On our travels north, I was adamant that we dispatch somewhat with the churchy/castley stuff and dig deeper for the pre-christian history and sites of Ireland.
Sliabh Na Calliagh (Hill of the Witch) was tailor-made for such a goal. We stopped at the little shop down the hill from the site first to grab a sandwich and a bathroom break. Peter had a good chat with Niall and I poked around the little shop (not getting out empty-handed, I might add). Niall does maintenance around the property and was a friendly sort with helpful information. It was kind of like chatting with our son, so we chatted a bit more. He was kind enough to let us take his picture too! On previous trips to Ireland, we had been to Newgrange and Tara. Like Tara, Sliabh Na Calliagh, (now known as the Loughcrew Cairns) has a mystique about it and is a remarkable testament to Neolithic culture. It is quite a climb to the site, but if anything is worth it, this one certainly is. We arrived between tours and had a tour guide almost all to ourselves. He was extremely knowledgeable and engaging, and clearly fascinated with his work. These cairns are believed to be around 5000 years old – older even than Newgrange. The consist of 32 cairns spread over 4 hilltops. What is known of these people is that they were farmers; growing wheat and barley, and keeping cattle and sheep. Though these people cremated their dead, bone fragments have allowed DNA analysis to tell us that these were family tombs. One of them contained 12 generations of a single family. This also gives some idea of how long the neolithic people were in Ireland. It has also been discovered that these people were Mediterranean in origin, with darker skin, hair and eyes. Not the ancestors of current Irish inhabitants. Peter impressed the tour guide by knowing that the last major influx of DNA to Ireland was during the Bronze Age. The guide said those are the ancestors of modern-day Irish folk. What is considered “Celtic” invasion was not a DNA thing – Celtic refers to cultural beliefs and practices, not blood ancestry. Nothing is really known about what happened to the Neolithic folk. They just disappeared. Did they move on? Were they wiped out by a cataclysmic event – environmental, disease, war? We’ll never know. Many of the cairns were pillage for their stone, but the central cairn still stands untouched, aside from the collapse of some of the stone off the mound. They think perhaps that because this cairn had a curb stone covered in carvings, that it was left alone due to superstition. The Irish are a very superstitious lot. 😊 The carvings on the curb stone have eroded away, but fortunately record of it was made before that happened. Inside the cairn are several carved stones. The instability of the mound means you can't go inside anymore, but photos of the carvings are incredible. Like many other neolithic mounds, this mound is aligned to the spring and autumn equinox sunset, which lights the passage for an hour. Much longer than the 7 minutes of the Newgrange sunrise light. Cairn T (as it is unromantically named) is at the highest point of all of the hills and all surrounding mounds can be seen from it. These sites have the highest number of carved stones of any site found so far in Europe. One of the legends associated with these mounds is that of a witch who wanted to own this part of Ireland. The gods told her if she could leap from one hill to the next, she could have it. Carrying an apron of stones, she thought “No biggie, I've got this”. As she leaped, stones fell from her apron, creating these mounds, which we now know to be cairns. However, she stumbled on the last hill and fell to her death. There is a lone standing stone at the bottom of one of the hills said to be where she died and marks her grave. Cairn T has a large curb stone. When originally discovered, it was ornately carved. Fortunately, they had the presence of mind to make a drawing of it because it has now eroded away almost completely. If you sit on the curb stone and wish, then walk around the cairn three times, you will get your wish. Well, the curb stone is pretty high, but I did meditate on it, make my wishes and circle the cairn three times. After all, we Irish are a superstitious lot! Again, I encourage you to visit Mythical Ireland (that’s a link) for photos of the carved stones we didn’t get to see and read more about the site. Simply fascinating. We called it a day at Toome, staying at the lovely Dunsilly Hotel where I ate all the cookies that they were foolish enough to leave in the room. It had advertised free breakfast, which was part of the reason I chose it. No muffin and rubber boiled eggs here - it was a full spread of Irish breakfast (if you wanted it), or yogurt, cereal, toast, croissants, cheese, or all of it at once if you have the appetite! Lovely rooms, too - well worth the stay and I highly recommend it.
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"I could kind of care less about seeing more churchy/castley sites, knowing what they represent here in Ireland". So said I. But Peter wanted to so....sigh.....FINE - first stop of the day is the Hill of Sláine.
Wow! You know what happens when you assume....? We ended up spending well over an hour exploring the ruins. The Hill of Sláine is a prominent feature rising 158m (520ish feet) above the surrounding landscape. Had we known it, we could have seen it from the Hill of Tara on the previous day. A tower dating back to 1512 still exists on the site along with a cemetery with graves dating from way back to fairly recent times. As always with very old cemeteries, a sense of peace settles over you and the world slows down. Also on the site are the remains of a Franciscan Abbey, built by the Barons of Slane somewhere in the same neighborhood of time. King Henry the VIII (the one of many wives) dissolved the monastery and distributed its lands in one of his attempts to rid his empire of Catholicism. It didn't work for long. It was restored in 1631, operating for another 20 years before Cromwell had a go and drove out the monks in 1651. There are several stories associated with the site: (courtesy of the story boards and the Mythical Ireland website – a very interesting site. Check it out!).
The Abbey is quite amazing. It was at least a 2-storey structure and the remaining features include post holes that would have had beams to support the 2nd floor, identifiable fireplaces and living spaces. A large room with what appears to be benches of some kind - maybe this was a study hall? An absolute maze of stone staircases from one floor to the next and all the way to the top where you have a breathtaking view of Ireland. Even the Hill of Tara is visible from there. We crawled all over this for a good long while, taking - guess what - LOADS of pictures! Well worth the stop! Thursday, June 13th – Tracey’s birthday. The plan was to ride my newly acquired motorcycle up to Drogheda to meet up with the Motorbike Women Ireland group for dinner. Peter would follow by car and we’d then spend a couple of days exploring more northly sites that were on our list of things to see. Thursday dawned with huge winds and rain, not expected to improve on the way north. I seriously considered riding anyway – I have ridden in worse, and the way the weather changes here, it might not be so bad after an hour or so. All through breakfast I thought about riding, even knowing I probably shouldn’t. Finally I heard Tracey’s voice in my head – “Not today, baby girl. Not today”. Much to Peter’s relief I said I would leave the bike and go with him in the car.
The decision was validated by increasing wind and rain along the way, meaning we didn’t make the first stop at Portlaoise to check out the Rock of Dunamase. I wasn’t that disappointed, being a little saturated with castle ruins. Besides, we had planned on stopping at Trim Castle a bit further along the road, one of the most striking castle ruins still standing. We did stop in Portlaoise for gas and a bite to eat though, and learned - from the gas station story boards of all places – that John Kinder Labatt – the found of Labatt’s brewery in Canada, is from Ireland! Begun in 1175 and taking over 30 years to build, Trim Castle is the largest Anglo-Norman structure in Ireland. Located in the heart of County Meath, the keep is 3 storeys tall, with 20 sides. If that wasn’t enough, it was surrounded by a ditch, curtain wall and moat, making it practically invulnerable. We didn’t go inside the castle, as that could only be done by tour which would not be for another hour. Though the rain was steady, we wandered the grounds and took a bunch of photos, of course. The grounds are extensive and it was a good hike to go all the way through them. The barbican gate was fascinating, with its arrow slits and guard areas. It made me think of when Derry was doing LARP on Vancouver Island and someone came off the grounds after a round and said “Who is that F*&^%NG archer that keeps nailing everyone?!” Derry was that F*&^%NG archer and so I thought of him sitting in one of those arrow slits going “Yeah….I dare ya…..try to breach the moat.” As a point of interest, Trim Castle was featured in Braveheart as well. As much as I despise what it stands for, it is a marvel of medieval engineering and construction. The rain cleared a little and, having spotted the oldest bridge in Ireland, had to go for a stroll over it. On the way, we stopped into a little visitor centre and the representative there told us how to get to the bridge and also about the bakery at the corner of the bridge! I think he’s on commission because if you go into that bakery, you are NOT coming out empty-handed. Making the trip across the bridge and back, complete with obligatory photos, we stopped at the bakery and left with a hot sausage roll for Peter and carrot cake for me. Energy for the road. 😊 With plenty of day left before dinner with the riders, we stopped at the Hill of Tara for Tracey. She had loved Tara when we were there in 2011 together. We left ribbons and wishes at the fairy tree, felt the history of the site and drank in the astounding view of all of the counties of Ireland. The Hill of Tara has been identified as the seat of the High Kings of Ireland and the site contains several mounds and earthwords, including a passage tomb. A standing stone on the site is believed to be the Stone of Destiny and there appears to be a ceremonial avenue. The fairy tree, where you can make a wish and tie a ribbon on the tree, has since uprooted from wind, but another immediately beside it has taken over the role. What used to be an open field at the Hill of Tara is now a little bit more controlled in order to protect the site from an increasing number of visitors every year. While this is necessary for the preservation of it, somehow a bit of the magic is lost. Leaving Tara, we headed for our BnB in Slane. Frank has created several private little cabins, equipped with little kitchens, private bathrooms, good-size bedroom and wee living space that are just lovely. The units are so comfortable and we really enjoyed our stay there. I left Peter there and drove up to Drogheda to meet the Women Bikers Ireland group. Four were able to get there and we had a grand time getting to know each other. I left them each with a t-shirt and I received a snood with their logo on it. I feel very cool, and it was also a great thing because I forgot mine at home! We plan to gather next weekend down here for a ride/visit. Looking forward to that! You meet the best people when you put yourself out there. I hear you – “What the heck do those two things have in common?!” Well, I didn’t just pull a title out of my ear because it was nice and alliterative, so I’m about to tell you.
Both of those things are part of the history of Valentia Island! Valentia Island is one of Ireland's most westerly points and we visited as part of our trip to the Skellig Islands. As if the Skellig Islands weren’t cool enough, we learned while we were out there that there is a tetrapod trackway. Tetrapods are somewhere in the neighbourhood of 400 million years old and are believed to be an important evolutionary step as the first amphibious creatures crawled out of the swamp onto land, leaving their tracks for us to find. The site was only discovered in 1993 by a geology student. A steep path leads along the landscape down to the site and a picturesque walk ends at a viewing platform where multiple tracks are clearly visible. Despite the physical exertion of the 618 steps to the peak of the Skelligs, we made the short, steep walk to the trackways and back. Along the path, we met Bev Truss of Hogsprickle Rehab Centre and had a good chat. It’s not every day you meet a hedgehog wildlife rescuer! Ok, so that’s the Tetrapods. What about the Trans-Atlantic Cable? Remember the Old Cable House we stayed at with the skeleton key, gorgeous rooms and amazing restaurant? That is where we learned the history of the first transatlantic cable laid across the Atlantic ocean. The cable station is located on Valentia Island. Two ships were dispatched from a mid point and cable laid in each direction. Numerous failed attempts were made until finally on August 5, 1858 a full trans-Atlantic cable was laid from Valentia Island, Ireland to….guess where…..Trinity Bay, Newfoundland! This cable allowed almost instant information transfer from Ireland to North America. Game changer! Newfoundland keeps showing up with a lot of firsts for Trans-Atlantic stuff, being the closest point of contact. The first wireless radio signal, the first trans-Atlantic flights, the first trans-Atlantic cable. Our room key at the Old Cable House had the name Michael Faraday on it, so I had to look that up. Wikipedia to the rescue, who says Faraday's "main discoveries included the principles underlying electromagnetic induction, diamagnetism and eletrolysis." Faraday was an extremely influential scientist who seems to be the guy responsible for the notion of conductive cables. Click the Wikipedia link about him at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Faraday - it's very interesting. Some other extras on this trip:
The day after Foynes and Bunratty, I was in bad need of a rest day. A cold was trying to catch me (I fended it off) and the pace of our activities was catching up to me. Knowing that I was to pick up my motorcycle on Monday, June 10th, it seemed wise to take a rest day. Caught up on laundry, slept a lot, and went for a walk into the village of Croom where we are staying. As with many of these small villages, there are picturesque sites everywhere and we did our share of photo-taking. Stopped at the local grocery for a couple of things for supper and then stopped at the pub for a pint. The Old Mill pub, which must be named for what appear to be two out-of-use mills across the river, is a low-ceilinged building that looks the size of a hole in the wall when you enter. Until you round a corner inside and realize it extends way to the back and can handle all the people it needs to when there’s a hurling match on! Chatting with the locals, we also learned that there is an excellent Elvis performer coming at the end of the month that we might be able to catch.
I also gathered my gear to be ready for the next morning when Peter would drop me off to Retroventures where I would pick up the Royal Enfield Himalayan that I had rented for a couple of weeks. Retroventures has a wide variety of bikes and other modes of transportation for rent and have been amazing! They set me up with the bike, which I quickly realized was not going to be a walk in the park. To my surprise, I could barely get it off the side stand and upright with the high, front-end heavy weight. Still, I resolved to give it a whirl and took it for a spin and back to the house. It's a really fun, peppy bike and I had a good time testing it out on the back roads back, but wasn’t getting used to pushing it up after stopping and getting off, feeling a pull in my shoulder every time. Peter took his time with the car, finding a different route back and found the Killmallock Domincan Friary ruins to explore. This was founded in 1291 and used until 1591. The detail in this Friary was remarkable and some has survived to this date. That afternoon, we were headed for the Skelligs tour, which had been planned on short notice and so I left the bike and off we went – you’ve already heard that story. Having the day to think about the Himalayan, I knew I would be uncomfortable every time I wanted to go somewhere. I badly wanted to “get used to it” – such a cool bike – but knew the best thing would be to switch it out if I could. I often joke about being a "delicate garden flower" and it was with some chagrin that I had to admit in this case, it was true! I contacted Retroventures and asked if I could change it out to be picked up on Wednesday. They were wonderfully responsive and soon had me sorted with a new bike – a Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650, which I picked up on Wednesday morning. Though of similar weight and fuel capacity as the Himalayan, it is 2” lower, freeing me to use the big muscles of my legs to set it upright. I took it for a 3-hour spin and found it to be a game-changer with no discomfort at all. The weather was amazing and I extended my ride, stopping for a latte and chocolate cake break. 😊 Knowing I had to be back to run a training session later in the day, I headed back to the house feeling like I had done the right thing. During my bike-swapping nonsense, Peter went for a hike in the Ballyhoura Mountains close to the place we are staying. He had a great hike on a gorgeous day, enjoying the peace of the Irish landscape and the flora and birdsong of the area, topping it off with a sunset thrusting our round tower across the back pasture into stark silhouette. Making the last-minute decision to head north for me to attend a rider’s meetup, we did some hasty packing and preparation to head out the next morning to explore more northern areas. What a life we are leading! No, that’s not the untidy hairstyle of a prima ballerina. It is a castle in Shannon, Ireland. Fourteen years ago, we visited this castle with the kids and attended its Medieval Feast. They served us mead in little wooden cups that was too tasty to be trusted and enough of a hit to make me think I might fall down the circular staircase to the feast hall! Now they sell that same mead in bottles, which I’m not altogether sure is a good idea. But we bought some anyway. It’s hard to believe we did this site on the same day as Foynes Flying Boat and Air Museum, and that was almost a week ago. Shows you how far behind I am in my stories!
Bunratty Castle (or the site, really) began in 1250 as a wooden structure built as a defensive fortress by a Norman, Robert De Muscegros. He must have been one of those Normans that took to the Irish ways a little to well for the English king to be satisfied because the lands were granted to Thomas De Clare and that lad built the first stone castle on the site. Situated at the mouth of the Ralty River, which feeds the mighty Shannon that runs out to sea, Bunratty was a hot spot for both offensive and defensive power. It is also located in the west of Ireland, where the English didn’t have quite as much land and power and the Irish clans were strong and determined. Despite the town of Bunratty growing to 1000 habitants between 1250 and 1318, it was completely destroyed during an Irish – Norman battle. Somewhere between 1318 and 1332, it was restored to the English king, but razed again in 1332 by the Irish Chieftans O’Brien and MacNamara. Twenty-odd years later, it was again rebuilt by the English, only to be attacked once more by the Irish. It has remained in Irish hands since, occupied by an Irish Chieftan (the O’Briens) in the 1600s, until it was abandoned for another. Sometime between then and the 1800s, it fell to ruin. The ruin and some surrounding lands were purchased by the Viscount and Viscountesse Gort and extensive restoration began. John Hunt (remember him, made famous in my Walking Limerick blog of a couple of days ago?) encouraged the Viscount to preserve the heritage of the site. Hunt was instrumental in the restoration of Bunratty Castle. In 1976, the Viscount Gort bequeathed the castle and its furnishings to the people of Ireland. A folk park with reconstructed buildings, some of which are actual buildings that have been moved to the site, provide a look at the traditional lives of people over a number of eras. There are many events held over the course of the year and ongoing medieval feasts and battles are part of these. Visit the Bunratty Castle website at https://www.bunrattycastle.ie/ to check it out. Inside the castle, several rooms have been restored to their former glory and one can climb to the top of the castle for a stunning view of the Irish landscape and to scope out which tower bedroom would be preferred should you have visited in medieval times. Don’t miss climbing both tower staircases to puzzle how two people could pass on them, let alone have a sword fight! One of the towers is a much larger living area which makes any master bedroom pale in comparison. The basement of the castle has some of its history, but also a great display of the steps and efforts made to restore the castle to its present-day state. The completeness of the castle, its activities and the surrounding folk village provide a rare glimpse into a more genuine representation of the times than movies would have us believe. The medieval feast is an activity not to be missed if there is only a chance to visit once. Hands and daggers are your utensils, and re-enactments of historical characters and entertainment complete the illusion of a medieval experience. Kick it up a notch and go in costume! Make sure to go well ahead of feast time so there is time to explore the castle and grounds before they are closed off for the evening feast. We did not do that when we were there with the kids – not realizing we should – and we missed a lot. Peter and I got separated early on as we toured different things. Wandering through the village, I began to wonder if Peter had been beheaded somewhere along the way for bad behaviour - I dunno....like stealing mead?. But then I glimpsed 2 hands in recognizable gestures through the door of the blacksmith shop. Sure enough, there he was, engaged in deep conversation with Seamus, the blacksmith. Seamus is shy, like me, 😉, which is why we spent a good half-hour in conversation. He is an avid genealogist and all-round good guy to talk with - friendly, welcoming and engaged. I know you will be shocked to learn there are tons of photos from Bunratty. I have tried to scale them down better that the 96 photos of the Skellig Islands tour, but I just couldn't do it. Though we did this on the same day as Bunratty Castle, I feel they deserve their own stories. It has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I have numerous photos from both… 😊
The Foynes Flying Boat and Maritime Museum is about the relentless pursuit of crossing the Atlantic by air. It celebrates the pioneers of early flight and the progress of passenger air travel. Charles Lindbergh is credited with making the first solo Atlantic crossing, which was swiftly followed with the desire to create airplanes that could carry passengers across the Atlantic. This museum celebrates the town of Foynes being at the center of the aviation world for several years. Their website has a wealth of information on the history of aviation. Visit https://flyingboatmuseum.com/our-history/ for more information than my paraphrased trivia bites here. Most of the information in this story comes from their site and museum story boards. Guess who else figures largely in Trans-Atlantic flight? Good old Newfoundland, Canada - the nearest point on the other side! The long and the short of it is that Foynes became a major airport for flights crossing the Atlantic, from the first mail flights to commercial passenger “flying boats”, welcoming celebrities, soldiers, refugees from WWII, and anyone else who could afford the fare. On site is the only replica in the world of the Pan-American Boeing B-314 Yankee Clipper that was the inaugural flight on April 11, 1939 to cross the Atlantic with passengers on board. Among the museum’s list of famous passengers welcomed to Ireland were a young, student JFK, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, Humphrey Bogart, Lord Mountbatten (British commander of the fleet), Ernest Hemingway, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Gracie Fields (British actress and singer). The museum also houses the Maureen O’Hara Exhibition - a staggeringly gorgeous display of Maureen O’Hara’s “life and times”. Personal possessions, including her Academy award, movie outfits and stories of her life fill several hundred square feet of space. Maureen O’Hara was a famous Irish actress who was in a ton of movies and an accomplished singer who made an indelible mark on Hollywood. She died at the age of 95, having cut the ribbon on the opening of the Museum and continuing the legacy by supporting it. Why? Because she was married to Captain Charles Blair, an American aviator who did much to establish the routes and navigation techniques for long-distance flight. He was killed in a plane crash in 1978. The uppermost floor of the museum has the maritime history of Foynes. There we learn the story of Colleen Bawn, who eloped with an aristocrat. His family didn't approve and he eventually had his servant take her out in a boat and murder her, dumping her stripped body into the river. Nice guy...not. This floor of the museum also pays homage to the Spring-Rice, O'Brien, and de Vere families who made important contributions to Ireland.
Back to flying boats. Many attempts were made to develop passenger planes that could cross the Atlantic. After the Hindenberg disaster, air ships were ruled out and not produced again. During the exploration of options, these trial planes were used for transporting mail or goods, but were not suitable for passenger transport. These planes took off from the water and used an immense amount of fuel to get off the ground, meaning there wasn’t enough for the actual trip across the ocean and to carry passengers and their cargo as well. Early on, it was identified that sufficient fuel was the biggest road block. Attempts to address this included:
In WWII, Ireland was neutral and Foynes ordered a blackout on media. It became a critical communication link between Europe and the US and a critical route for refugees during the war, enabling them to link to neutral countries or gain passage to North America. Oh! Foynes is also the home of the original Irish coffee! The museum has a little hologram reenactment of its creation. Apparently it's not a "real" Irish coffee unless it has Powers whiskey. They had the recipe painted on the wall publicly, so I feel comfortable sharing the photo for you. (See what I did there? Made you look through the pictures for a booze recipe. I didn't fall off the potato truck yesterday!) I didn't have one though - I was really tired that day and already having trouble staying awake in the car. What would Peter have done without his back seat driver?! I know I miss his advice when I'm driving (hang on while I push my nose back in - it seems to be growing). Please do visit their fascinating website packed with information. Otherwise, enjoy the many photos I invariably have to share! From Foynes, it was a short ferry ride across the Shannon to visit Bunratty Castle. But that's another story. Wow! A thousand times WOW! On the plane between Toronto and Heathrow, I looked at booking a Skellig Island landing tour and there were 2 spots available on the June 11th tour. By the time we landed in Dublin 7 hours later, there was only 1 spot available! So I booked it immediately for Peter as it was a really big deal for him, and booked myself on a boat tour around the Skelligs. As it’s 2.5 hours from where we are staying, we booked into The Old Cable House in Waterville, only a few kms from where we needed to be in the morning. As I had booked on price and this one was less, my expectations were low. They exceeded my expectations a hundred-fold! It is a family owned and operated business with a kick-ass restaurant. The whole place was gorgeous, clean and tidy, and the restaurant’s seafood mix with homemade pasta was to die for! Breakfast for me was salmon and eggs, with mushrooms and roasted tomato. Peter had the mini-Irish and we both left well satisfied (and the coffee was so good). The owner kindly provided us with a couple of bottles of water for our journey too. I can recommend a stay there 100%. (Plus it had a skeleton key for the door, so...no-brainer).
So, why is it such a big deal to get to the Skellig Islands? Because only about 50% of the scheduled tours are actually able to get there and make the landing due to the unpredictable weather, winds and currents of the ocean. The Skellig Islands are 12 kms off the west coast of Ireland in the wild Atlantic Ocean. And we had a beautiful, sunny day and calm oceans. Even better, they called just before boarding time to say there was a last-minute cancellation and I could come on the landing tour as well, if I wanted. Yes, please! So promptly at 10:00 a.m., we boarded the Skellig Crest with our captain, John, and tour guide, Chris, working with Skellig Island Tours. They were attentive, responsive and full of information about the islands, the wildlife, and being back to the dock at 1:55 p.m. if we didn’t want to spend the night on the island. One of the Skellig islands is a bird conservation area with thousands of sea birds. Gannets, guillemots, and puffins are the predominant ones. I did not know that gannets cannot take off from a landing spot. They drop off the cliff edge to fly. They mate for life and only have one egg per season, unless it is lost early in the season. Experience at tough love, they kick their babies out of the nest early, straight into the water. The young could spend up to 2 weeks in the water before learning to fly. At adulthood, they have a wing span of up to 6 feet, a reinforced skull that allows them to hit the water at 100 kph and “visors” that close over their eyes when they dive to protect their eyes. Apparently, the Concorde jet was designed with the same idea of the reinforced nose. Pretty dang cool! Sceilg Mhichil (Skellig Michael) is the larger island and the site of a monastery established in 600 AD and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. St. Fionan’s monastery is built at the very top of this island – 618(ish) steps up a sheer cliff face. It is a daunting task and no place for anyone with vertigo or acrophobia. The stairway is definitely an "L" road - slow down and move over to let anyone coming the other way pass if you don't want to tumble down the 750 ft cliff. The climb requires attention and care, but the monastery and views at the top are so worth it. The monks built and lived in beehive-shaped huts made from the surrounding stone and were self-sustaining, keeping rabbits and birds for eggs and food. There are two stairways to the top and the original one, now blocked from access is even scarier. With only occasional trading for skins to use for writing, they studied and prayed and remained isolated from the outside world for 600 years before abandoning the monastery in the 13th century. It's also the site of a Star Wars scene with "old" Luke Skywalker and from Skellig Michael, you can see the lonely, rugged slope in the middle of the ocean that was used to film the scene with Harry Potter and Dumbledore on their way to find Voldemort's cave containing a horcrux. Many beehive huts are still there and you can peek in side. The Manx Shearwater birds use some of these huts for nesting and the entrances are blocked because they don’t want tourists disturbing them. The population of the Manx Shearwater is in decline and so they strive to protect the nesting areas. The island is also covered with Puffins. These quirky little birds are more concerned about seagulls getting into their burrows and killing their pufflings than they are of the tourists. They readily sit and watch and even appear to pose when a camera comes out, keeping a watchful eye over their burrows. The monks had kept rabbits and since their departure, the puffins have taken over the rabbit burrows for their nesting. Other highlights were a pod of dolphins we saw on the way out, lighthouses built on Skellig Michael and a rare, special little loop in a gap between the islands that would never have been possible with rougher seas. On the way back, we had stellar views of the Kerry Cliffs, and a big signal tower built on a headland. The ride back was a bit choppier, but still very calm and the spray splashing over the boat occasionally was no problem for me as it fascinates me. All in all an amazing day. I have more stories to tell about this area, but they will have to wait for another day as I have a gazillion photos of just the Skellig experience! I'm all sun and windswept tired, so I'm not going to even try to pare them down. Enjoy! LIMERICK
♫ Oh, I would walk 500 miles and I would walk 500 more, just to be the one that walked 1000 miles to Irish sites and more. ♫ After today’s excursion, we’re certainly racking up thousands of steps, day after day. Avoiding rush hour traffic by heading out just after 9:00 a.m., we headed to Limerick to tramp the old city. Limerick, situated on the Shannon river not far from the west coast of Ireland, was founded in the early 10th century by the Vikings, as evidenced by archaeological evidence in the area. In 1165, the Normans invaded and captured Limerick. King Henry II began to be uncomfortable with the power his Earl’s in Ireland were showing and sent his son John to be Lord of Ireland and cement the idea that Ireland was under the control of the English King. Lord John began construction of King John’s Castle in 1200 on the banks of the river Shannon and walls were built to separate “English” town and “Irish” town. The arrival of the Normans changed everything for the Irish and the next several hundred years have been marked by violence and war in the struggle for control. An Irish rebellion under Garret Barry laid siege to the castle in 1642. Having no siege equipment, the rebels used the technique of undermining to collapse the castle walls. Exactly as it sounds, the rebels used a house close to the castle to begin digging a trench under the walls of the castle, using timbers to support the tunnels. This would weaken the wall and cracks would begin to form. They would then set fire to the timbers which could collapse the tunnel and the wall. The castle guards and inhabitants were plagued by illness and lack of reinforcements from the long siege and did not have a defensive force. Though they attempted to counter-mine and flood the rebels tunnel, they were not successful in deterring the undermining. Seeing the large cracks forming in the castle wall, the English surrendered before the wall was collapsed. The wall had to be pulled down anyway, due to its instability. In later centuries, the English re-took the castle and it was under siege on and off until King John signed the Magna Carta and it was finally abandoned. Eventually, a significant portion of the castle was restored for tourism. It is a very interesting display with lots of interactive displays explaining the history of Ireland. You can go under the castle to see where it was undermined and climb your way all the way to the top for a spectacular view of the city. A large courtyard area showed different activities that would have been done at the time. I was put into the stocks for some unexplained reason. I struggle with these landmarks. While in awe of the amazing feats of engineering, craftsmanship, and construction, I am continually appalled by the ruling class everywhere, but especially England. There is no reason to venerate, honour, or value royalty. They were just a bunch of brutal, ruthless psychopaths that cared about nothing but power and do not deserve respect for what they achieved through genocide and straight-up murder. I cannot respect that and respect myself at the same time. So much culture, language and self-governing law was lost to the English invasion of Ireland. For example, Ireland was a land of sophisticated education, craftsmen and legal system. Then along came the English and Christianity and set it all back. For example, under Brehon law, women were equals, with equal rights. Women’s rights are still fighting to recover from those in power who chose to use politics and religion to subjugate women and those they considered "lower class" - treating them like possessions and no better than animals fit only to serve and use. Disappointing that in this "enlightened" age, there is still so much evidence of it in society. The next stop on the tour was St. Mary’s Cathedral. Lisa greeted us with a map of the church and we had a great conversation with her. The original church on that site was a wooden church, with the stone church being constructed in the 1200s. We marveled at the incredible structure which again astounds you with its massive, beautiful construction in a day when there were only basic tools and muscle. Again, I struggle between awe at the beauty and construction and knowing that it was put there to serve the ego of the rich, the wealthy, and the powerful. Like armies, religion was used to control and suppress in the pursuit of power. You could literally buy your way into heaven. Hypocrisy at its best. Humanity is all the politics and religion I have any use for. I don’t care about your opinions about how to run the country. I don’t care what faith you practice. I care how you treat people. Period. End of story. So in the face of these marvelous cathedral creations, I have to let my eyes drink in the incredible beauty and think of the many common hands, talented craftsmen and patient faith that went into its construction. Mind-boggling. After a lengthy conversation and directions from Mike at the Cathedral, we felt well-armed to continue our old-town tour. Carrying on down the street, we stopped at the Milk Market and ordered a coffee and a dessert before sitting down to eat our picnic sandwiches. The Milk Market is the equivalent of a permanent farmer’s market, with local art and craft stores, coffee shops, ice cream shops, etc. Not quite in full swing yet, but will get much busier when tourist season is in full swing. Following a stroll around the Milk Market, we headed for the Hunt Museum. The Hunt Museum, I can get behind. John and Gertrude Hunt spent a lifetime collecting antiques, artefacts and art and formed the Hunt Museum Trust containing the outstanding collection and a building to house it on behalf of the people of Ireland. Throwing themselves into learning about history and culture across the world, their collections included thousands of artefacts, art, sculpture and history from all kinds of eras. John Hunt was fascinated with archaeology and participated in the excavation of Lough Gur, where we visited a few days ago. He also created the first replica of a neolithic house in Ireland and was instrumental in the restoration of Bunratty Castle, which is now a major tourist attraction in Shannon, Ireland. Want to see an axe from the stone age, or the iron age, or bronze age? Hunt Museum. Want to see original works by Picasso, Renoir, Gaugin, Moore? Hunt Museum. Want to marvel at a genuine medieval cauldron or the torques of Irish kings? Hunt Museum. Want to stand in awe of early Roman and Grecian sculptures? Japanese pottery? Trace the history of jewelry fads? You got it – Hunt Museum! In hindsight, I almost wish this was the first place we stopped rather than the last. It deserved more time and energy than I had by that point. Put it on your bucket list – it deserves to be there. By the end of the day, we were both worn out, with sore feet and full heads. Fortunately it was a short drive back home and we had leftovers for dinner! So much more ahead. I’m thinking we better pace ourselves or we’ll crash. Otherwise known as Aillte an Mhothair, or the Cliffs of Moher. I considered calling this blog 50 Shades of the Cliffs of Moher and then posting the 50 photos of the cliffs that I took as the weather changed from overcast and windy to rainy and windy, to sunny and windy, and back to overcast and windy with a bit of rain here and there. But I might disenfranchise my 5 fans if I did that, so decided to tell a story instead. 😊
If you are familiar with The Princess Bride movie (and if you aren’t, we can’t be friends), this is where Fezzik, played by Andre the Giant, hauls his two partners-in-crime and Princess Buttercup up the side of a rugged cliff from the ocean below. The Cliffs of Moher are also featured in the cave scene in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince where Dumbledore weakens himself to acquire a horcrux which turns out to be fake. (I'm assuming it's too late for a spoiler alert.) Of course, the Cliffs of Moher have featured prominently in Irish tourism much longer than either of those movies have been around. Millenia, in fact. Squillenia, if it comes to it. The simple story is that somewhere around 320 million years ago, layers of sand and silt were compacted into the sedimentary layers of shale and sandstone that make up the Cliffs of Moher. The cliffs rise at about 120 metres (390 feet) above the sea at Hag’s Head point and reach a staggering height of 214 (702 feet) at O’Brien’s tower at the other end. The cliffs run for approximately 15 kms end to end and are a sheer drop from the top. Unless of course, you are at the wrong spot and hit the sea stack on the way down. We were repeatedly advised to see them from the water, so booked ourselves on the Doolin Ferry Co. boat to do just that (photo of the ferry taken from their website). The power of the Atlantic Ocean heaving and swelling under us meant we not only got a tour, but a carnival ride too! As far as I know, everyone made the journey without any heaving of their own. We boarded the vessel at the pier and saw the Aran islands on our way out. The turnabout point was Hag’s Head and from there the tour guide told the story of the cliffs (as noted above). I still don’t see the Hag’s Head, even though he explained it. Perhaps I just didn’t want to be compared. There is also a massive sea stack, formed by the ocean eroding the rock into an arch. Eventually, the arch weakens and drops into the sea, creating a standing stack of stone that will continue to be whittled away by the wind and waves. We were once more awe-struck by the power of nature and the sheer magnitude of the cliffs. A fort was built at Hag’s Head sometime in the 16th century, but was eventually dismantled in the early 1800s to provide some of the material for building a series of watch towers along the cliffs. England, who was in control of Ireland at the time, was afraid Napoleon would use Ireland as a path to invade England. If a French fleet appeared, the watchman could light a fire at the top of the tower, which would alert the next tower, who would light a fire there, and so on, so that troops would be prepared for battle. That never happened, but the remnants of a tower or two remain. It would seem logical that O’Brien’s Tower, located at the highest point of the Cliffs of Moher would have been built for the same purpose. The truth is that it was built by the landlord of the area in 1835 as an observation point for tourists and continues with that purpose today. Having been impressed from below, we sought to be as impressed from above, so made our way to the visitor’s centre to walk the tops of the cliff. There is a large, paved viewing area with lots of steps and stunning photo ops from O’Brien’s tower to the Aran Islands and the lengths of the Cliffs of Moher. I was fascinated by the fossilized coral and shells in the stones of the steps and had to keep stopping and taking a photo. The massive slate slabs lining the trail also had fossil evidence, having been a sea bed at some point. In many of them, you could see the wave pattern from the water that shaped the sand before it was compressed into rock. A long, winding path leads the intrepid hiker along the 9 km trail to Hag’s Head. It is definitely an “L” path, bordered on one side by the aforementioned immense vertical slate slabs to encourage folks not to wander onto the cliff’s edge, and on the other by a farmer’s barbed wire and electric fence! As with “L” roads, it is single file only at many points, though it is unavoidable that at some point, you will have to pass others coming the opposite way. The fence wasn’t actually electrified, but it was terribly tempting to wait for a large group coming the other way, step aside to the fence and yell and jerk convulsively as though being electrocuted. On the other hand, someone might have been scared out of their wits, jumped over the slate slabs in alarm and fallen into the sea, and I would be responsible. I therefore restrained myself. Yours truly being fairly out of shape, the hike was reasonably rigorous with lots of uphill and downhill, so we turned around at the halfway point and headed back down. At the bottom of the cliffs there is a visitor’s centre and a few gift shops built into the side of the hill. It is pretty neat and I wandered through but resisted the urge to pick up swag. Particularly since I didn’t make it out of the picturesque little town of Doolin on the way in without dropping a fair few euros on a sweater from the Aran Islands. We arrived back in Croom and stopped at the local grocery store for an oven supper. There, by the front door, ensuring I would see them on the way in, the big meanies had oreo-filled donuts, and jam-filled donuts, and chocolate-filled donuts. I spent a good 48 seconds deciding on the chocolate-filled ones. Then home to have dinner (yes, I waited for dessert) and put our feet up while Nature decided to reward our strenuous day with a gorgeous sunset across the back yard. The reminder that the world will turn and the sun will rise and set no matter the problems of mice and men. |