cruinne-bheananfa: Inis Mor

Day Seven- Inis Mor, Dun Aonghasa

We went down to the town of Kilronan and checked our bags in at the Bord Failte, and rented bicycles to ride out to Dun Aonghasa, the stone fort far out on the cliff tops. Bicycle is the best way to see the island; the boys were game. Bren was querying the locals about the wormhole, an ocean phenomenon he read about in one of the guidebooks. I warned them that I could not keep up with them because of my asthma. I figured I'd make my way slowly out to the fort, maybe meet them there, then head back slowly to the village and shop at the Aran Sweater Mill, picking up some excellent knit goods.
They took off and I made my way out to the fort. I parked my bike at the visitor center and paid to go in. There's an excellent exhibit about the fort; I skipped it thinking the boys had been there long before me (plus I had been before) and hiked up the long and steep path to the narrow stone entryway, the only way in. The fort is situated far out on a cliff top, giving excellent protection from raiders and marauder. Because it's so high on the cliff, sentries would be able to observe attackers from afar, and sound an alarm, giving the inhabitants time to scurry back into the fort from their daily activities of farming, fishing, etc. The views are stunning. Not a few crazy tourists climb out onto the cliff to take a photo at yet another angle (see the photos and decide if my sons are among them). I passed beyond the barrier and hiked out some way along the cliff top where the vegetation was different; more flowers among the stones. Then I went back into the fort. The boys met me there, and relayed that Bren's bike chain had come undone, so they fixed it and went to the beach to clean the grease off, and saw me ride by on my way up the hill. We got some photos of each other on the cliffs; I got one of the boys leaving the sole entry way.
We spent a little while in the shops at the fort; I was able to get Kate a replacement knit cap from the very lady from whom she bought her beloved blue set in '01. I bought myself some silver earrings as well. We glided downhill to the tiny village of Kilmurray and did some additional shopping; I got Richie a sweater, and settled on one for myself. I wanted to stay longer but the boys were determined to find the wormhole and equally determined to drag me along. The B&B landlady had given us general directions, augmented by the bike rental guy; the knit shop lady advised me to check the tide from the visitors' center guys, which Brendan did. Basically, we had to head back towards Kilronan but take a right at the crossroads. So we did, and shortly after, the pavement turned to path. It was easier and safer to ride on the grass in the center of the path (see photo above- don't I look like I am having great fun?). The path eventually turned to track; unmanageable by bike. Bren locked the 3 bikes together and we set out on foot. The track eventually led to field upon field, walled with grey stone in neat rows. We headed in the direction we knew the wormhole was located in. After a bit, it was wilder going on the cliff top; it was safer and easier to walk on the long weathered blocks of limestone; stepping off meant sinking anywhere from ankle to knee deep in soft vegetation and peat. We walked quite a long way until we came to the ocean; we followed along the top of the cliff until eventually we did find it. The tide was very low, so we could see the square deep hole in the cliff. It looked like it was cut but according to the Aran Islands website, it's a natural phenomenon. When the tide rises, the waves rush down the deep hole and into the deep cave in the cliffside; it looks like a wormhole in space. We saw it as a pool of deep, dark water, but I could imagine how very dangerous it might be to approach it more closely. Of course, the boys angled in as close as they could. They were so excited, it made their whole day to find it. Once we got our photos, we realized how late it was and headed straight back to the bikes. It took a while to get that far, and then get back to the road. I was utterly spent, and we still had miles to bike to catch our ferry at 5pm. I was so tired, I lost my breath pretty quickly and despite albuterol, I was unable to manage even the slightest incline. So I walked the bike and coasted downhill when I could. Bren stayed with me because I think I scared the crap out of him- he's never seen me so out of breath. We made it back to the bike rental place with nine minutes to spare for the ferry. We ransomed our luggage and made it to the ferry exactly in time. A large group of French schoolchildren joined us on the ferry, so it was noisy and rowdy on the ride back. I felt better after a bottle of water and a chocolate bar.
We got back to Rossaveal and ransomed our car. Dan directed us toward Galway, but we skirted though the city without stopping so we could get close to the Burren, our next destination. Dan thought to take us to Ballyvaughan, but I was pretty spent, and when we drove through Kinvarra and saw a hotel, I pulled in. I had pushed myself about as far as I could for one day. The Merriman Hotel was full of local artwork, very colorful and attractive. Kinvarra was a pretty coastal town, so after checking in and washing up, we roved through looking for a place for dinner. We ended up walking all the way down to the harbor, where we took some nice pictures; my favourite was a group of three curraghs anchored together (a curragh is a boat made of cowhide; lightweight and buoyant, it's used all over the west of Ireland.).
I was so glad we had made the effort to go out to Inis Mor- it was a huge success with the boys and it made me very happy to see how excited they were about it all. It was a great adventure.

Check out the photos from the Aran website to see the wormhole in full glory.

http://www.aranislands.ie/ireland_lanscape.html

I also like these paintings done by a Canadian artist:
http://www.ccca.ca/artists search for Gertrude Kearns

Photos Day Seven- Inis Mor, Dun Aonghasa

Kilmurray village.

Thatched roof cottage- what could say Aran Island better?

The beach near Kilmurray.

Dun Aonghasa stone fort in the distance.

The hike up to the stone fort.

Stone walls.

The cliffs inside the fort.

Yes, it is very high up.

In the fort.

The gate to the fort- only one way in.

Searching the cliffs for the wormhole; Dun Aonghasa in the distance.

Flowers in the rockscape.

This is where we hiked, and hiked...

Yes, we hiked very far. And that was after we biked.

This could be it.

Yes, this is it!

That's the wormhole down there; unfortunately the tide is wrong, but that is it.

It would be more impressive with water pouring down ferociously.
Use your imagination. We did.

Heading toward the Burren.

Kinvarra Harbour- curraghs.

Kinvarra Harbour.

Day Six- Clifden, Connemara, Kylemore Abbey, Rossaveal, Kilronan, Inis Mor

After our usual Irish breakfast, I used the phone in the B&B to call the ferry in Rossaveal. Unlike the ferry we had used in 2001, this one takes only 25 minutes and had a number of trips to Inish Mor throughout the day. We decided to book passage on the 6:30 pm ferry, which gave us the whole day to explore Connemara, much to Dan's delight. We went into Clifden and did a little shopping (not every shop was open on Sunday, but many were). I picked up some art (watercolor prints) and the boys scored an American newspaper to check the Celtics scores.
We headed out to Connemara National Park. The visitor center had a great exhibit about bogs and their importance. We decided on a 1.5 kilometer hike; we'd have loved to climb the mountain but it was 4 km more and we still wanted to see the abbey. The trail led through some spectacular views of the mountains and lakes around the area. It was bright at first, but clouds blew in from the southwest. It sprinkled a few times before we finished our walk, but it felt nice.
The area is so desolate and beautiful it made my heart sing. We were fascinated by the bog flora, and we all took lots of photos (as usual). If we had not set our agenda, we definitely would have spent a whole day in the area. On our return, they had a man demonstrating the making of wicker withy baskets in the centre- his hands moved so quickly and deftly. They also had a trio playing trad in the courtyard, and some people dancing.
We headed down the road a short distance to Kylemore Abbey. Built as a Victorian era castle by an affluent family, it gave employment to many in an era of few jobs in an environment where living was not easy. The house is a sumptuous castle facing Loch Fee and the mountains in front and sheltered by a tall mountain behind, a stunning location. It afforded fishing, hiking, hunting and genteel partying for the affluent friends of the affluent owners. They had 19 greenhouses providing flowers and rare plants for decoration, a huge kitchen garden to feed the family and the many servants it took to run such a posh house, and a gorgeous Victorian garden to stroll and picnic in. It was sold to British titled folk in the mid-1900s, but they went bankrupt and it languished on the market for years. It was subsequently bought by Benedictine nuns who were displaced by World War One, and they acquired it and opened an international girls' school. They also opened a pottery works and visitors' center, and that income coupled with donations has enabled them to begin restoring the mansion to its former glory.
It began to rain just as we reached the Abbey, so we were glad to go in and see the public parts of the mansion. They have memorabilia of the order, and portraits of the abbesses of the past on display. The foyer is beautifully pannelled, and the windows are leaded glass. The fireplaces were ornately carved and much of the original furniture is there- way too flouncy and Victorian for my taste. I'd love to see the school part, but that's not possible.
They bus you a mile up the road through a spectacular forest to the gardens. There is a shrine up on the mountainside, and we could see sheep grazing way up on the peak. We wandered through the ornate and orderly garden. They will be setting out the annuals soon, so I imagine it will be unbelievably beautiful once everything is in summer bloom. Some of the plants were so unusual. Dan took pictures of everything, I think he documented every plant to show Sue; he kept saying Sue should be with us because she would have loved the garden so. When she saw all his pictures this weekend, she immediately told Ted she wants to go there...
It started to rain a bit harder, so we headed back to the bus and the car. Dan brought us back through a rural road that went through the mountains along Lake Inagh to Recess, to pick up the N59 to Maam Cross, where we picked up a rural mountain road that took us straight down the peninsula to Rossaveal. We were making good time, but when we came to a crucial turning, there was a big tour bus in the way that blocked the sign. We drove along the coast for a few miles and there were Traveller camps all along the shore. We got to one coastal town that had a lot of cottages and rentals and we realized we had gone too far. We made a U-Turn and beelined back and sure enough, there was the sign we had been looking for. We found the ferry office, parked, got our tickets, headed down to the pier and boarded. The ferry was sleek and new, with cushy seats like a plane. After a bit, Bren and I went up to the deck and took some photos. The rain had blown off and the sun was out, though it was still misty on the Connemara coast we left behind.

We got to Inis Mor and docked at Kilronan pier about 7 pm. It was a hike up the hill to our B&B. We checked in and then headed all the way back down to town. I forgot about the chickens. One of the buildings we pass was a country music bar; there were always chickens and roosters clucking and cock-a-doodle-dooing as you pass by.

We ended up walking out halfway to the next village to have dinner. The restaurant was geared to tourists, flying the US and Canadian flags, but many locals were enjoying their dinners. We overlooked the strand while we ate our dinners. Afterward, three musicians came with fiddle, guitar and accordian and did a number of songs. We stayed quite a while and enjoyed the music. We walked back in the starlight up the long hill with the sound of the wind in our ears.