Ireland Part 2 - Foolin' around in Doolin

Before we get too far into 2008, we have a little bit of catching up to do from last year. You may remember a post back in August entitled "Ireland Part 1 - Attack of the Leprechauns" - well, here's the long awaited follow up!

After our disastrous Ryanair flight delay, we enjoyed a much needed sleep-in on the Saturday. This we followed up with a hearty full Irish breakfast, cheerfully delivered by our hosts, and we were ready to face the day. A glorious warm sunshine awaited us, and we discovered that tiny, rural Doolin and the surrounding countryside has lots to recommend it.

We visited the Burren with its stony landscape and ancient megalithic tombs:













And marvelled at the sheer beauty of the Cliffs of Moher:

A short ferry ride out to Inisheer, the smallest of the Aran Islands, showed us just how many dry stone walls it's possible to cram into a relatively small space. The effect is very picturesque, and makes it an excellent place for rambling.


We even found time to squeeze in a game of golf, hopefully not disturbing the cows too much.

There were a few drawbacks to Doolin's remoteness, most notably discovering the nearest ATM was in a town 15 miles away... But this was easily forgiven as we found ourselves in a friendly pub enjoying the rousing traditional Irish music that Doolin is famous for.

This part of Ireland is incredibly peaceful and unspoilt, and the people are so genuinely warm and friendly. It really is how you imagine Ireland should be.