) Poulnabrone Dolmen is a portal tomb, characterized by it's upright stones and single chamber. It was excavated in 1986, although it is thought to have been created 5000 years ago! During the excavation 33 skeletons were found along with some pottery and jewelry. Amazing. Old. Really old. Still an understatement.

Are you ready to move on to County Kerry? Well, we must cross the Shannon River first. Get your life jackets and check back soon.

County Clare

County Clare (not Clare County) is directly west of Dublin and resides on the Atlantic Ocean. It is home to the famous Cliffs of Moher as well as the terrain known as the Burren. The landscape in County Clare is quintessentially Irish - rolling hills, green fields spotted with cows and sheep, piles of ruins and miles of rock walls. It was there that I felt I was in Ireland.

Our first stop in County Clare was to the Cliffs of Moher. They were magnificent.The Cliffs are home to loads of birds including Atlantic Puffins. If you ever visit make sure to bring your binoculars! I was terribly disappointed to have forgotten ours. It is also possible to see the Aran Islands from the Cliffs.

The Cliffs are in the running to be selected as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. We were given a postcard at the Visitors' Center to send in to vote for The Cliffs. Read more about it here. You can even cast a vote! The winners will be announced in 2011.

The Visitor Center at The Cliffs is particularly interesting. It reminded me of the Teletubbies' House as it was tucked into the hillside. It has an exhibit about The Cliffs with pictures and information about the wildlife in the area. There is also a cafe and, of course, a large gift shop.

There are many darling little towns in Clare County - Doolin, Lisconner (where we stayed,)and Lahinch to name a few. We toodled around the beach area in Doolin and were just awe-struck by the terrain underfoot. Take a look -

The last area we visited in Clare County, The Burren, warrants its own post. Check back soon.