September 11, 1998

September 11, 1998

Today we drove south past Galway, Ireland and stopped near Kinvarra at Dunguaire castle. It is picturesque, perched on the shore of Galway Bay. It used to be the home of one of the legendary kings of Connaught, one of the four provinces of old Ireland.

We then drive west into County Claire and through the Burren. The Burren is a large rocky area of Karst limestone flats that were bulldozed bare by glaciers during the last Ice Age. Lots of piled up stones called cairns and a few tombs are scattered across this treeless expanse. It is raining, making it hard to appreciate. We continue down the coast to the Cliffs of Moher. These coastal cliffs are the more famous but I think the Downpatrick Head area is more dramatic. We spend the night at a B&B near Bunratty Castle outside Shannon.