Tour to the Cliffs of Moher, Ireland

The day after going to the Inis Mor island, we took a 10 hour tour on a bus (this was the beginning of my 'bus butt', to the Cliffs of Moher.  These cliffs are over 700 feet high, sheer rock walls going into the sea.  The paths along the tops of the cliffs are fenced with either chain link of slabs of rock over 3 feet high, to keep people from the edges which are crumbling and falling into the Atlantic.  Sixteen people fell off (or jumped off) the cliffs last year, and so far, 6 this year. Suicide is a big problem in Ireland.  There are signs saying if you need someone to talk to, there's a number to call.  That was scary. The cliffs stretch over 5 miles along the Atlantic.  The sound track to the Cliffs are sea gulls, crying.  they sound like hurt puppies.  On the way to the Cliffs, we went through the Burren, a large area of flat limestone slabs, criss-crossed by cracks.  It's like pavement, and stretches for miles and miles.  In that area are 90 tombs, dolman monuments, and ring forts .  In all the cracks, grasses and flower grow, so while you'd think it would be bare, it's actaually quite colorful.  We also stopped at the ruins of Dunguaire Castle, a portal tomb called The Dolman, the High Crosses at Kilfenora and we ate a good lunch at a tour stop. These cliffs have been featured in several movies, Ryan's Daughter, Princess Bride and Harry Poter and the Half-Blood Prince.  Even at low tide, there's no beach to walk along like they did in Ryan's Daughter.  They are the most popular tourist attraction in Ireland, and the reason I wanted to go to West Ireland, basing ourselves in Galway.  I had to choose between seeing the cliffs or Newgrange, near Dublin, but as you'll see in the next blog, we got to Newgrange anyway.  Even though it was a long day, lots of hours on the bus, and such, it was very much worth it.  I would go again in a heartbeat.  Photos in next blog.