Week 488 · Limerick · Doolin · Cliffs of Moher · Boat & Hike
Cliffs of
Our AirBnB in Limerick was a bit different — it started off with the host sending a link to go pre-pay the electricity. After I whined, he said he'd do it and I could pay later. Then all of the hot water needed to be turned on from either a gas water heater or an electric tankless water heater — neither worked well. After a bit we suspected it was a council flat — so that was a first for me.
Another surprise on our Uber ride home — our driver was providing a bit of a tour and he said he had moved to Limerick 24 years ago from Malaysia and it was now home. Then he pointed out his old office — he was previously the deputy mayor and was now running for mayor — he usually did two fares a day, one into work and one home. The next morning we did a quick walking tour and, as Terry advised us, a crowd was gathering for the big hurling game of Limerick vs Cork as we were leaving town.
Our driver was providing a bit of a tour. He said he had moved to Limerick 24 years ago from Malaysia and it was now home. Then he pointed out his old office — he was previously the deputy mayor and was now running for mayor. He usually did two fares a day — one into work and one home.
A crowd was already gathering for the big hurling game of Limerick vs Cork as we were leaving town the next morning.
We headed out to the Cliffs of Moher in the late morning — we decided on a boat ride first, then the official national park. Both were excellent but the boat pictures don't do it justice. In between we had lunch in a small town called Doolin.
The Cliffs of Moher stretch for 14 kilometres along the Atlantic coast of County Clare and reach a maximum height of 214 metres at Knockardakin. They are the most visited natural attraction in Ireland, receiving approximately 1.5 million visitors annually. The cliffs are home to one of Ireland's largest seabird colonies — including puffins, razorbills, and guillemots — with over 30,000 breeding pairs. The site has been used as a film location most notably as the "Cliffs of Insanity" in The Princess Bride (1987). The cliffs were formed approximately 320 million years ago from alternating layers of Namurian shale, siltstone, and sandstone, giving them their distinctive horizontal banding visible from the water.
After we went to the national park, we were driving south to investigate if there was additional access — and there was. Similar to the Kerry Cliffs, a farm that charged to park and hike out to the cliffs provided great views. Another glorious day and we headed to Galway about 3 hours later than planned.
"Both were excellent but the boat pictures don't do it justice. The farmer's land hike was an unexpected bonus — well worth it."