County Clare, home to the Cliffs of Moher, Ireland

From Dingle our next destination was another major Irish tourist spot, the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare. On the West Coast of Ireland the Cliffs of Moher are one of the most outstanding coastal features of Ireland. The cliffs lie just south from the Village of Doolin and the Burren. Rising slowly from Doolin they ascend to over 700 feet (213 metres) stretching slowly for nearly five miles (8km) to Hags Head. For more information on the cliffs check out www.cliffs-moher.com.

The Cliffs of Moher, County Clare

The Cliffs of Moher were originally the site of a giant river delta and were formed 320 million years ago during the Carboniferous period. The Napoleonic signal tower at Hags Head was built in 1803, this is close to the site of a long gone 1st century BC ruined fort  "Mothar" from which the Cliffs get their name.

View down to Hags Head

Leaving the Cliffs we drove to our next Hotel, the Falls Hotel in Ennistymon, their website is www.fallshotel.ie. The hotel was perfect for a couple of days sight seeing with plenty of dining options inhouse. We ate in the bar one evening then in the Thai restaurant which was lovely. Our only tip would be to ask for a room in the main house, on the first evening we had a ground floor room in the extension which was cold and noisey. We asked to move the following day which was no problem.

Falls Hotel

The town of Ennistymon is quite sleepy however its worth a wander round as there are some interesting shops. The hotel itself has a lovely quiet location next to the River Inagh and is ideal for spending some time whilst touring County Clare, for golfers you'll find the famous links course of Lahinch just a short drive away.

River Inagh

On our second day in County Clare it was time to explore. Our first port of call was Doolin a small fishing village which is often referred to as the capital of Irish traditional music. You'll find three Music-Pubs in Doolin with live music nightly during the summer months, so if this is your thing Doolin is the place to visit. Another great attraction in Doolin is the Doolin Cave, check out www.doolincave.ie.

The Burren situated in north west Counry Clare, covers over 300 square kilometers and is of extreme importance to geologists, botanists and archaeologists from Ireland and beyond. As the largest karstic limestone area in western Europe, the Burren is an anomaly in the Irish landscape and continues to fascinate geologists who study its limestone patterns, underground rivers and grykes (cracks). It is a spectacular place to visit, one of extreme contrast to what we had seen so far during our break in Ireland.

After visiting Lisdoonvarna and some more sight seeing we drove back to Dublin the following morning to join in my parents  in preparation for their Golden Wedding Anniversary celebrations held at a local hotel. A wonderful occasion, a lovely evening, enjoyed by all.