Ireland, The Emerald Isle is a land of contradictions. It has become one of the economic successes of Europe since its entry into the European Union (EU). The former industrial backwater now boast some of the leading edge technologies along with vibrant cottages industries now finding a ready outlet for their products in markets they could never have dreamed of only a decade ago. But beyond the Pale (the industrialise areas surrounding Dublin) there is another Ireland, The Erin Shore, where life goes on at a more sedate pace and time, in its modern concept, is largely irrelevant. There is no more vivid example of this than the west coast. People have forgotten that Ireland was populated by seafarers and up until just a few decades ago the primary mode of transport in this area was by sea. Ireland has a rich but unsung maritime history from ancient mariners to Barbary pirates. Even today boats fill a vital role in transport, fishing and recreation. It is after all an island surrounded by many smaller islands.
Galway City is the capital of the western county that bears the same name. Nestled at the eastern end of Galway Bay it is named after the Gaillimh River which flow through the city into the bay. The main street is appropriately named Shop Street. The pedestrian thoroughfare is a bustling centre of commerce and accommodation. Small hotels and restaurants vie with pub and shops for the visitor's attention. The food, drink, rooms and shopping all come at a reasonable price. If a cheaper night stay is what you are after there are dozens of Bed & Breakfasts just short walks from the town centre. Galway is a great base to explore the western Ireland.
A short boat ride away is the Aran Islands, famed for their woollen sweaters and to the west is rugged and beautiful Conamara. Here you can still find hucaers, púcáns and currachs; wooden framed sailing boat with leather hulls that are still manufactured the same way they were thousands of years ago, though the leather has been replaced with more durable modern materials. On summer Sundays dozens of these bád mór “big boats”, some up to 15 metres long, can be seen scudding across the bays in dozens of local races. Today the prizes are family pride and drinks but in the past it was much more cut throat as the fastest boats gained the best berths for unloading their rich prize of peat turfs transported from bog rich Conamara to the barren Aran Islands as well as Galway and Clare. Further west is the picturesque fishing port of Clifden and to the north Westport, one of the few planned cities in Ireland; the Georgian architecture is outstanding.
To the south of Galway in County Clare is the Burren, over 300 square kilometres of barren limestone landforms. It is roughly circular in shape with a panhandle extending west to the Atlantic. The series of rolling hills look almost like cracked pavement running willy-nilly into the distance. But appearances can be deceptive, as Englishman Edmund Ludlow reported to his Cromwellian masters in the 17th Century:
“It's a country where there is not enough water to drown a man, wood enough to hang one nor earth enough to bury him and yet their cattle are very fat; for the grasses growing in turfs of earth that lie between the rocks is very nourishing.”
The area is unique in that it supports Arctic, Mediterranean and Alpine plants side by side and beneath the surface are charted and uncharted caverns created by water filtering through the porous limestone. Despite it outward camouflage the Burren has been inhabited for over 5000 years. The landscape is dotted with megalithic reminders of its past. History and Pre-History have an unbroken timeline here. There are long barrow, portal tombs, ring forts and Celtic high crosses. The triple ringed fort at Cahercommaun and the Caherconnell Stone Fort are outstanding archaeological sites and Doolin near the coast is a Mecca for cavers and potholers. The Aillwee Caves near Ballyvaughan are also a must see. The caves were discovered by a local farmer who kept the location secret for forty years until the 1970s. Over a kilometre of winding passages lead into the mountains. Hidden in the depths is an underground river complete with waterfall and numerous caverns with dazzling stalactites and stalagmites. It was once the haunt of bears, a species that has long since vanished from Ireland.
On the coast to the west is one of Ireland's most spectacular destinations, the Cliffs of Moher. These magnificent shale and sandstone landmarks stretch for over eight kilometre from Hag Head in the south to just beyond O'Brian's Tower in the north, where the new visitors centre has been built. The centre itself is a marvellous piece of engineering resembling giant Hobbit holes excavated into the rock just inland below the tower. The cliffs rise from 120 metres at Hag Head to over 200 metres at O'Brian's Tower and the view is breathtaking. On a clear day you can see the Aran Islands in Galway Bay and even the hills and valleys of Conamara on the northern shore. With an excellent pair of Nikon binoculars you can keep tabs on the Sunday shenanigans as even the sailing boats with their distinctive red sails are visible.
