51. Coast of Clare

Where: County Clare, Ireland

When: April 10, 2001

With: Loren, Doug, Jon, class field trip

Ahhh, the coast of County Clare. As I sit and write this post many years after taking this trip, I realize that while I may not remember what I thought I would be seeing when I woke up on the particular morning we drove through this county, I now know I was about to embark upon one of the prettiest days of travel in my life to date. In a rare Irish moment, we had a full day of sunshine to explore the amazing sights on a drive from Galway to Tralee through one of Ireland's prettiest counties. 

The first thing we drove through is a part of Ireland called the Burren. Resembling the lava fields of Hawaii, this massive expanse of land is covered in rocks left over from the Ice Age, mostly limestone. It takes up between 97-200 square miles and creates this crazy landscape of flat grey, dotted by plants and flowers that have learned to break through the cracks. 

 Scattered throughout the burren are these seemingly random rock formations, two tall stones balancing a flat one on top. This is actually a megalithic tomb, or a dolmen as they are called in Ireland. This guy is probably about 5,000-6,000 years old. 

Some green landscape, striking after seeing the Burren. Oh, and my favorite: sheep!

Riding along through the Burren, the road suddenly stops, as does the land, as if someone came and sawed it clean away. Exiting the bus, I saw ocean ahead, and as I stepped to the ledge, I saw one of the prettiest sights of my life to this day: the Cliffs of Moher. 

In the days of shooting in film, this was one I vividly remember as not having enough. And maybe for the best, because I would have stood there and gone through 10 rolls if I'd had them. This view was just amazing. The cliffs were so huge and I had no idea the Atlantic could be so turquoise outside of the Caribbean. 

To give this a touch of perspective, those tiny white marks in the sides of the cliffs are not just natural discolorations. Those are seagulls who have made their nests in the cliffs. 

Another problem of the mad cow disease epidemic that we were experiencing while in Ireland: we couldn't hike the cliffs at all. Normally, it is possible to walk them from end to end. However, to prevent the spread of the disease, all the pathways were closed. Again, perhaps for the best since I was out of film and my head may have exploded with the beauty.

So from our stationary vantage point, we took it all in. To the right of us sits O'Brien Tower. These signal towers were built all along the coast of Ireland in the early 1800s in anticipation of a potential invasion by Napoleon. Each one was built within eye shot of two others along the coast and they communicated through visual signals. While invasion never came, the towers are now iconic staples of the Irish coastline. 

My teacher, Mr. Touma, told us about a little known late-night comic at the time, Conan O'Brien, who had filmed a segment at the O'Brien Tower for his show. It actually has taken me until now to look up that video of Conan's return to his ancestral tower, and man, this clip is funnier than I ever could have dreamed. 

 Ah, nothing like some good old group shots to close out the visit. 

Loren and I. 

After being dragged back onto the bus from the cliffs, we continued to head south through Clare. The views were stunning as we really started to see the green of Ireland. 

Our next stop was at Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. The castle was built in the 1400s and remains the most complete and authentic castle in Ireland.

The inside has been refurbished to reflect what it may have looked like back in its heyday, with mostly 15th and 16th century furnishings adorning it. 

The solar room. 

After the castle, we meandered into Bunratty Folk Park, attached to the property with the castle. Meant to capture rural Irish life in the late 1800s, this little village of thatch roofed homes is an adorable stroll and made a lovely final stop through this gorgeous county of Ireland. 

County Clare, you stole my heart, and continue to hold it all these years later.