Ireland Day 4

This was one of the most beautiful days we had in Ireland; from the Cliffs of Moher to The Burren we saw so many things and such different landscapes.  It was a gorgeous day weather wise too.

 
Grange Stone Circle 

This stone circle is the largest stone circle in Ireland.  It was built in the Bronze Age around 2000 B.C.  The circle is oriented NE/SW to align with the sun's rising and setting at certain times of the year.  The excavation indicated that the structure was use purely for sacred or religious purposes.
 

The best picture I could get of the two of us using the timer on the camera.

The full stone circle.

The Burren

The Burren National Park is a very unique landscape with a lot of stone and ancient rock structures.  

Right before we got to the rocky landscape.

These rocky hills looked a lot like cow manure to me.

There were a lot of stone barriers rather than hedges in this part of the country.

Poulnabrone dolmen

Still in The Burren, this portal tomb dates back to the Neolithic period, probably between 4200 BC and 2900 BC.  The slab on the top is about 12 ft long, and we have no idea how they could have gotten that rock up there.  It's pretty impressive!  There were bones of 33 different people found under the tomb when it was excavated.  The physical therapist that retired when Kenney started working in Wellington went to Ireland a few years ago and made a painting of this tomb for Kenney when we got back. 
 

The ground around the tomb was so cool.  I have never seen rock like this.  Water made the ground form this way.

The rocky grounds of The Burren

It was really kind of tricky walking around on this stuff.

Kenney found this portal tomb while we were driving through The Burren in the middle of a field.

Sitting all by itself.

We saw this ruin just on the side of the road.  No one was even stopping to look at it!

This is the painting that Pat made for Kenney.

Another narrow country road with tall hedges.

Lahinch Beach

We went and explored this beach town to each lunch and hang out while some of the crowds left the Cliffs of Moher.
  

The rocky shore of Lahinch Beach.

Cool bridge on the way to the beach town.

Cute little harbor.

Castle ruin we tried to find, but we couldn't get there.

Pretty ocean town.

Kenney next to Kenny's bar.

The yummy lunch we had before the Cliffs.

The Cliffs of Moher

These cliffs were absolutely breath taking!  It was a great day and fun to walk around the and see the view from several vantage points.  These cliffs are 700 feet tall, but it seems so high.  Apparently in Northern Ireland there are cliffs that are much higher, but they aren't as pretty.  We walked along the entire south side for a total of 5+ miles (a huge deal for this nonhiker).  It really helped to know that there are basically no snakes in all of Ireland!!
 

These people were crazy to walk out on this ledge and just sit there!  There is  nothing to keep them from falling.

In this one rocky section of the ledge there were tons of stone plies that people had made.

If you look closely and the dots on the picture those are people.  It kinda give perspective of how steep the cliffs are.

These people were just peering off the edge, but trying to be careful.

There's Kenney on the side.

The rain out in the ocean.

The other side of the cliffs.

In America there would be a huge barrier to keep people from falling off the edge, but it would take so much of the beauty away.  There was not!!

The field behind the cliffs.

There were birds hanging out all over the cliffs.

One of my favorite pictures.

Hag's Head.  This is one end of the walking path.  We met up with some American college students that were hitch hiking their way across Ireland, and made it from Dublin to the opposite coast to see the cliffs.  I would have never had to guts to do what these two girls were doing!

Kenney's photography skills.

O'Brien's Tower

Right when we made it to Hag's Head there was a little sprinkle and then this amazing rainbow.  We saw it touch the ground on both ends.  It even ended on top of a house on one side.

This was the last B&B we stayed in with the prettiest door!  I loved that so  many of the homes had bright and bold colored doors!  It was so fun to see all the different colors: red, purple, yellow, green, blue, etc!