Inis Oirr and the Cliffs of Moher

Last night I thought it would be good to take a trip to one of the Aran Islands. I didn’t consult the weather forecast and booked a trip to the smallest island Inis Oirr and then to see the Cliffs of Moher.
I wasn’t so keen when I got to Doolin Pier. It was very cold and cloudy and looked a bit choppy.
We all sat up the top in the open and it was very cold.

It was a 30 min trip to Inis Oirr which is the closest island to Doolin. We all got off and some got on another boat to go to one of the other islands and the rest of us stayed on Inis Oirr.
To get around the island we had the choice of walking, bikes, horse and cart or private car. I chose the horse and cart.

There have been people on the islands for centuries. The island is mainly limestone which has need dig up, made into walls and the soil improved with seaweed. The pony and trap took us up to the Flossy shipwreck and back around through the narrow roads to the main settlement.
We were on the island for about 3 hours. The return trip went via the Cliffs of Moher. It was a lot rougher on the way back and I spent a lot of the trip with my eyes fixed firmly on the horizon. Once we reached the Cliffs it was a bit hard to see as everyone stood up and jostled for the best position to take photos.

After we got back to Doolin I headed to see the Cliffs from the top. They were good but I’m sure they’d be magnificent in sunlight. It was still cloudy and the rain came in. Just drizzle but it did affect visibility.

Last night I ate tea in the hotel restaurant and it was ordinary at best so I had to look for somewhere different tonight. I stopped at a pub in Lisdoonvarna. It was dark by the time I finished. It was a 45km trip that was meant to take 45 mins through narrow lanes and roads. The speed limit was generally 80 km/hr but I stuck to about 30 km/hr due to the roads and darkness. It took well over an hour to get back but I saw a rabbit, multiple frogs, a hare (I think) and two badgers. The badgers made the slow trip worth it.Read more