Inis Oirr Morning and the Cliffs of Moher
23 September 2018
We woke up at our B&B on Inis Oirr and rinsed off at the sink in lieu of our showers. The summer drought is well over, but the island is still on limited water usage times as it recovers. Like we said yesterday, life here isn’t as hard as it traditionally was, but that doesn't mean things are easy.
We headed downstairs where we were greeted by Keiran and a hearty homemade full Irish breakfast! Eggs, bacon, toast, coffee, beans, a variety of sausages... it was glorious! One of the sausages was the infamous black pudding, sausage made with pork meat and blood. It is a staple in both Ireland and the UK, and I’ve heard they can be rather iron tasting. I was pleasantly surprised that at least these Irish ones were just wonderful, with a nice nutty note from the grains they were made with. But the best were the little pork links, just perfectly spiced and cooked right proper. I’ve done a bit of raving about our breakfast in Germany and France, well Ireland just put itself up at the top with them!
We checked out of our cute little B&B and took another casual stroll through the town. This afternoon was going to be a bit hectic with a long drive from Doolin up to Castlebar, so we were making sure to keep a slow pace until then. We strolled down along the waterside where a bunch of old fishing boats sat on the shore, then down along the sandy beach to the seaweed-covered rocks. No dolphin today unfortunately.
There was a guy making hand-chiseled slate necklaces, and we got talking with him as Beth was browsing through his art. I don’t think I’ve been anywhere else in the world where people are just so sociable and open to just chatting as in Ireland. We are both very sociable and like to meet new people whenever we are out, and the Irish are just so sociable themselves that it makes it easy on us! Anyway, the artist was telling us a bit about the area, and he’s also the one who told us what we know about Sandy the dolphin. Beth settled in on a Newgrange Fern carving which replicated an ancient carving on a megalithic tomb near Dublin.
We only had a short bit of time before we had to be back at the ferry, so the idea of renting a bike and seeing more of the island or going back to the castles was unfortunately out. Even if we were able to bump to a later ferry, we wouldn’t make it up to our next stop tonight in time. So, we chose to wander through the little town and get a feel for village life on the island. I had a nice café marked on our map that we couldn’t seem to find, it was possibly closed for the season. We did find a local knit shop that sold the famous Aran sweaters that are made here on the islands. Beth found a nice one that she picked up as a very practical souvenir, especially with the unpredictable Irish weather. We also made our way to the little grocery store. It was a very small store, that stocked snacks and supplies for the tourists as well as essentials for the locals. It was nice and you could get things you quickly needed, but it was obvious that residents would have to go off island for almost anything other than the essentials. Either that or there is a supply ferry that makes deliveries of special orders? I’m not sure. Hopefully the islanders don’t have to pay the full ferry every time they need to go to the mainland. I know if I lived here, I’d have my own boat for sure... but would have to hope it doesn’t end up washed ashore like the Plassey!
We loaded onto the ferry at the Inis Oirr dock, saying our sad farewell to the beautiful little island. Ten years ago we debated making the trip to the Aran Islands, and we ultimately didn’t make it then. We were so very happy we managed to make it this time! Most of the top seats on the ferry were taken, but we did find a spot on the lower level inside. As a boater myself, I would rather sit out with the salt air and wind in my face, but on a ferry like this I’ll have to take what I can get.
We pulled off the dock and it felt like we weren’t going the right way. Doolin is north of the Cliffs of Moher, and we were heading toward the southern end of the cliffs. I wondered if we were dropping back to the same port, and how we would get to the car if not. But instead of keeping south, the boat swung a turn again and started straight for the cliffs.
I knew the ferry company that ran to the islands also did sea tours of the Cliffs of Moher. What I didn’t know is that our return trip to Doolin included that tour of the cliffs! And you thought I was antsy about sitting below deck before I knew this? I grabbed the camera and managed to fight the crowd for a spot standing on the back platform by the engine. I wasn’t going to let this opportunity pass!
The boat turned and went broadside to the cliffs. Ten years ago we stood on top of them, looking out over the sea and down to the ocean. This time we had a completely different perspective, sitting on the ocean and looking up at the majestic Cliffs of Moher. The ribbon pattern of the many layers of rock shone against the sun, and with the salty mist of the sea in the air, we arched our necks to look up to the top. It’s hard to imagine which perspective gives the greatest scope of their size! I lifted the camera up, fighting the crowd and the rock of the boat, and got some pictures… all the while doing my very best to ignore those reaching for the little seasick bags.
In all, we spent only a few minutes by the cliffs, but it was a great unexpected detour!
