We had a very nice day today. The weather was great! It was cloudy but not raining.
Our first stop was the town of Adare. It dates back to at least the 13th century. It is a very popular spot - there were lots of people there. We have been pretty lucky so far on this trip - not a lot of crowds. Well, there were some crowds in Adare! It was a cute town, though. It is regarded as being Ireland’s prettiest and most picturesque village.
The Adare Friary, located in Adare, County Limerick, is an Augustinian Friary founded in 1316 by the Earl of Kildare. It is now known as St. Nicholas' Church of Ireland parish church.
We absolutely LOVED the thatch roofed homes in Adare. They were very quaint and what we expected to see in Ireland.
Holy Trinity Abbey is now the local Roman Catholic Church in Adare. It was originally built for the Trinitarian monks in the 13th century. It was badly damaged during the reign of King Henry VIII but was restored & enlarged in the middle of the 19th century.
Desmond Castle in Adare was erected around the early part of the 13th century. It stands on the north bank of the Maigue.
Our next stop was the town of Limerick. I was not real thrilled about going into Limerick but really wanted to see a few places there. It is the 3rd largest city in Ireland. The Rivers Shannon and Abbey run through the town. Talk about a LOT of people...
St. John's Cathedral is one of two cathedrals in Limerick. It was built in 1861 and has been in continuous use since. It has the tallest spire in Ireland, at 6 feet 4 inches, and is the tallest structure in Limerick. We actually came upon this cathedral accidentally. For some reason, it was not on our list of places to see. We were looking for a place park in Limerick and saw this church. The picture does not really do it justice - it was so very tall!!!
St. Mary's Cathedral in Limerick was founded in 1168 on the site of a palace donated by Donal Mor O'Brien King of Munster. It is believed that parts of the palace are incorporated into the present structure of the Cathedral.
Limerick was founded in 922 AD by the Vikings. They chose this area as it was an island between the Shannon and Abbey Rivers. There would be no problem in defending it from enemies. There were some neat buildings. I loved the chimneys on all the buildings! We walked a long ways in Limerick.
King John's Castle is located on King's Island in Limerick in the River Shannon. The walls, towers and fortifications remain today. The remains of a Viking settlement were uncovered during the building of the visitor center. The castle was built on the orders of King John and bears his name. It was completed around 1200.
Bunratty Castle is a large tower house in County Clare. The present structure was completed around 1425. Alongside the castle is a folk park. We did not go in because it was extremely expensive!
Across the street from Bunratty Castle, is Durty Nelly's Pub. It is one of Ireland’s most famous pubs and dates back to 1620. We did not realize it when we were there (but found out later) that it offers a truly unique Irish experience through its history and character. We would have gone in had we realized it at the time. Bummer!
Kilkishen Church was built in 1811. The outer structure is all that remains.
Kilkishen Castle was said to have been built in 1500. More than half of the 5 story castle has fallen down.
Craggaunowen Castle is a fortified tower house built in 1550. It is located near Sixmilebridge, County Clare.
Knappogue Castle is a magnificent 15th Century castle. It is situated in the heart of the County Clare countryside. It offers a refined medieval experience. Medieval castle banquets are held here. It is a show of music, song and dance, flowing wine and good food. Unfortunately, our timing was off in being able to attend the banquet. We did get to see a bit of the inside (it was actually closed to the public at the time but we did not know that and walked right in).
Quin Abbey, just outside of Ennis, was built in the 15th Century. It was built in the tradition of Irish Franciscan Monasteries. It was built on the ruins of a Norman castle that had stood there in the late 13th century. It was a huge complex. We did not go walk through it because we really wanted to get on to our next stop!
The Cliffs of Moher are one of the most outstanding coastal features of Ireland. It was the spot I was most looking forward to see on this vacation! The cliffs are located just south of the Village of Doolin in County Clare. They ascend to over 700 feet stretching south for nearly five miles to Hags Head. They are almost vertical with a sheer drop into the Atlantic ocean. The Cliffs of Moher are a haven for sea birds, but unfortunately, we didn't see any. The highest point is near O'Brien's Tower.
The Cliffs of Moher were definitely a highlight of our trip. They were very cool!!! After we walked around a bit, Tracy decided he wanted to walk way south along the cliffs to a castle ruin. It was not a walk I wanted to make so he went alone. I looked through some gift shops and then waited in the car. He was gone for a long time! I was starting to get a bit worried because the trail was right along the edge of the cliffs. I began to see cars with lights on top pulling into the parking lot. People in bright orange suits started walking around the area. Then I heard a helicopter. Of course, my imagination went into overdrive! My first thought was that Tracy had fallen off the cliff! I started to panic because of him being gone at least an hour and a half and all this activity that was happening! I walked over and asked the people what was going on. Someone had been reported missing and they were trying to find him. Whew!! At that moment, Tracy came walking up - the man I had been talking to told Tracy he was probably in big trouble with me! Ha ha! I wanted to kill him for scaring me like that. Tracy said it was a really long ways to where he wanted to go and he even ran a lot of the way.
I took tons of pictures at the cliffs because it was gorgeous!!!
After leaving the Cliffs of Moher, we headed to Twin Peaks Bed & Breakfast in the tiny, tiny town of Doolin. It was a very nice place. No one was there to meet us - they were at dinner and left a note for us.
After cleaning up a bit, we walked to a highly recommended pub in town, O'Connor's Pub. It was great - we had such fun there! It was packed and they had local musicians playing. Everyone was laughing and singing along. We had front row seats - yea! This pub gave us the Irish atmosphere we had been looking for! After dinner there and enjoying the lively entertainment, we walked back to the B&B and crashed for the night. We are having such a nice holiday!!
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