| This was definitely my favorite place in Ireland, and possibly my favorite part of the
entire trip. Doolin is a very small town (really only one main road and probably a population of a few hundred) on the West coast of Ireland. The main tourist attraction is the Cliffs of Moher which are 700 feet high (!) and just a few miles South. However, Doolin is also known for being one of the centers for traditional Irish music. There are many pictures on this page, mostly of the cliffs, but it's well worth the wait to see them all! I took the bus from Killarney in the afternoon, and we arrived in the area of Doolin just in time to see this gorgeous sunset. And that night, after getting a room at a lovely B+B, Atlantic View (right near the coast with a gracious host, a delicious breakfast, and only 12 pounds/night - about $18!), I went to the nearest of Doolin's three pubs (Gus O'Connors). Had myself a delicious dinner, and then for desert, apple pie and a REAL Irish coffee (coffee, Jameson Irish whiskey, and fresh whipped cream - yum!). Then I got the real treat - listening to an outstanding group of musicians playing traditional Irish pieces (below). 
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| The next day I took one of THE most incredible walks in my life. In the drizzle, mist, and blowing winds (typical Irish weather), I walked to the cliffs and then back to Doolin. I walked to the cliffs using the main road for what must have been about 5 miles (took me over an hour - much longer than I expected). Unfortunately, when I arrived, I discovered how touristy the cliffs are - they have a store, restaurant, and parking lot, and there were lots of people there. So on the way back, I took this very small, path called the Burren Way (I had meant to take this path to the cliffs, but made a wrong turn). This path is what was so incredible - for something like 2 miles, I was walking INCHES from the edge of the cliffs. I did not come across a single soul while on the path (except a couple goats and sheep), and I thoroughly enjoyed the rush of adrenalin and emotion that I experienced. The following pictures trace my walk to and from the cliffs. The first (right) is of a small tower that, according to my B+B host, was bought by a rich American tabacco company owner. This 80-something year old man renovated and modernized it to become his "summer home", to which he takes a new 20-something year old blond beauty every year (and introduce her to the local parish). Go figure. Below the tower is a picture of the B+B I stayed in. Hee hee, just kidding. Actually, they are the ruins of a house, long ago abandoned (though not completely uninhabited - there was garbage and some old clothes in the roofed section). It's just so cool how these houses from centuries ago are still standing there. Below is a calf I saw while walking along the road (just to the left of the white cow). It was just so cute! 
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  More ruins.. 
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| And finally...the cliffs! Breathtaking...
Below is a tower that was actually built about 100 years ago for tourists (no joke!). There's another tower a few miles south that was built as a watch tower, but I didn't go see that one.  And here is another shot from the tower. The path I took back to Doolin, the Burren Way, follows that wall that extends past the cement walkway (I walked on the left side of that wall).  More shots of the cliffs...  Below is me playing the Irish whistle (bought in Doolin of course). Ahh..this is the life! The camera wasn't so easy to set up though with the wind blowing as hard as it was. To the right is a shot of the area where I was sitting (I think). The yellow dot marks the spot.  Some more shots taken from that same place where I played the whistle.  Unfortunately, I ran out of film about half way back, but I got most of the good shots. |
 Here is a shot from the tourist tower.     Inches from the edge... 
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