Aillwee Caves, Cliffs of Moher, and Doolin, Ireland – Day 7

We packed our bags this morning and headed to the Burren in County Clare, named for the many, many limestone rocks that pepper the surface of the land. Our first stop was Aillwee Cave, which was discovered by Jack McGann in 1944 when he chased after his dog, who had disappeared down a hole while chasing a rabbit. He didn’t tell anyone about the cave until 1973, when he mentioned it to cavers in a local pub. They began excavating the site, where they found remains of two European Brown Bears in hibernation pits, the oldest of which dates back over 10,000 years. Calcite formations in the cave date back 330 million years.

Our tour guide, Sean, was fantastic and took the time to explain some of the cave’s more scientific aspects. It was formed by an underground river, which eventually disappeared, leaving behind the cave system. We were able to tour about one-third of the cave system—it eventually ends in two sumps, which are large pools of water. The second of which is so narrow divers can squeeze through and then have to come backward to get out.

After our tour, we headed to the Farm Shop. While watching the workers make cheese, we sampled the different varieties of gouda they had for sale. Then, it was time for the Birds of Prey Show. We saw a demonstration with two birds, a Bateleur Eagle and a Snowy Owl. The kids were thrilled to see “Hedwig,” as they called the snowy owl, and Kendra was picked to hold him. Once he was on her, he didn’t want to leave, even when she tried to launch him! It was amazing to watch.

Next, we headed to our Airbnb for lunch and to get the luggage out of the car. It’s a seven-passenger car with room for two carry-on-sized suitcases in the trunk. When we are heading from one Airbnb to the next, it’s a tight squeeze. When we arrived, it was raining (the first real rain since we’ve been here), so we decided to nap for a bit. Despite the forecast, the sun came out, and we were able to check out the next stop on our list – the Cliffs of Moher.

We skipped the visitor’s center and opted instead for the Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk. We got directions to the car park from our Airbnb hostess that consisted of taking a left before the rock store and taking a right at the football pitch. Luckily, there were signs along the way that helped us. The cost was just five euros, but cash only as it is a private lot run by the family who lives there. From the car park, it’s an easy walk up a road through their farmland to reach the coastal walk, which runs 20 kilometers along the cliffs. We did about half the walk, taking in the sight of the massive cliffs from above.

Dinner was in Doolin, where we dined at Fitz’s Pub. While we ate, we listened to lovely Irish music sung by a local. I had my first fish and chips since we arrived in Ireland and washed it down with a half-pint of Rockshore Cider.

It was almost 10:30 when we piled back into the car for the drive home. As we drove away from Doolin the last of sunset was reflected in my rearview mirror.