After another good breakfast, we hit the road. Our main attraction for the day was the Cliffs of Moher, but we planned some stops before and after. Weather was good, no rain, but lots of clouds.

Dunguaire Castle – It was built in 1520 by the O’Hynes clan on the picturesque shores of Galway Bay. This restored 16th century tower house sits on a rocky outcrop. It was used in the 1969 Walt Disney movie Guns in the Heather, featuring Kurt Russell, in which the castle was featured as Boyne Castle. It was also the Scottish castle home of the main character in the 1979 film North Sea Hijack. Carol and George walked to the top, while mom and I meandered around the grounds.

The Burren – we planned to see a tomb in the national park after the Cliffs of Moher, but our GPS took us to the town of Ennis. It was adorable, and Mohammed Ali had visited the town because his great grandfather hailed from Ennis. But it was not the Poulnabrone Dolman tomb. We did drive around some of the burren. It was odd to see green hills bump up against gray limestone. The craggy terrain of the Burren is famously lunar in its appearance, its cracked grey stone peaking for acres upon acres. Formed millions of years ago beneath the sea, the unique landscape means that farming here is unique. We wish we’d seen more, but maybe our next visit.

Cliffs of Moher – we arrived around noon, and while the parking lot was full and there were a number of tour buses, it didn’t feel too crowded. The cliffs rise 214 meters or 702 feet. It is Ireland’s greatest tourist attraction, and is spectacular, we all found the Slieve League to be just as amazing. The official Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk runs for 18 km, from Hag’s Head to Doolin, passing the Visitor Center and O’Brien’s Tower. We only viewed the section closest to the visitors center. The cliffs consist mainly of beds of shale and sandstone, with the oldest rocks being found at the bottom of the cliffs. During the time of their formation between 313 to 326 million years ago, a river dumped sand, silt and clay into an ancient marine basin. To the third section. When mom and I saw the danger signs, we chose not to go further.

We had a delicious lunch at Joseph Mchughs in the small town called Cosy. We then drove through Ennis and headed for Dromoland Castle, our accommodations for the night.

Dromoland Castle – The present castle was constructed in 1835, but the first building on the land dates back to the 15th or 16th century. This place was much nicer then our first castle, and the service was top notch. Mom and I walked the grounds, Carol and George went to the gardens and did some shopping. Our dinner was delicious. Tomorrow, before checkout, Carol and I will try our hand at falconry.