From Galway we headed south to Dunguaire Castle, a tower house built in 1520. It wasn't used for military defense, but rather to protect the livestock at night from wolves and thieves. The views of the Burren from the tower were impressive. Next we entered the Burren, a barren area in northwest County Clare. The landscape reminded me of the hardened lava field I saw in Hawaii years ago. Edmund Ludlow once said of the area, "There is not enough water to drown a man, wood enough to hang one, nor earth enough to bury him."
Next we visited the Cliffs of Moher, 120 meter high cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Despite being a definite tourist trap and very crowded, they are well worth a visit. You can climb a small tower for a small fee, but the view from the top is roughly the same as from below. While it is possible to walk along the edge of the cliffs, we stuck to the paved sidewalks. Supposedly wind gusts can blow people of the cliffs fairly easily, and a 120 meter fall to a watery grave didn't sound appealing to us.
We took the Shannon Dolphin Car Ferry across the Shannon Estuary and saw dolphins from the ferry. I then drove through the mountains on the way to Dingle. The southwestern portion of Ireland is by far the most beautiful. Even the views from the road were breath-taking. We stayed at the Lantern Townhouse, a small bed and breakfast in Dingle. It was a very nice place, and the breakfast in the morning was substantial. We went out to eat at a pub down the street which was good and then headed out to celebrate my dad's birthday. The pubs we went to, Dingle Pub and John Benny Moriarty's, had good live music, good beer, and a friendly atmosphere. Dingle is definitely a place I'd recommend visiting -- it is the place you think of when you picture laid-back Irish life.
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| Dunguaire Castle Dining Room | View from Dunguaire Castle | Cliffs of Moher | Cliffs of Moher | Cliffs of Moher |
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| Cow with Windmills | Lighthouse from Ferry | Farmland near Dingle | Sheep being Herded | Farmland near Dingle |