The Wild West: Part One

     No, I did not go to California or Arizona; I went to Galway. For the last week for so my friends and I have been planning a trip to the west of Ireland. The major city there is Galway, which is the fifth largest city in Ireland with around 80,000 people, and is one of the Irish language strongholds. Known as the City of the Tribes, it is the gateway to the scenic landscape of the county. In the 15 century, Galway was ruled by tribes or families. Having suffered terribly under the British and during the famine, it was not till the railroad came till Galway did the renaissance start. The west of Ireland is very different from the other regions and is terribly rocky and useless for agriculture. Since the famine a steady stream of young people have left their rural homes and gone to the cities, such as Galway, or aboard. The Celtic Tiger brought good times to the reason, but the recession hit hard and they are still recovering. Galway has two economies: during the summer they are fueled by tourism, but during the rest of the year their economy is run by the student population that floods the city to study at its various universities. Galway is near the Atlantic Ocean and therefore fishing and sea trade are very important for people’s lively hoods and for the economy.

    Leaving Thursday night from the city centre, a group of six of us (me, Julie, Camella, Megan, Helen, and Alex) took a bus to Galway. It was a two and a half hour drive, but rather beautiful and pleasant. The hostel we stayed at was practically adjacent to the bus station were our bus to and from Dublin came in and where we would catch our tour bus. The hostel, Snoozles, was very nice as far as hostels go. The room I was in had five bunk beds with an en-suite and locker cages under the bed for luggage. They provided free tea, coffee, juice, bread, and cereal for breakfast, and were very kind and accommodating.

      On Friday we all got up to catch our 10am day tour that would take us to the Cliffs of Moher and around the Burren. The tour went till 5:30pm and we saw quite a lot and it would be impossible for me to go into detail about everything, so I will try to mention everything and go into detail about the major places. After leaving Galway we went drove through the Burren, which is a remarkable area in Connacht which is rocky, mountainous, and covered in limestone.  The day would start out grey and rainy, but throughout the day it would slowly stop. Our first stop was the Aillwee Caves, which are some of the oldest caves in Ireland. A guide gave us a 30 minute tour of the cave, and then we got back in the bus to make our way to Poulnabrone Dolmen, which is a megalithic monument tomb dating back to 2500BC. Our next stop was the highlight of our tour, the Cliffs of Moher. The Cliffs are 200 metres high and about 8km long, and provide some of the most spectacular views in Ireland. You can see all the way to the Aran Islands on a clear day and the Connemara Mountains. After two spectacular hours we got back on the bus and made our way down to the small down of Doolin, where we had a great lunch. On the way back to Galway we passed the towns of Kinvara which is known for the Galway Hooker boats, Clarinbridge which has an oyster festival every year, and two castles. One was Leamanagh Castle infamously owned by Maire Rua McMahon and her three husbands (who she might or might not have helped to their deaths), and Dunghuaire Castle, built in the 16^th century which now hosts medieval banquets.

      We did not get back to  Galway till nearly six, and we when we arrived we began to explore the city. We found a famous bookstore, various shops selling Galway’s renowned Claddagh rings, and the King’s Head Pub, where we stopped for a drink and to watch the World Cup. The King’s Head dates back over 800 years, with research showing the building in existence since the 13^th century. Following the execution of King Charles I in 1649, it is said that executioner fled London and went to Galway trying to get as far from London as possible and often frequented the tavern. One of our group, Camella, had gotten various recommendations from one of her co-workers who is from Galway, and we ate our dinner at McDonagh’s which is known for its seafood and fish and chips. After an exhausting day and wandering the lively city, we headed back to the hostel for the night.  

The beautiful drive to Galway. I believe that is the ruins of a castle. The Irish landscape is dotted with ruins and walls.

The Ailwee Caves in County Clare, discovered in 1944 by a farmer, who kept it a secret till 1973. This photo shows the 'praying hands'. On the tour we saw stalactites and stalagmites, waterfalls, and spent a moment in the pitch darkness.

A view of the Burren from outside the caves. Beautiful, absolutely stunning..even in the rain.

We got caught in an Irish traffic jam; cars trying to drive in both directions on a narrow road, stopped by cattle that were blocking our way. It was impossible on our drive to go more than five minutes without seeing sheep, goats, or cows. They are the only farming that can be done in the area since it is so rocky.

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Poulnabrone Dolmen. Historians are not sure if it was a tomb or a moment, but thirty bodies were found buried underneath.

The Cliffs of Moher. Words cannot describe how majestic and breathtaking this place was. The two hours spent walking around the cliffs, hiking along narrow paths through mud, and staring at the crashing waves below, was a joy despite the rain and cold. It is easy to feel small and forget the world while standing at the edge of Ireland.

It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Ireland, and why is easily seen. Over a million people visit every year. It is featured often in popular culture; as the Cliffs of Insanity in the Princess Bride, in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince movie, a Guiness commercial, and various other media.

On the way back to Galway we drove along the coast, which was extraordinary. This is Dunguaire Castle, which was built in 1520 on the coast. Apparently if you ask the gate a question it will be answered within twenty four hours. My question was not answered...apparently our tour guide David lied...

The King's Head. Being that it was the 4th of July every pub in Galway was having an "American special" and doing something American. Even the Cliffs of Moher was flying an American flag. We simply ignored the holiday, and tried to blend in with the locals.