Gateway to Ireland

Today we met our guide and driver, Diana of Gateway to Ireland, for the rest of our way around Ireland. We will follow the Wild Atlantic Way and explore a little of Northern Ireland, too. There are some very narrow roads ahead, and lots of scenery to enjoy while Diana navigates and we relax.

Cliffs of Moher

Any fan of the movie The Princess Bride remembers the Cliffs of Insanity scene. This was filmed at the Cliffs of Moher in Clare County. There is a parking lot and a visitor’s center; many bus tours stop for tourists to get a glimpse of these cliffs. Unfortunately, just as we arrived, the fog moved in, and Diana worried that we wouldn’t get to see the cliffs at all. We drove on to the town of Doolin, parked the van in the Doolin Car Park, and walked back along the official Cliffs of Moher Walking Trail. This turned out to be a much better way to see the cliffs, from this North Viewpoint rather than standing on top of them, and the fog was confined to the visitor center area. And we love to hike – win/win! So beautiful.

McGanns Pub in Doolin

We were feeling mighty hungry after our hike, and McGanns Pub filled the ticket. The portions are large in Ireland, and Nancy and I were satisfied in sharing a meal.

The Burren and Poulnabrone Dolmen

The Burren is a rocky landscape that I have heard described as lunar or other-worldly, but it has some cool plant life that makes it very much of Earth. The ground is filled with large limestone slabs like pavement, but the cracks (grikes) between, which can be deep, are filled with a mix of arctic, alpine and Mediterranean plants all at the same place. It was very fun to step carefully across the limestone to find a variety of small plants.

The Poulnabrone Dolmen is a 5,800-year-old Neolithic portal tomb. It has three matching upright stones that form an entrance or “portal” with a massive flat stone lying across the top. The burial site within was excavated in the 1980s and had the remains of about 30 people, adults and children all together.

Hazel Mountain Chocolate

Hazel Mountain Chocolate was a delicious, nearby stop for the award-winning hot chocolate and treats this afternoon. This small chocolate factory is unique in that they start with raw Trinitario cacao beans to produce their candy and bars from scratch. We were able to observe their steps in the “bean to bar” operation. In addition to the hot chocolate, we bought some dark chocolate heart candies that were painted a beautiful marble-blue, but they were eaten without photos. They were very pretty and tasty, too.

Frenchville House B&B

Pam and Tony, proprietors of the Frenchville House, welcomed us to their B&B when we arrived. They even had a long-haired dachshund named Heidi, just like our traveling companions have at home in Iowa. Nancy loved getting some sweet pets in with Heidi.

The Latin Quarter

Our B&B is ideally situated with views of Galway Bay and an easy walk to the Latin Quarter, a pedestrian-only shopping and dining mecca with beautiful stone buildings and lively music. We enjoyed drinks and a wonderful meal at The Kings Head.