Once we arrived in Dublin we dropped our bags off at the hotel, walked around for a bit waiting for everything to open up, and then took a 3.5 hour walking tour of the city. Our tour guide knew so much about the history of not only Dublin but Ireland in general. We went by the Dublin Castle where the British stayed and ran the government when Ireland was still under British rule. The castle garden immediately behind the building used to be connected to the river, and when the Vikings arrived hundreds of years ago that is where they landed. Since the water was so dark they named the city Dublin which means dark pool. We also visited Christ Church Cathedral, which was set up by the Vikings and at one time a Catholic church that was used for many purposes over the years and has been a prime example of the relationship between alcohol and religion in Ireland. A couple prominent families who owned alcoholic companies, such as the Guinness family, lived in Dublin and used their money to renovate some of the old churches and restore them to their original glory. It seemed that religion had always played a large role in Irish society so it was neat to hear how everything tied together. A few other sites we stopped by include Trinity College, the government building, and some monuments commemorating the potato famine. It was a wonderful tour and I learned a great deal. I truly could not have asked for a better introduction to the city.
The second day we were in Ireland we took a day trip outside of Dublin to visit the countryside and the Cliffs of Moher. I can not put into words how beautiful the cliffs are; I was absolutely amazed when I saw them. Along the way we stopped in Galway city, at the Dunguaire Castle, Poulnabrone Dolmen a stone age burial tomb dating back 6,000 years, and the Burren Mountains. In the mountains we took an hour long hiking tour and had a beautiful view. From our hike we could see the ruins of an old monastery tucked away where the underground rivers sprang up as well as the Kinvara village where there is an annual boat race in the small fishing village. We also learned about the rock walls that are everywhere. There area has a great deal of limestone rock, and so people have used it to build walls surrounding their homes, separating their land from others, and cordoning off different sections of their land. During the potato famine the farmers in this area had a bit of extra food so they decided to pay workers to come build rock walls up through the mountains in exchange for food. These walls serve no purpose, but it was a way for them to help their fellow countrymen survive this hard time. Lastly we visited a fairy tree. It's a special type of fig tree and it's believed that if you tie something to it when you have a problem the fairies will help to solve it. I really think it could be nice to have one in Lincoln and try it out. Everywhere we went we were surrounded by ancient sites and beliefs; there is just so much history even in the mountains!
Following the mountains we continued on our way to the Cliffs of Moher. We passed several more castle ruins along the way and finally arrived at our main destination. From the cliffs you can see the Aran Islands where the Irish Gaelic language is still spoken today. The cliffs themselves are 214 meters high at their tallest point and span 8 kilometers. I can honestly say that from every point on the cliffs there is a breath taking view. It was truly one of the most beautiful sceneries I've ever seen. Someday I hope to make it back to Ireland to see more of the countryside and perhaps make a visit to the city of Wicklow where the movie P.S. I Love You was based and filmed. Until then I will continue to think about all the great information and sites I saw this past weekend.
The pictures below include the Dublin Castle, Christ Church Cathedral, the Burren Mountains showing the old monastery, the fairy tree, four images of the Cliffs of Moher, and the remains of the Dunguaire Castle. Enjoy!
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