We expected to tour Inishmore for the day, returning to Doolin on the 4:30 ferry. The day turned out to be surprising with another night in Inishmore.
5 miles, on and off rain, 62 degrees, humidity 81%.
Richard’s ReLive video is here: https://www.relive.com/view/vDqg2NQxXG6
At breakfast we got a phone call from our hiking company letting us know that no ferries were going to Doolin today. However, they were altering hotel reservations and making changes: we could stay another night in our room, and they booked the 9:50 ferry tomorrow, and alerted our Doolin accommodation that we would not make our Tuesday night reservation but would arrive mid-morning Wednesday to pick up our luggage. They booked the taxi that expected to move our luggage for us as well, since so much of our day was lost to logistics and we could only walk a partial day.
The video above gave us some insight into why ferries were not operating from Doolin. Its harbor has very little protection and the seas from the remnants of Hurricane Erin were wreaking havoc. Several cars in the car park were covered by waves, and the road into Doolin’s port was littered with rocks from the sea wall.
After our difficulties with long walks, we had already decided we would take a “hop on, hop off” bus tour. Unlike those in the US, your driver works with you to customize the tour. He had some customers to get to an afternoon ferry, but we were fine staying a bit longer at the fort and being picked up later. Bertie was our bus driver.
This postcard aerial image shows the stone fort, Dun Aonghasa, on the edge of the 100 meter cliff. It is constructed of limestone and dates from 1100 BC. Articles attributed to the Bronze Age and Iron Age have been found here.
There is a steep and rocky path leading to the fort interior.
The site is added to the National Monuments of Ireland.
There are sweeping views up and down the island from the fort.
This thatched roof cottage near Dun Aonghsa, has been converted to a restaurant where we had a lunch of soup and a salad.
This local church ruin dates from the 10th to 12th century.
our next stop, giving us time for exploring, is called Seven Churches. All are in ruins, some with almost nothing left, but it includes current graves as well as ancient ones
Bertie, our guide, explained that there are no undertakers on Inishmore and the families take care of their own. Autopsies and embalming are done in Galway, then bodies are returned to the island for families to bury their loved ones.
These four stones are some of the oldest here. One is a 9th century cross slab testifying to the fame of the Aran schools which attracted students from Imperial Rome.
Another stone cross from the 8th/9th century commemorates Thomas the Abbot.
Bertie also explained that even in these roofless and windowless structures, some people choose to get married. Hope for no rain!
After Bertie let us off, we headed to the bar for refreshment.
We had our last Inishmore dinner at Joe Watty’s Bar. We both had seafood chowder and shared deep fried Brie.
This is the view from our sitting room at the Dormer House. The SPAR market is to the left with seats to the right for patrons to enjoy their purchases. The sky still shows signs of the storm.
4 Responses
What a change in weather! We did not know that Hurricane Erin was going to your area. Wow!!! Glad you were safe and flexible. Beautiful country and interesting churches. Thanks for sharing!
It has been quite a change in weather. Evidently US hurricanes can cause “storms” here, but people seemed to be surprised by the seas. It has knocked out the high pressure system that was keeping the weather warm and dry, and now we can expect days of rain. I’m still hoping for some more moderate weather.
Sounds like your tour company is on top of things. Sorting out all the changes on your own would have been challenging. Always have enjoyed visiting the old structures and ruins. The history of Europe far exceeds what we see in our country. Love the sunset pictures you always seem to take. Dan
Our tour company came through with flying colors. They understood our needs (like most of our luggage was left at Doolin) and set the stage so we had a chance to reshuffle before the taxi arrived to take us to the next accommodation. I have no idea how they handled all the logistics—we were never asked to pay for any of the services.
We still visit every church we can and appreciate the similarities and differences, even in the ancient ruins.