St. John's Castle on the banks of the River Shannon
An original Irish cottage... or what remains of it. At the time this tiny one-room cottage was occupied, it would have housed a mother, father, and approximately sixteen children, because, as my tour guide pointed out, there were no T.V.s.
The Burren: from the gaelic Boireann, meaning "great rock", approximately 250 square kilometers (over 155 miles) of limestone that 700 million years ago (when Ireland was under water) was the original sea floor.
How do you know you're in Ireland? You're on a tour bus and there's a random cow grazing at the side of the road. Let's name her Henrietta.
The Cliffs of Moher: The crown jewels of Ireland. Over 820 feet high and almost 5 miles long, this part of the west coast of Ireland plunges straight into the Atlantic.
If you've seen Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, this part of the Cliffs is a star in it. They are also the Cliffs of Insanity in the movie The Princess Bride.
Tower built by Cornelius O'Brian, the landlord of the Cliffs and many many miles around them, and the first person to profit from the Cliffs by charging people to get to the top of the tower. Here's a little fun fact about Corney O'Brien (as he was called):
Corney O'Brien was a good landlord, for the most part. When it came time to collect the monthly rent, most tenants paid him. The ones who didn't however, had to pay the price. Corney would require that the lady of the house spend a... er... night of passion with him in exchange for the rent.
Upon his demise, his people built a monument in his honor. It is now affectionately called...
Horny Corney's Last Erection
(I did not take this photo, just FYI)
Just to give you a little idea of how huge these cliffs are... look at the tower now.
My telephoto lens rocks. 'Nuff said.
A might be expected, the Cliffs are one of the most popular suicide sites in Ireland. Sad I know. So, posted all over the paths and surrounding areas are these signs. Samaritans is a phone number you can call and talk to a counselor in your hour of need. In a wonderful display of Irish irony, however, there are no pay phones anywhere near the Cliffs, and until very recently, there was no cell signal...
Bunratty Castle... which, sadly, due to the growth of civilization, is really just an old castle in a parking lot. My how history has suffered under the oppresive thumb of progress.
A few other interesting facts:
We drove through a town which was once home to an inventor. One day he was on an airplane (this was sometime in the 1950s) sitting next to a very obnoxious woman. She complained about everything... the plane, the food, the flight attendants, even the other passengers. All this man could think was "If only I had a little button I could press to shoot this broad right through the roof." Thus, the ejector seat was invented, and this invention has saved over 7,000 lives to date. Thank heavens for obnoxious broads.
They say the drink "Irish Car Bomb" is offensive and inaccurate. Well, last night in Belfast, a car bomb exploded outside a courthouse.
Limerick is another "rough" area. Last night (a busy night for reporters) there was a gang shooting at a gas station. We drove right past it this morning.
Lisdoonvarna may be a small town, but it is famous for one thing: matchmaking. Willy Daly prides himself on founding Europes biggest singles festival, which goes on for a whole month in this little village.
And so, it is with a heavy heart that I conclude my final Irish post. When next you read me, I will be writing from the good old U. S. of A. I hope you've had as much fun traveling with me as I've had actually being here.
Don't worry, and Irish recap and reflections are coming soon.
Cheers, darlings!
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