#Aillwee Cave

[eternaldispersal]

Aill Bhuí, RO'S (2024)

[uhhhhmanda]

THIS IS BLOWING MY MIND. i haven't been following yibo like i used to but last i knew he had a PARALYZING fear of the dark. Like, crying on national television because someone turned out the lights in an escape room on a variety show scared. And now he's decided to conquer that fear by going to, hands-down, the darkest place possible? idk if any of you have ever been in a cave but it is a darkness even this lifelong country-dweller could not imagine. I'm equal parts proud and scared. We're running out of things Wang Yibo *can't* do.

wang yibo - exploring the unknown video diary episode 5

WYB: You should be able to hear me even though I'm talking so quietly, right? I just heard a very clear sound of a drop of water. Today I learned how to rapid descent, it was very interesting. I seem to have learned it before, so I learned it faster today. But when I was hanging in the air and started to descend, I was still a little nervous. It wasn't until I reached the second point and switched to it, when I was ready to descend was then I breathed a sigh of relief because I felt much safer. What was that sound just now? But I think it's quite comfortable to sleep in the cave. It’s very quiet, really quiet, but very dark. Actually, I'm sleepy now. I've been sleepy for some time. I got up very early in the morning. I'll continue to listen for any other sounds, if I hear any, I'll continue to turn on my phone. Good night. Oh it’s really dark

[hearts-on-the-drumset]

books & op shops & my cat !!!!!

[dublin-galway-ireland-2023]

2. Stop: Aillwee Cave

[dougrobyngoold]

Dunguaire Castle, Cliffs of Moher, & The Burren - County Clare & County Galway, Ireland

We had perfect weather today for a trip into the beautiful Irish countryside. Our bus driver, for some reason, directed us to the seat right behind him when we told him where we were from when we boarded the bus. Pretty nice seats for the day! The views were amazing as we zipped along on the narrow and curvy roads of Ireland - definitely glad that we weren't driving!

Our first stop was Dunguaire Castle, a 15th century castle that sits on the shores of Galway Bay near the town of Kinvarra. We were given about 20-30 minutes to walk up and check out the castle before we had to be back on the bus.

Inside the courtyard of the castle, apparently, banquets are served throughout the year inside the castle and there is a small gift shop as well.

Aillwee Cave, located near Ballyvaughan, was a nice little tour of a cave dating back 330 million years. After the tour we stopped at the little Farm Store and there might have been some homemade fudge purchased.....

After leaving the cave, we had amazing views as we drove up Corkscrew Hill - which had hairpin turns so tight that we had to wait for the road to be completely clear before we could go around them with the bus. It was so narrow, that the bus driver had to keep an eye out for other large vehicles coming down the road, so that he could find a spot to pull over - it was an interesting portion of our drive!

We drove through the little town of Lisdoonvarna, famous for its annual Matchmaking Festival. A very colorful little town:

We finally arrived at the Cliffs of Moher - no one will believe us, but it was sunny and calm, a rare day at the cliffs! Lovely views, well worth the price of the bus ride:

Looking toward O'Brien's Tower.

Looking southward - yes, the green was unbelievable!

Looking northward from the South Viewpoint - what a beautiful day!

We had a wonderful time wandering along the coastline until it was time to get back on the bus. We stopped for lunch at Fitzgerald's Pub in the town of Doolin:

A bowl of soup and a really nice red ale!

On the way back to Galway, we stopped at The Burren, a national park. Beautiful limestone decorates the landscape. Had to take a few photos:

The rest of the drive back took us past beautiful farmlands and historic structures:

We had another amazing day - Ireland is everything we expected and more:

[vintagebuddha]

Aillwee Caves of County Clare, Ireland 1981

[modern-morosoph-blog]

I love me some caves

[ethotv-archived]

they just spent 5 minutes debating how to spell aillwee and all i had to do was carefully keysmash and google autocorrect me. they were both wrong

[kumeko]

A/N: Chapter 2! Irish peeps, forgive me for butchering your accent in an attempt to write accent.

…

…

…

…

Soft. Ingrid’s bed was a hard thing and she didn’t know what to make of the soft mattress beneath her. Her body practically sank into it and she felt a small crick in her back. The ceiling above her was utterly unfamiliar as well and Ingrid stared at it.

 She must have passed out after they’d gotten to Annette’s place yesterday, the jet lag stronger than she’d realized. Turning her head, she looked out the window to her right to find a long, green farmland. To her left, her suitcase stood, still closed and unpacked.

 “Ingrid?” Mercedes knocked on the door, peeking in. “Have a good sleep?”

 “Yeah.” Ingrid ran a hand through her hair. “Sorry, I didn’t mean—”

 “It’s alright.” Smiling, Mercedes shook her head. “We have all of today to catch up! The bathroom’s on the right. I’ll just go finish making breakfast.”

There was something utterly lazy about having someone else make breakfast for her. Ingrid wasn’t sure she liked it. Sure, she was the guest, but getting waited on—it didn’t sit right to her. Forcing herself up, she stumbled across the room in a rush to get ready. Unpacking could wait till later, she just had to grab the bare essentials for now.

 The house was narrower than she’d expected. The halls, the rooms, everything felt crammed, as though to take up the least amount of room possible. Ingrid had never felt vertigo in her life, but she considered it as she stared at the staircase. Even those looked too small to be usable.

 She’d studied what to expect before travelling, but it still didn’t prepare her for this. The others were already in the kitchen when she’d finally made it. On a small table barely big enough to fit all of them, Annette took up half of it with a pile of papers. Mercedes stood by the stove, flipping an egg.

 “Yer up!” Annette grinned as she looked up from her papers, almost bouncing in her seat. “Good, because today’s busy and we’ll need all the time we got.”

 “Busy?” Ingrid perked up, curious. Annette had said to leave the planning to her so while Ingrid had given a precursory glance on what to do in Ballyvaughan, she hadn’t really thought too deeply about it.

 “I’ve organized our tour, sure.” Annette picked up a piece of paper, puffing out her chest with pride. “Where we’re going an’ when, it’s all finally together.”

 “That’s…good…” Ingrid trailed off as she squinted at the long list. Every line was filled with something, and with Annette’s ridiculously neat writing, it somehow looked even more crowded. Every hour of the day was scheduled with some place or the other.

 “I sorted by place, then importance.” Annette looked at her expectantly.

 “That’s…” Ingrid liked doing things on her vacation. She couldn’t handle lazing about on a beach or staying at home. It was too boring staying still. Yet, even she balked at the fact that the plan was to see some caves, walk along the shoreline, visit two castles, climb to a fairy fort, and then maybe, maybe, see some ruins.

 In one day.

 Ingrid considered pinching herself. She couldn’t be reading it right.

 “Love…” Mercedes, as usual, knew how to handle it. She reached over, squeezing Annette’s shoulders. “We can’t do all of those.”

 Perplexed, Annette stared at the schedule, then at them. “Why not?”

 “It’s just…” Ingrid grasped for straws. “Aren’t you bad with sports?”

 “It’s just walkin’.” Annette rolled her eyes and huffed. Crossing her arms, she muttered, “Anyone can do that.”

 “Are we only spending an hour at each place?” Mercedes asked, tracing the schedule with a finger.

 “Trust me, t’at’s more than enough time.” Puffing her chest with pride, Annette gestured pointed at the fairy fort on the list. “It’s really just a bunch o’ rocks, you won’t really want t’ do more than a photo.”

 “Oh, Annette, you think that just because you live here.” Mercedes sighed, shaking her head. Her hair remained coiled over shoulder, as though permanently fixed there. “This is all new to Ingrid.”

 “That’s…” Annette flinched. She tugged on a lock of her hair, twirling it around her finger. “I…it’s not that…bad…”

 Ingrid stared at the schedule one last time before reluctantly adding, “And, uh…you didn’t account for travel time.”

 “What?” Annette plucked her schedule. She paled as she stared. “Just…uh…give me a minute.”

 “Take as many as you need.” Mercedes leaned forward, pressing a kiss on her forehead. “In the meantime, let’s get you some breakfast, Ingrid.”

 Ingrid eagerly picked up a plate. Even if they halved Annette’s plans, she’d need all the energy she could get.

 -x-

 Fortunately, common sense won and the schedule spread out over the course of her three week stay instead of everything squished into a single week. As Mercedes had pointed out, Ingrid could always come again next summer.

 And she definitely wanted to—especially to explore the rest of Europe. It bowled her over how old Ireland felt, how there was a sense of history and the past around every corner. She couldn’t say the same for home; there wasn’t much of a past in Toronto. Things built on each other in a dizzying array of combinations, the past integrating with the present until it created something new. Unless it was something from more than a hundred years ago, in which case it was promptly bulldozed and trampled over.

 Here? She felt the past distinctly. The town square with its historical buildings. The Aillwee caves felt like a journey through the earth. The bridges felt like something out of a movie she’d seen once. And the forts, the piles of rocks and rubble left as markers to people long gone by, overgrown by bushes and grass.

 Ingrid leaned forward as she studied the fairy fort. There were three layers of stone wall encircling it, each ring on a different layer till it reminded her of those theatre stages in the park.

 “What do ya think?” Annette asked, eyes bright as she gestured proudly at the ruin. Despite her words earlier about how boring and quickly they could get through the sight-seeing portion of her tour, she’d spent the past few days pointing out every small fact and tidbit.

 “Impressive.” Ingrid smiled, walking closer now. “It’s not like the other one.”

 “Yeah, that’s one more of a…” Annette scratched her cheek thinking of the fairy ring they’d visited yesterday. While there had obviously been a ring of some sort, it looked like a dirt mound that someone had forgotten about. “Well, not all o’ ‘em can be winners.”

 “I can’t believe you have so many of them.” Ingrid looked over her shoulder. They’d climbed a gently sloping hill to get here, and she made out the town in a distance. If this had been a defensive position, it was a good one. “They’re everywhere.”

 “It’s like people forgot to clean up after themselves,” Mercedes added, chuckling. Her hair braided hair coiled on top of her head, giving her a more dignified look than usual. “Like little kids.”

 Ingrid unconsciously touched her own short hair; Mercedes had somehow managed to braid some of it, a princess’s circlet to Mercedes’s queenly crown. It wasn’t all that bad; somehow oddly practical despite the ribbons tying it together. Maybe she’d try that next time she had to go anywhere formal and fancy. “Only you’d call a ruin a kid’s mess.”

 Annette giggled. “Well, she’s not wrong. We made ‘em and then just left ‘em there. I’m sure the fairies like ‘em, though. Free houses.”

 “Messy, free houses.” Mercedes cradled her cheek, sighing. “You didn’t leave them anything nice.”

 Ingrid pulled out her phone, taking a few quick photos as they talked. “So, where next?”

 “We’re…” Annette sighed, her brow furrowing with annoyance. “We’re gonna drink.”

 “Drinking?” Ingrid raised a brow. Considering how poorly Annette handled her alcohol, she’d sworn off it back during their university days. Especially after she’d made a fool of herself in front of her old flame.

 “I know, I know.” Annette’s shoulders slumped, and she leaned against Mercedes. “But everyone wants t’ meet you.”

 “My coworkers, her family…” Mercedes smiled, rubbing Annette’s back. “It’ll be fun! You can meet everyone.”

 “Just not my grandparents,” Annette closed her eyes, looking pale. “I don’t want t’ know if they find yer accent sexy.”

[klnofziger]

When traveling on a budget, or a short time-frame, it can be difficult to narrow down what you can fit into your limitations. In an attempt to see as much of Ireland as we could, we split our time between several cities, giving us only 4 days in Galway.

Places to eat:

The Pie Maker –  Located at 10 Cross Street Upper, Galway, H91 C932, Ireland this cozy pie shop has the best meat pies I have ever had. Seriously, you will not be disappointed!

The Skeff – Located in Eyre Square, Galway. Their sandwiches pair nicely with a pint of anything they have on tap. Open late, the staff were friendly & helpful with places to check out in the area.

The King’s Head – Located at 15 High St, Galway, Ireland. The building dates back over 800 years, with links to the Mayor of Galway, Thomas Lynch Fitz-Ambrose in 1654. The historical ambiance is welcoming and the food was great.

McDonagh’s – Located at 22 Quay Street, Galway, Ireland. This fish shop has been around since 1902 and has been a local staple since opening. They have a Fish n Chips Bar as well as a full seafood restaurant. The prices are affordable, the atmosphere is welcoming and lively and the fish n chips were some of the best I’ve ever had.

Finnegan’s – Located at 2 Market St, Galway, Ireland. It is located in the oldest medieval building in Galway! The service is quick and friendly and the food was delicious! The Bangers and Mash here were perfect on a cool night in November!

Things to do:

Lally Tours offers several guided tours to various destinations in Ireland. With limited time, we chose their Land & Water Tour. Day one takes you to Dunguaire Castle (Kinvara), Aillwee Cave and Birds of Prey Exhibition, Cliffs of Moher, the village of Doolin and through the Burren. Day two you hop on a ferry to Inis Mór, the largest island in the Aran Islands.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Some things to do on Inis Mór:

Aran Islands Bike Hire – Hire a bike and take the ride around the island to see as much as you can, taking in the more solitary adventure. (This is not an “easy” ride as there are hills and winding roads… but with many stops to take photos, eat a snack etc, you will be rewarded with some amazing views.)

Dún Aonghasa – the largest of the prehistoric stone forts of the Aran Islands. The fort consists of three massive dry-stone walls and a chevaux-de-frise, a dense band of jagged, upright stones, surrounding the fort from cliff to cliff, designed to impede attackers. Originally constructed c.1100BC, it was re-fortified around 700-800 AD. Excavations revealed significant evidence of prehistoric metalworking, as well as several houses and burials. (Heritage Ireland) **Film buffs might recognize the cliffs as the “Cliffs of Despair” from “The Princess Bride”**

Things to do in Galway:

Lynch’s Castle – Originally dating to the 14th century, now a bank, it sits on Shop Street. Tragically, in 1493, James Lynch hanged his own son for murder.

St. Nicholas Collegiate Church – The true age of this beautiful church is not certain, however it is known to date to at least 1320. Named for the patron Saint of children (Santa Claus) and mariners (Galway is a port city.), the most famous visitor would likely be Christopher Columbus, who prayed there in 1477 (St. Nicholas Church Site).

Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop – New and second-hand books for sale in a cozy shop that has been here for over 25 years!

Shop Street – Go shopping, take a stroll, listen to street musicians and watch dancers!

Quay Street – Full of pubs and music!

It is easy to fit all of this into 4 days without feeling over scheduled. We arrived and did some walking around, followed by dinner at The Pie Maker. The next day, we headed to the Cliffs of Moher on the first day of our Lally Tour and returned that evening around 6pm for Dinner at The Skeff. The next day was all day at Inis Mor, returning that evening and grabbing dinner at Finnegan’s. Our final day was shopping on Shop Street and Quay Street with an early lunch at McDonaugh’s and an early dinner & pints at The King’s Head. (We caught a crack of dawn train back to Dublin the next day.)

Galway is a beautiful and friendly city where you will be overwhelmed by the quaintness and enriched by the history! There are so many things to see in Galway and in the surrounding area, we could have spent two weeks there!

“Keep your heart open, a suitcase packed and wander often for the world is wide and adventure awaits.” ~ Emylee

    4 Days in Galway: Where to eat & what to see! When traveling on a budget, or a short time-frame, it can be difficult to narrow down what you can fit into your limitations.

[wanderlustwoahs]

Sunset at the Cliffs

Leading on from our post about the north of Ireland and the Giant’s Causeway, now we will look to the wild west!

The Cliffs of Moher have to be one of the most picturesque places to visit in the country. To start my journey there I first made a beeline to Galway city, with its quaint cobbled streets to  amazing tradition Irish pub culture, it is the perfect place to stop and explore after a long drive from the east coast. Stop, visit a pub of your choice for a warming coffee (or pint if you’re lucky enough to be in the passenger seat), a bowl of fresh Irish chowder and even drop in for some shopping in one of the many shops along the famous Shop street in the city. 

The Wild Atlantic Way

 After resting a refueling in the beautiful Galway city we then turned our eyes southwards toward the magnificent cliffs but in front of us we faced an hour and a half drive on one of the most beautiful roads in the country. Unfortunately when I say beautiful roads I do not mean that they are flat and designed very well, they are in fact bobbly, potholed, uneven and quite narrow. What they lack in road surface they more than doubly make up for in some of the most outstanding views of the Atlantic ocean you’re likely to find anywhere. Not only are the views of the Atlantic phenomenal but you also get to drive through another incredibly unique sight to see in Ireland which is the Burren. It is a rocky harsh landscape made up of limestone which has been eroded by thousands of years of being bashed by the harsh Atlantic conditions. The Burren is also home to some of the most extensive cave systems we have in the country in the Aillwee caves which would be ideal for any thrill seekers out there looking to go exploring. 

The Cliffs at Sunset

On arriving at the cliffs the only thing you need to pay for is the cost of the ticket and at 7 euro per person and free parking we cant complain. The visitor center is fantastic and is filled with information about the history or the cliff and its surroundings. If you decide this this trip is for you I cannot recommend enough to plan your trip around the sunset. I think the picture speaks for itself.

All in all this trip can be done in a day which makes it a perfect excursion if you’re not in the country for long but still want to be able to hit all the big sights and fancy getting out of Dublin City. This is one of my favorite day trips because you can pack so much into the one day and they are individually amazing, but to have the chance to get them all in in one day makes it a great explorers dream. 

[primortravel]

New Post has been published on https://primortravel.com/travel-to-western-ireland-episode-769/

Travel to Western Ireland - Episode 769

Hear about travel to Western Ireland as the Amateur Traveler talks to Adam Ryan about his beautiful country.

Adam says, “You can definitely travel Ireland on a budget and Ireland just has so much to offer and we’ve great people, green fields, beautiful landscapes, some great cities, and our rural areas are some of the best in Europe. I’ve traveled through Europe and I’ve been to the States and Canada and I just have never been to a place like Ireland”.

We focus on the west coast of Ireland. There is a route that traverses the whole west coast called the Wild Atlantic Way. The whole route is over 1500 miles or 2500 km so we focus on what you should do if you don’t have time for the whole route. 

Adam recommends flying into Dublin Airport and then renting a car and heading down to Cork. The area around Cork has some great seaside villages like Cobh and Kinsale. There are old forts like Spike Island and Charles Fort. You can tour the Titanic Experience in the city where the Titanic left Ireland for its doomed voyage.

We head from Cork to County Kerry which is one of the most popular places in Ireland for tourism. Here you can find Ireland’s first national park at Killarney National Park and the famous Ring of Kerry. Killarney has a great “trad” music scene. You can drive or walk the winding Gap of Dunloe or visit Muckross House. You can visit the westernmost point of the main island of Ireland on the Dingle Peninsula where you can find iron age ring forts, famine cottages, and sweeping landscapes.

Adam recommends skipping Limerick and heading to the spectacular Cliffs of Moher. He says that many people (like Chris) love The Burren although he would instead visit nearby Aillwee Cave.

Galway is a lively city (even in 2021 with the pandemic) with a great pub scene and some great summer festivals such as the Galway Races. You can also take a boat from here out to the Aran Islands which is a Gaeltacht region. We head out to Connemara National Park and Kylemore Abbey in County Galway.

In County Mayo, you can do a pilgrimage up Croagh Patrick on Reek Sunday (the last Sunday in July) or see the Downpatrick Head sea stack.

Finally, in County Donegal, you can learn to surf at Bundoran or hike the Slieve League Cliffs.

The west coast of Ireland feels remote but is easy to reach. It has spectacular scenery, colorful history, and engaging people. Ireland is an easy place to love and the west coast has some of its best locations.

subscribe: rss feed | Apple podcasts

Sponsors

This episode is sponsored by DraftKings.com, the Official Daily Fantasy Partner of the NFL. Enter code AMATEUR to get a FREE shot at the ONE MILLION DOLLAR top prize with your first deposit.

This episode is sponsored by GoAskALocal.com. Their local experts are veteran guides and travel professionals with decades of experience helping travelers discover their regions. Consulting with them is like spending an hour with a guidebook that can talk; no matter what question you have or the type of trip you’re planning, they’ve got the answers.

right click here to download (mp3)

Show Notes

AsAdamGoes.com Ireland Haypenny Bridge Cork Titanic Experience Cobh Spike Island, County Cork Kinsale Charles Fort Old Head of Kinsale County Kerry Killarney Carrauntoohil Killarney National Park Muckross House Gap of Dunloe Kate Kearney’s Cottage Travel to The Ring of Kerry in Ireland – Episode 304 Explore the Magical Wild Atlantic Way with Discover Ireland Dunquin Pier Limerick Doolin Cliffs of Moher The Burren Aillwee Cave Birds Of Prey Galway Aran Islands Worm Hole (Poll na bPeist) Connemara National Park Kylemore Abbey County Mayo Croagh Patrick Downpatrick Head County Donegal Bundoran Slieve League Cliffs Galway Races Driving in Ireland – A Road Trip to the Western Edge of Europe The Ultimate Guide For An Irish Road Trip

Community

on Travel to New Hampshire – Episode 768 Simon writes:

Hi Chris

I hope you don’t mind me commenting on so many episodes of your wonderful podcast, but as I’ve said before you’re constantly triggering great memories of past trips, as well as giving ideas for future adventures.

My wife and I visited Portsmouth NH some years ago, and being history buffs, we found it a fascinating place. On a boat tour of the harbor, we learnt for example how Humphrey Bogart got his lisp during World War 1 when escorting prisoners to the naval prison in Portsmouth: one tried to escape by hitting Bogart with his handcuffs.

We also learnt about John Paul Jones, whose home in Portsmouth still exists and is now a National Historic Landmark. We’d never heard of him before, but once back in the UK we kept reading about him as he took the wars of independence over to Britain and made raids on the east and west coasts of England.

There’s so much colourful history in Portsmouth, we could easily have spent a happy week there. Thanks for reminding us of it.

Best wishes

Simon.

Support Amateur Traveler on Patreon

Please take our listener survey

Amateur Traveler Trips

Source link

#AmmateurTraveler #NewToTravelling #NewTraveler #Travel #Traveling

[crazyprinceruins-blog]

Aillwee Cave in Ballyvaghan County Clare - Ireland #travel #beautiful #viajes #vacaciones #vacations #photo #peru #Blog #viajeros

[emilyingalway-blog1]

Limerick and Cliffs of Moher

Since my blog post last Saturday, I have taken two day trips around Ireland. Last Sunday I went to Limerick, Ireland for the day. We hadn’t really left Galway at that point, and decided that we wanted to do some exploring. We hopped on the bus around 8:30, and for most of the ride there it was dark outside, so we couldn’t really look at the scenery. One of the things that first surprised me about Ireland was how dark it is here. There are usually only a few hours of light, from around 10 to 4, and even then it is raining. Once we arrived in Limerick, the first thing we did was go to breakfast. I tried black pudding for the first time at this breakfast, and I didn’t think it was too bad (as long as I didn’t think about it too much). At this point, it started dumping rain (or as the Irish say, pissing rain). Although our shoes and clothes were completely soaked through, we made it across town to St Mary’s Cathedral five minutes before mass started. We got to see church members ringing the bells as mass started. The priest asked us to not take photos as church members were arriving, however I was able to take some outside.

Our next stop for the day was King John’s Castle. This was probably my favorite part of the trip to Limerick, as we got to tour the castle and go through the history museum attached. The museum itself was really interactive, and once you got outside it was the same way. We got to climb up to the top of the tower and see all of Limerick from the top. There was a rugby game happening at the stadium, so we saw crowds everywhere. At this point we ran into other Linfield students that were visiting Limerick as well, and a group of us decided to head to the Milk Market. The Milk Market isn’t a dairy market as the name would imply, rather there are a bunch of shops and food vendors. A lot of the vendors were closed because it was Sunday, however we found some yummy crepes!

After the Milk Market, we walked around downtown to see two more historical sites in Limerick- St. John’s Cathedral and the original wall of the city. St. John’s Cathedral has the tallest spire in Ireland, so let’s just say we did not need google maps to find it! The cathedral was locked, however we were still amazed by the beauty of the building. Not too far from St. John’s Cathedral was the Irishtown City Wall Park (which really wasn’t a park). It was quite amazing to see how well the original walls were holding up!

At this point we were ready for lunch, so we stopped and got some wings at a restaurant called Volcano. The wings were good and they were playing an all Ed Sheeran playlist so I was a happy woman! From here we made our way to the Hunts Museum, which had free admission on Sundays. The museum had artifacts and artwork from all over Ireland and Europe. There were lots of drawers that you could open, and the second one I pulled open had a Picasso drawing in it! I was amazed that they would put it in a drawer, regardless of the fact that it was small and not too “unique”. By the time we left the museum we were exhausted and out of places to visit, so we changed our bus time to 6:30. Overall Limerick wasn’t my favorite city, but it had some amazing sites to see!

Yesterday I went on a trip with the International Students Society to the Aillwee Cave and the Cliffs of Moher. The first little stop we made was near Dunguaire Castle for a little photoshoot. The castle was beautiful! We hopped back on the tour bus and made the windy climb up to the Aillwee Cave. I wasn’t too sure what to expect from the caves, but they were breathtaking. We were able to see waterfalls and limestone formations. At one point during the tour, the guide turned all of the lights off and we were able to experience complete darkness. We put our hands up to our faces and couldn’t see anything. It only lasted 30 seconds, but I was really happy when the lights came back on.

After the caves we stopped at the top of Corkscrew Hill to take a few photos, and then (finally!) made it to the Cliffs of Moher. It was an incredibly foggy day, but I think that just added to the experience. The wind was extreme, and at some points I felt like I was going to be pushed over. My hair was a new type of crazy in that wind! I can’t imagine dangling my feet of the edge like some of the visitors did! It was sort of hard to see the Cliffs at certain points, however they were breathtaking. If you ever get a chance to go, I highly recommend making the trip out. I’m excited to go back in a few months on a nice day to see them again!

On our way home, we stopped at Fitzpatrick’s Bar for lunch. I got the seafood chowder, and it was full of salmon, clams and oysters and was served with Irish soda bread. This was hands down the best meal that I have had in Ireland, and possibly one of the best meals I’ve ever had! I was sad to leave, but I’m now determined to learn how to make my own Irish soda bread. We made it home by 6pm, and I think I could have fallen asleep at that point.

The last week has been full of traveling around Ireland, and I have loved every minute of it! Ireland is so beautiful country, the people are so friendly, and I still can’t believe that I have the opportunity to live here for the next 4 months. It really is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I feel really lucky that I have this opportunity. Sharing my stories on this blog makes me think about my Auntie Carol who passed away in April and how excited she was for me to have this opportunity. A lot of time when I’m out exploring I think of how she would have loved hearing all of my stories, and I always see souvenirs that I would have brought back for her. I’m determined to enjoy it and experience so many places that she dreamed of going!

Thanks for reading my rather long blog post this week- I’ve been having too much fun! (And it keeps me from doing readings for class…) :)

Until next week!

Emily

[westsider09]

Thursday, June 20, 2019: Aillwee Cave in the Burren, County Clare

[theeasdaleblr-blog]

Planning a visit to Ireland with the kids? Chances are your itinerary will include stops at some of the most popular attractions, like Blarney Castle. While your experience will undoubtedly be tons of fun—-what kid doesn’t want permission to hang upside down somewhat precariously?—the fact is, your photos will probably look astonishingly similar to those taken by a plethora of other families hashtagging there. So what’s the key to capturing truly unique travel footage and creating unforgettable moments you’ll cherish forever? Making your way off the beaten path to lesser-known locations based on shared interests and passions.

  The Irish countryside is just the place for the animal lovers in your crew. Though there are many places to explore falconry in Ireland, there’s none quite like the National Bird of Prey Centre in Blessington, County Wicklow. Here you can meet over 40 different birds including Ireland’s own Golden Eagle. End your tour by holding hand-reared owls or a Harris Hawk while snapping away enough photos to last a lifetime.

Perhaps marine life is more to your liking? In that case, book a tour to meet Fungie the Dolphin, who has been cheerfully greeting visitors to Dingle, in the County Kerry, since 1983. He’s such a local legend there’s even a statue of him in town!

Is your family the type that runs a 5k together for fun on holidays? Ireland is the perfect place to get your sporty spice on. You might even be surprised to hear the coast here is becoming known as a great surfing destination. Sligo is a particularly good spot if you’re dealing with a wide range of abilities, as it has waves for beginners and experts alike. There are even surf schools offering classes specifically for girls and women.

If you have a need for speed, be sure to make a stop at one of Ireland’s thrilling zip lines. A relative newcomer to the game is Castlecomer Discovery Park in Kilkenny, featuring the country’s longest over-water zipline at 300 meters long and 30 meters high.

Or maybe you’re looking to reach new heights as a family. If so, a visit to the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge is in order. Built 1755 by salmon fisherman, the bridge is suspended 100 feet over the ocean. It’s high enough to satisfy even the biggest adrenalin junkie.

Have children who dream of a career in pro sports? Give them a taste of the fame with a tour of Croke Park, home to traditional Gaelic games. Accommodating over 80,000 fans, it is one of the largest stadiums in Europe. Learn the history of Irish football, hurling, and walk the pitch and through the players’ tunnel here. Just think of all the photo ops!

  Natural wonders are some of our best teachers (and also the best places to take pics). Your family will be blown away by The Burren, vast limestone fields located in County Clare that make it feel like you might just be walking on the moon. More than 80 tombs scatter the area, some dating all the way back to the Mesolithic Era. The most famous of these is the Poulnabrone, a gravity-defying stack of enormous rock slabs dated over 5,800 years old. The epitome of cool? We think so.

Also in County Clare, buried deep below the earth, you’ll find the Aillwee Cave. Stalactites and stalagmites plus one thundering waterfall and another frozen one make this dark destination a great place to explore. Calcite samples from here have been dated as far back as 350,000 years. Say what?

Big imaginations demand over- (and under-) sized activities. For the dreamers of the family, be sure to make a pit stop at Tara’s Place. Here, incredibly detailed miniature rooms reign supreme. The 22 rooms on display took over 20 years to make, with many of the pieces carved from bone by Napoleonic prisoners of war.

Along the same small lines, be sure to go on a fairy walk while in Ireland. Trying to find the diminutive sprites that fill Irish folklore is an incredible flight of fancy for the young and old alike. Erica’s Fairy Forest in Cootehill is particularly charming and has an origin story that will choke everyone up, but you’ll find similar spots to enjoy throughout the countryside.

Want to go big before you go home? The Giant’s Lair and Adventure Park at the Ring of Guillion is the place to be. Just imagine how many likes you’ll rack up with pictures of your “tiny” family next to the enormous giant’s table and chair found there.

Want to give your kids a bit of a history lesson while having fun at the same time? Ireland offers a wide variety of places that fit the bill. In Dublin, be sure to schedule some time at Dublinia, which recreates life as it was here in Medieval and Viking times. Their interactive recreations tend to really capture young minds.

In the county, Wexford, pay a visit to the Dunbrody Famine Ship. An authentic replica of a 1800s boat, costumed performers demonstrate what the Irish emigrant experience was like during the difficult times in Ireland. It will make everyone complain less about travel times and a crowded car, that’s for sure.

Or for the ultimate chills and thrills, take a tour of Loftus Hall. This now-abandoned estate is said to be the most haunted place in all of Ireland. Legend has it the devil himself roams the grounds here. Freaky!

By tailoring your Ireland vacation to your family’s shared interests, you’ll be sure to make it the best trip yet. Your kids will thank you for scouting out all the coolest spots in the country. Bonus points:  Everyone back home will be amazed at what a savvy digital traveler you are.

Read our top blogs and guides

Canvas Boutique Hotel: Inspiring Adventures in Puerto Princesa

Posted: July 28, 2017

Canvas Boutique Hotel If you are looking to stay in a hotel where you can appreciate artistic decor in an…

0 comments

Guide To El Nido Island Hopping Tours | Northern Hope Tours

Posted: November 6, 2017

My love for travelling has allowed me to experience some stunning places, but I feel that this is by far…

0 comments

EDL Farmhouse is a premiere farm tourism destination in Tarlac

Posted: November 19, 2018

Travelling has become more and more popular in the last few years for most Filipinos. Many things have become significantly…

0 comments

El Nido Tourism and Vacations: Best of El Nido, Philippines

Posted: March 13, 2018

When going on holiday many people place a great deal of importance on being able to relax and unwind. However,…

0 comments

7th Philippine National Fireworks Festival at Riverbanks Center

Posted: March 26, 2018

Don’t miss the biggest & much-awaited event in the shoe capital of the Philippines, Marikina which is the Philippine National…

0 comments