Ireland – It’s Intrigue is Irresistibly Interesting: Cliffs of Moher

Hello, my friends! If you’ve been following the story, you know my husband and I were on the Paddywagon in Ireland, heading out to explore the irresistibly interesting island of intrigue. Aidan, our driver had announced an unplanned detour on our way to the Cliffs of Moher.

Apparently, there were some last minute tour signups and we were to pick them up in Limerick. Has anyone spent time in Limerick? The rain was falling, the sun was peaking through, and the city, built along the river Shannon, simply seemed to sparkle. It was breath-taking!

The city of Limerick is located just north of Cork, Ireland.

Aidan told us that Limerick was the third largest city in Ireland. Dublin has over a million people. The population of Cork, the second largest city, is less than half that. Limerick is home to almost one hundred thousand.

Was Limerick named for the type of poetry? Was the poetry named after the city? Was it just a coincidence? I asked Aidan and he said he thought the poetry was named after the city. I looked it up, and he was correct! This is an article about it from IrishTimes.com.

With a full bus now, we continued north. The skies opened and it just poured. We were seated in the very front of the bus, and it was such a blessing. Rain cascaded down the side windows, distorting the landscape beyond. But the giant front windshield, with its extra-huge wipers, gave us a clear view of everything.

Aidan apologetically told us that weather might affect our enjoyment of the Cliffs of Moher, on the coast of county Claire. The weather did affect our enjoyment, he was right about that. But not in the way he thought. We had a blast!

County Claire is north of Cork and Limerick. The Cliffs of Moher are on the west coast of county Claire.

As the Paddywagon pulled into the parking lot below the Cliffs of Moher, the rain was dumping. And the wind gusts were fierce. Aidan pointed at a couple struggling with an umbrella turned inside-out by the gale. He told us to leave ours on the bus.

But, he pointed out, it could be worse. The clouds were still high and were not affecting visibility. He told us where to go to get the best photos of the cliffs and then let us loose.

My husband was in shorts. He had a jacket, but it was not really waterproof. I had a rain parka, and it blew every which way in the wind.

I mentioned in my last post that my husband has a bad hip and knee, so we don’t walk fast. It was a drenching rain. We were already soaked by the time we cleared the parking lot.

We had to yell over the noise of the wind and rain to strategize. We would make the trek up to the lookout points first, and then make our way back to the visitor’s center and gift shop. We hoped to dry off and warm up inside before we got back on the bus.

Have you ever walked against winds which require you to lean ridiculously far forward so as not to fall backward? These winds were like that. And they drove the rain directly into our faces as we climbed the hill.

My husband is a big, strong dude; and look how he had to lean into the wind to stand still. The cows were more practiced at the weather than we were!

I am not sure if we’ve ever laughed so hard. The sight of each other trying to battle the weather for each step was hilarious. It was slow going, even for us! And we were drenched!

We took our photos and made our way back down to the visitor’s center. It was built right into the cliffs. It was amazing! We found interesting information, interactive displays, and warm shelter from the wind and rain.

We dried off quite a bit and enjoyed ourselves a whole lot! I suspected, even though it was our first full day on the intriguing island of Ireland, that this would be my favorite memory. I was right. Our whole week was incredible, but the 90 minutes we spent at the Cliffs of Moher were my favorite.

I bought myself a souvenir in the gift shop; a ring with a Celtic knot. I am so glad I did. It whisks me back every time I see it and I’m filled with joy. My husband bought a beanie and it also makes me smile when he wears it.

As we made our way back to the bus at the prearranged time, we noticed that visibility had declined. We thanked God for the rain, and that He’d prompted us to take photos first. And we adored Him for His grandeur, His majesty, and His intrigue – all reflected in the exquisite Cliffs of Moher, which He imagined and created on the west coast of this irresistibly interesting island!

“Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.”

1 Chronicles 29:11

These are a couple of my photos. Click to enlarge.

Raindrops on the camera lens were a big problem! I didn’t have anything dry with which to wipe them! These gorgeous rolling hills were behind us, as we looked out over the cliffs.

God’s splendor on display in, on, and around the Cliffs of Moher.

Below is a photo I took of an image in the visitor’s center. It was surely taken on a calm, sunny day, with a drone in exactly the right position. What an incredible sculptor and artist our God is, right?

The Cliffs of Moher on the west coast of county Clare.

Thank you so much for reading, and enjoying the Cliffs of Moher in the rain with me. Our next stops on this Paddywagon bus tour, which I will talk about next time, included an “old-timey” Irish pub, and a castle. What an irresistibly interesting island of intrigue Ireland is! I’ll talk to you again soon!

Curious how this Ireland trip came about?
Click here for the introduction post.

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