Travel

Guest blog by Marshall S. Berdan

Perhaps more so than any other European capital, “dear dirty Dublin” (James Joyce’s 100-year-old description, but most 21^st-century travelers’ assessment as well) just doesn’t do Ireland justice. To be sure, the thousand-year-old metropolis that straddles the River Liffey on the island’s east coast is well worth several days. But to experience the “real” Ireland -- the wild, romantic Eire of song, legend, and popular imagination – you have to journey to the country’s rugged and rural west coast. And while Cork and Kerry in the southwest or Sligo and Donegal in the northwest have much to recommend them, those with only a few days – and a car -- would be well advised to head straight across to Counties Clare, Galway, and Mayo in the region generally referred to as “the West of Ireland”.  There, in a relatively compact and fairly easily negotiable area, they will find some of the Emerald Isle’s most dazzling natural and manmade facets, ten of which are profiled below.  

1. The Cliffs of Moher

Towering 700 feet above the churning blue-green Atlantic and extending for roughly five miles, the stunning Cliffs of Moher are far and away Ireland’s most popular natural attraction. Barriers now prevent you from peering directly over the 300-million-year-old sheer sandstone and shale precipices, but there is still no shortage of opportunities to be awed and amazed. Admission to the site, including the new underground visitors’ center, is E6 for adults (under 16 free) and includes parking. The cliffs can also be seen from sea level via one-hour boat trips from nearby Doolin. Tip: Avoid the prime coach tour hours of 11:00 am – 3:00 pm. 

2. The Burren 

One of the world’s most spectacular glacio-karst landscapes, the Burren (the name means “rocky land” in Gaelic) is a fascinatingly eerie expanse of exposed limestone rock fractured into what often seem like blocks of pavement and punctuated by a handful of 4,000-year-old megalithic portal tombs. The inland portion is best seen from the R480, and the coastal portion from the R477 as it loops beneath Black Head between Doolin and Ballyvaughan. The Kilmacduagh monastic site, complete with a 12^th-century leaning round tower, lies to the east, while the visitor center is in the southern village of Corofin.

3. Doolin 

For years a small, picturesque fishing village just north of the Cliffs of Moher, still diminutive Doolin is now a major destination itself, offering craft shopping and maritime excursions (to the cliffs and Aran Islands) by day and authentic traditional (“trad”) Irish music sessions by night. Find a seat (if you can) at pubs such as Gus O'Connor’s, McDermott's, and McGann's, and listen to the fiddles, concertinas, tin whistles, and bodhrans (frame drums) conjure up the Ireland of old. Sessions themselves are generally free, but you are expected to purchase food or drink.  

4. Aran Islands 

Nowhere in Ireland are traditional ways (including widespread use of the Gaelic language) more meticulously preserved than on these three starkly beautiful and essentially barren fishing and sheep tending islands located at the mouth of Galway Bay. While you can spend the night, most visitors visit the Arans (especially the largest, Inishmore) as a day trip, arriving by ferry from either Doolin or Rossaveel, and hiring bicycles to explore the labyrinths of stonewall-lined lanes, dramatic coastlines, Iron and Bronze Age forts, and early Christian ruins. In either case, be sure to leave time to shop for a world-famous Aran sweater.  

5. Medieval castle banquets

With the notable exception of the setting, there’s nothing the least bit authentic about a contemporary medieval banquet. But that hasn’t stopped fifty years of tourists from thoroughly enjoying the food, wine, and family-oriented “period” entertainment offered nightly by the Shannon Heritage people at three West of Ireland locations: Bunratty and Knappogue Castles in Clare and Dunguaire Castle in Galway. Each castle is open by day as well, with Bunratty also featuring an elaborate 22-structure, 19^th-century Folk Park. 

6. Galway City

Situated in the northeastern corner of Galway Bay, Galway City, a colorful, bustling commercial and entertainment (both modern and traditional) center that dates back to the 14^th century, is the West’s largest metropolis, and as such, makes for an appreciated change of pace and scenery. Particularly appealing are its scattered medieval remnants, its store and restaurant-laden, narrow Latin Quarter, and its impressive modern (1965) cathedral. Shoppers will find an abundance of local products and crafts, and especially of the popular Claddagh rings, named for the town (now suburb) just across the Corrib River.

7. Connemara 

The West of Ireland is at its wildest in Connemara in westernmost County Galway, an area of imposing rocky peaks (known as “bens”), rolling upland moors and peat bogs, dramatic coastlines, including Ireland’s only fiord, and the picturesque town of Clifden. Famed for its wildlife and home of the eponymous ponies, Connemara is also one of the country’s designated Gaeltachts (Gaelic speaking areas) meaning that road signs will only be in Gaelic. Among the more rewarding scenic drives are the R334 through the Inagh Valley and the Sky Road out of Clifden. Hikers should make their way up Diamond Hill in Connemara National Park in Letterfrack. 

8. Kylemore Abbey

Nestled serenely in a forested glen in northern Connemara, imposing Neo-Gothic Kylemore Abbey started off as the palatial country home of a 19^th-century English tycoon. After WW I, it became a refuge for displaced Belgian nuns and has remained in their possession ever since. Today, the abbey is the most visited manmade attraction in the West of Ireland and features numerous restored rooms, an ornate church, and a six-acre Victorian walled garden. 

9. Crough Patrick

Hikers in the West of Ireland must contend with steep, rocky, exposed trails and the occasional flock of sheep, but are rewarded with dramatic coastline vistas. Those that make it to the top of 2,500-foot Crough Patrick (“St. Patrick’s stack”) overlooking Clew Bay in County Mayo are even more blessed as it was here that Ireland’s patron saint is believed to have fasted for 40 days in 441 AD and rid the island of snakes. The trek, which takes 3-4 hours round-trip, begins at the visitors’ center in Murrisk, and typically concludes at adjacent Campbell’s Pub. 

10. Cong

Situated on the isthmus separating Loughs Mask and Corrib in Ireland’s Lake District, the tidy market village of Cong provides a refreshing break from the rugged maritime scenery that predominates elsewhere in “the West of Ireland”. The village continues to promote its role as the setting for “The Quiet Man (1952)” starring John Wayne and Dublin-born Maureen O’Hara, but contemporary visitors will be more star-struck by the over-the-top splendor of Ashford Castle, an elegantly restored Victorian country manor (now 5-star hotel) which serves an equally elegant afternoon tea, available to non-residents.

Getting there: The West of Ireland begins roughly 100 miles west of central Dublin via either the M6 or M7.  Alternatively, you can fly directly into Shannon Airport near Limerick in southern County Clare.  

Originally published in Newsday.

About the Author

Marshall S. Berdan is a veteran travel writer who has written extensively on historical sites in America and around the world for publications such as Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Miami Herald, South China Morning Post among many others.

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