This is the fifth installment in the Ireland Series about studying abroad in Galway, Ireland. Read Part I
here.
FIVE MILES along the southwestern coast of County Clare rises
a stunning stack of bluffs over the ocean: the famous Cliffs of Moher. Shale
and sandstone pile on top of one another like a perilous Jenga game, and the
result is dramatic overhangs and hollowed-out caves along a three
million-year-old river bed. They tower 390 feet (120 meters), and at their
tallest 702 feet (214
meters) toward the north by O’Brien’s Tower. Princess Bride or Harry Potter Movie #6 Fans? You no
doubt remember these cliffs making a memorable performance.
The Cliffs are about an hour and a half to the south of
Galway in County Clare. Bus Éireann Route #350 travels there after making stops
in Galway and the surrounding towns. We took a day-long tour there via Arcadia
University, and pulled into a large parking lot complete with a Visitor’s
Center. Children under 16 are free, students and seniors are 4 euros, and adults
are 6 euros. The Cliffs of Moher Information Office also offers deals that
include transportation and ticket. There is also a fee to enter O’Brien’s
Tower, a popular look-out point for photographers (Adult 2; Child 1 euro).
Refreshments, mini museums, souvenir shops, and picnic tables are available in
and around the Visitor’s Center. I include the main Information Office website at the bottom of this page.
For our group, we were content just meandering along the
path and snapping photos. The Cliffs stretch around 5 miles down the coastline.
There are always new parts of the Cliffs that will capture your attention, and
lighting at the different times of day also adds another unique aspect. If
you’re a big hiker, you might make it as far as the puffin colony. There’s also
a surf spot here, Aill Na Searrachor, or its nickname,
“Aileen’s.” Jet Ski tow is recommended, since the waves can reach up to 30
feet, but real pro surfers have been known to paddle out, too. I’d be too busy
gazing at a bottom-up view of the cliffs to pay attention to the waves!
Our daredevil stunts mostly consisted of taking dramatic
poses on the precarious outcrops. Warning signs are posted everywhere around
unstable rock, but tourists from around the world pretty much ignored them.
This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend time on the Cliffs seemed to bring
out taking once-in-a-lifetime photo opps, too.
We only spent around two hours at the Cliffs, not nearly
enough time if planning to take the hike down to Hag’s Head and out to
Liscannor Village. The Cliffs Coastal Trail stretches about 7.4 miles (12
kilometers) and takes around 3 hours. I’d recommend an independent adventure to
pencil this gorgeous cliff-side walk in, and make sure to bring gear for
blustery winds and rains.
When we arrived back in Galway, I found a new email waiting
for me. My uncle had arrived to help paint his friend’s place in Sligo, and
he’d invited me up for a visit. I’d been looking forward to meeting his “Irish
family” for some time now, so I heartily agreed! But first, there was an upcoming trip to Cork to look forward to.
To be continued…
Disclaimer: The above is presented as fiction, not fact.
Sources:
“Cliffs of Moher,” Cliffs of Moher Information Office,
accessed July 25, 2014, http://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/.
“Cliffs of Moher,” Wikipedia Foundation, July 15, 2014,
accessed July 25, 2014, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliffs_of_Moher.
