Cathy posting:

Is there any part of the Wild Atlantic Way that isn’t amazing? I don’t think so! Arriving at Doolin pier at tea time today we find we can park legally for 30 hours for €5, amazing, we are 5 metres from the sea, we are the 2^nd motorhome and there’s loads of space, when Dave came back with his ticket he says it was €5 but it expires on Monday, well it’s only Friday now so all looks promising, we sat on the rocks taking in the sunset along with many others who obviously know that the sunsets are spectacular here, Dave is in his element taking photos, I get cold and go inside to write this here blog, Dave loves sunsets so much that he’s out there for another hour taking pictures of the sky with fragments of sunlight showing through the clouds and with the Moher Cliffs as a backdrop are a spectacle to behold.

Next morning I discover that my phone is completely dead, it won’t charge up or switch on, we are out for a walk up onto the Moher Cliffs and I like to have my phone with me, so as we pass through Doolin village we pop into the pub to see if they can plug it in, just in case it’s my charger that is faulty, the young girl behind the bar obliges, it’s 10.30am and the pub has at least 20 customers already, a group of 10 lads ordering a full Irish breakfast and 10 Guinness! There is no joy with my phone, so we go following the Burren Way which winds its way along the cliff edge and I really do mean the edge! The highest point is 214 metres, 300 million year old river channels can be seen at the base and on a clear day views over to the Aran islands.

We stopped for a breather and overheard a guide Pat Sweeney www.doolincliffwalk.com who is a local 5^th generation farmer with a walking group explaining that this is his land and it was his grandfathers before him, 39 farmers and land owners have got together to help create a tourist industry that works for all, they allow access to the cliffs at the edge of their land linking Doolin and Liscannor therefore forming part of the Burren Way, bringing in much needed tourists for the villages and off the back of this there are many holiday lets, a company called Paddywagon Tours is a 16 seater hop on hop off shuttle which also works as a park and ride, 6 times a day 9.am to 6.30 pm. The private land that the bus picks up on gets a cut of the bus ticket money too!

These cliffs also have unfortunately been the place of on average 5 fatalities a year, we couldn’t believe how many people were sitting on overhanging cliff edges, nothing under the lip of the rock for support and anything up to 214 metres drop below! All for a photo opportunity! And it was extremely gusty today, we were incredulous?

We arrive after 2.5hours at the Cliffs of Moher visitor centre, this itself has much to offer the visitor but it’s quite expensive and we can walk these trails without paying to go in there, so after availing of their toilets we head on to Hags Head and 1.5 hrs later we find the bus stop it is €7 each back to Doolin pier, we think the whole area is brilliant, they really are making good use of the natural resources that surround them and this is most definitely a lively welcoming visitor area, boat trips to the Aran islands are very popular and apparently it’s considered the best way to see the cliffs but the water is very choppy today and its blowing a very strong wind so we’ll stay on land thank you!

The cliff walk was fantastic and I can honestly say it’s one of our favourite experiences since we have started travelling in Pogo after more than 4 hours walking we were glad to get back to Pogo and showered, we have a date with some Guinness, hopefully some good food and great Craic!

Heading to the pub and we are amazed to see its heaving, there are 5 rooms in this pub, bangers and buttery mash and fish and chips go down well and a birthday group squeeze us out of our corner and into the bar where we manage to perch on a couple of stools just in time for the 2^nd music act of the night to start, it’s only nearly 10pm! An old guy with one leg and an amazing voice gets up to do his ‘’usual gig’’ I’m told, he does well to stand on one leg and hold the microphone to be honest the musicians don’t get much of a go as one person after the other fuelled with Guinness want to show their musical prowess, I decide to try the Irish Gunpowder Gin which has a hint of Licorice was delicious if not a little pricey, Ireland is very expensive, the Euro doesn’t help with this, we had a really good evening and the 20 minute downhill walk to Pogos pier parking spot in the driving rain soon had us in the wide awake club! So it was a nightcap of Tatratea which we bought in Slovakia.

Next morning its on our way to Bunratty Castle, County Clare on the outskirts of Limerick and we are disappointed to discover the entrance fee is €15.25 each to get in so we just have a stroll around the streets in the Autumn sunshine enjoying the colours and whispering leaves in the trees surrounding the castle, we do some clothes washing as we are tucked away in the corner and manage to hang our stuff out of the window, it’s sunny, also pleased the next morning when we realise that the coaches have toilet emptying grids so we make use of them, we also make use of the car park and we are sleeping here tonight.

Goodnight

Cathy

Useful info;

GPS Doolin Pier, €5 for 30 hours right on the sea front N53.01457,W009.40607

GPS O’Connors Pub Doolin N53.01242,W009.38635

GPS Cliffs of Mohar visitor centre, N52.97175,W009.42581

GPS Hags Head bus stop to return to Dingle Pier €7 N52.94336,W009.45350

GPS Bunratty Castle, free aire with waste disposal, free parking N52.69862,W008.81053