I have just come back from a whistle-stop tour of the west. Apart from the very southwest tip of Cork I had not been to the west coast so it was a trip that was long overdue. And despite some slightly dodgy weather, which improved at times, it was a great trip and I can now understand why tourists arrive at Dublin and go west (whether young men or not). It included a visit to the Burren, which I have wanted to see for as long as I can remember, and lots more places, which I will feature in a more logical order in the future days, and lots of places I need to visit again when I give them more time. There is so much to see at the west, as well as everywhere else in Ireland.

But first, The Cliffs of Moher, County Clare. This was almost an afterthought and was visited at the end of the day. I thought I could just pull up in the car park and have a quick look but it is very commercial. You are herded into a car park and charged 6 euro a person to park and I was not a little worried about this and thought I had been ripped off at this stage. But the admission includes the ‘Experience’ which is the visitor centre that is cleverly built into the hillside. There are three main viewing points to see the cliffs. In the centre is a cafe (which I did not use) and a snack area. The sandwiches are not great and are expensive (not recommended) but the ice creams are good value! The ‘Experience’ itself is an interactive exhibition which is good enough, and then a digital animation of what you can see outside – plus some underwater stuff to show all the wildlife there. I think its a bit of a shame that you travel to a place and then sit in the dark and watch a CGI version. Still – its the world we live in I suppose.

Anyway, it is an impressive sight (outside) and well worth the money and the journey and the surrounding landscape is beautiful too.

The visitor centre is almost invisible, hidden in the hill

The cliffs looking south

And closer!

The cliffs looking north

O’Brien’s Tower on the cliff edge, looking as though it is in the clouds

A rather less mystical view – complete with scaffolding

cliffs of moher, county Clare, obriens tower