Galway
Day 8 - July 2, 2017
As we headed to Galway enjoying the countryside scenery, we made a couple of stops along the way. The first stop was at the much anticipated Cliffs of Moher. The cliffs are one of the most recognized scenes from Ireland. It was amazing scenery! The breathtaking cliffs extend up to 650 feet above the Atlantic for a distance of five miles. I couldn't believe how some tourists take the chance to go around and under the barricades for the opportunity to plunge 650 feet off the cliff into the cold North Atlantic. Here are some pictures to the right.
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We continued on to Galway making another stop on the way. This stop was the Burren. Local guide Mary Howard told our group all about the Burren. The Burren is a 10-square mile limestone plateau. It was a very rocky place and it is hard to imagine how any one could exist in this landscape. However, the Burren is not barren. It supports a unique ecosystem with flora that has adapted since the last Ice Age, 10,000 years ago. Take a look at some pictures to the left.
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We arrived in Galway. Galway is an international city because one out of every four residents were born outside of Ireland. Galway is the county's main city with a population of 76,000 people. It is a university town and the region's industrial and administrative center.
Day 9 - July 3, 2017
This morning we hopped aboard a ferry to visit Inishmore, the largest of the three Aran Islands. It is nine miles long and 2 miles wide. When we arrived, we boarded a minibus for a tour of the island. On the right are some pictures from our tour of Inishmore.
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During our tour of Inishmore, we stopped to visit Dun Aenghus, a cliff-hanging Celtic fortress that is about 4,000 years old. It was just amazing. The stone fortress sits on the edge of a cliff 300 feet above the Atlantic. The fortress walls are 13 feet thick and 10 feet high. It is ringed with spiky stones to slow the advance of charging cavalry. Take a look at some photos to the left.
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Tomorrow we are heading to Westport.