Galway via Aran Islands

Wednesday, 28 August 2019

What a great nights sleep.  It might have been the most comfortable bed we have had in Ireland.  We showered, dressed, and went downstairs to a really nice continental breakfast.  After breakfast we finished packing and was out in the car ready to leave by 9:30 AM...right on time.

The drive to the ferry station was only 10 minutes and before we knew it, we were off to the Aran Island of Inisheer.  We originally planned on going to the larger island of Inishmore, but the ferry would have taken us 1.5 hours.  Instead, we decided on Inisheer, the smallest of the Aran Islands, since it was only a 30 minute ride giving us more time to explore the island.  Of course, when we went and bought the ferry ticket, we fell for the up-sale of a tour of the Cliffs of Moher for only €10 extra.  Oh well...it will be cool to see the cliffs we walked on top of yesterday from the water.

We boarded the ferry before 10 AM.

Our Aran Island ferry

Here are some views of the island we are visiting today.

After just 30 minutes of pretty smooth sailing, we arrived at Inisheer.  As soon as we stepped off the boat, there were men hocking horse-drawn wagon rides and tours of the island.

Having the Rick Steves book we didn't need any guided tour since he provided one in the book.  Also, since we picked the smaller island, everything is walking distance from the pier.

Heading out for a walking tour

The first stop was O'Brien's Castle (1400s), which or course was at the highest point on the island, so up we walked.  With these views, we looked forward to climbing higher.

The castle

We made it, and the views were worth it.

We walked up the hill a bit more to a Napoleonic Tower built in the early 1800s to watch for a French invasion.

Next stop is a cemetery with a sunken church in the center of it...what?!?  I guess we will have to wait and see what that means.   Meanwhile, the walk was incredible.

And here we are.  The St. Cavan's Church was built in the 11th century and is now sunken in a sandpit in the middle of the cemetery.  Pretty cool.

The next stop is pretty cool as well.  The shipwrecked An Plassy freighter washed on shore in 1960.  All the crew was saved, and the ship was washed high on the shore where it sits today.

We continued on the same road that the horse and carriages use to return to the pier.  More beautiful walking.

Here are a couple of nature photos Tim took.

We made our way around the road and down to the beach close to the pier.

We had about 1 hour until our ferry left, so we headed to the pub for a couple of pints.  30 minutes later we arrived at the pier and they hurried us onto the boat.  This boat is smaller than the one we took out here.  I didn't really care since it still seemed large and the ride out here was smooth.

Our second ferry.

However, as soon as took off the seas were anything but smooth.  To get to the Cliffs of Moher we were going parallel to the swells, so the boat was rocking left and right a lot.  The back of the boat where most was sitting was getting splashed with water with a few people getting drenched.  The few people inside the cabin were getting sick and had to try to come out for air.  It was really not fun.  I finally asked the deckhand what time we would be returning to the dock. He said after 3 PM.  It was now only 2:15 PM.  I told him that I doubted anyone would be unhappy if this sightseeing tour was cut short due to the the rough seas.  He looked around at the peoples faces and agreed.  He rushed inside to tell the captain to head downwind towards the pier.  As soon as we turned, the swells were behind us and it was a bit better.

We then got to somewhat enjoy the views of the Cliffs of Moher, but for most people it was too late and they just sat in their seats waiting to dock.  The views were magnificent and it was cool seeing where he hiked (above the cliffs) yesterday from this angle.

we finally docked back in Doolin about 2:45 PM.  We all were feeling the world swaying for quite some time after.  It was difficult getting in the car and driving the windy road even being in command.  I don't know how my passengers did it.

While planning this trip I found a nice sounding pub on the way to Galway.  Since none of us has really eaten since breakfast, we stopped at Cassidy’s Pub & Restaurant.  Tim had a steak sandwich, Barbra had a goat burger, and Christine and I had goat cheese tartlets.  It was a really good meal.

Ordering lunch

Next stop is Kilcolgan where we have to drop Christine off at a bus station because she is flying home tomorrow.  Google maps said it should take us 35 minutes to get from the pub to the bus station and Christine's bus was scheduled to arrive in 45 minutes, so we paid our bill and headed to Kilcolgan.

Everything started out good until we made a turn onto a very narrow lane.  The GPS said we would only be on this road for a couple of minutes, so we weren't concerned.  Then we came to our turn and turned onto an even narrower lane.  Narrow as in one lane with grass growing down the center and hedges on both sides.  Check it out:

Needless to say, we didn't make it to the bus station on time.  No big deal since the next bus is only 1 hour later. We got gas and decided that the bus station looked safe enough, so Christine agreed to get dropped off and let us continue on our way.  We said our goodbye and Tim, Barbra, and I were on our way to Galway.

About 15 minutes later Christine texted and said that she was on the bus.  It turns out that the bus was late, so she made the bus we thought we missed.  Good deal.  We made it to Galway, parked the car, and checked into the hotel which happens to be a hostel.  The room is plain and simple, but it will do for 1 night.

After checking in, we headed out for a Galway walk following the narration in Rick Steves' book.   Here is what we saw on the tour:

This is Eyre (pronounced air) Square, Galway's main, park-like square.

Of course there is a monument to JFK.  He visited Galway and gave a speech in this park a few months before being assassinated.

A little USA in Ireland.

This is Williams Gate, the main pedestrian street going through Galway.

Williams Gate

Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas, built in 1320 is just off Williams Gate and named for ST. Nicholas the patron saint of sailors.  Christopher Columbus is said to have worshiped here in 1477.

Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas

At the end of Williams Gate is the River Corrib.  It was roaring.  We guessed it is a tidal river and the tide was going out.

Spanish Arch is by the river and is the last remaining piece of the old city wall.

Spanish Arch

We walked down this street to check out the view at the end.

At the end of the street we noticed this boats parked.  Notice the stones sticking out of the water in front of the boats?  Tim thinks it is a wall that keep the water in this area during low tide to keep the boats afloat.  Interesting.

Back to Eyre Square and we noticed this statue of a sad looking man.  Barbra and I wallowed in his sadness.

We were all kind of tired, so we headed back to our room.  Tomorrow we are supposed to double back to Cassidy's Pub to do a hike in the barren area, after driving those tiny roads today, and the weather is not supposed to be the best, we decided to skip the hike.  Instead we will head north and take the scenic route to Westport, our stop for tomorrow night.  So, until then...