The Cliffs of Moher
Cliffs of Moher are located at the
south-western edge of
The Burren
area near
Doolin.
The
cliffs
rise 120 m above the
Atlantic Ocean
at Hag's Head and extend for
a distance of eight kilometers and to a height of 214 m. The Cliffs
are a significant tourist attraction, and there is a visitor center
and parking lot on the site managed by Shannon Heritage, which also
operates O'Brien's Tower. A largely unenclosed walking trail runs
along the top edge of the entire length of the cliffs, skirting
private grazing lands and often running within mere meters of a sheer
drop off into the
ocean.
The Burren
The Burren is an
amazing place. It is a karst limestone region of approximately 300 sq
km which lies in the North West corner of Co Clare, in Ireland. It is
composed of limestone pavements, which are eroded in a distinctive
pattern known as karren. This pavement is crisscrossed by cracks known
as grykes and underneath the pavement there are huge caves and rivers
that suddenly flood when it rains. It contains dozens of megalithic
tombs and Celtic crosses and a ruined Cistercian Abbey from the 12th
century, Corcomroe.You can find villages abandoned since famine times
and green roads on which you can walk for miles without ever seeing a
car. And if you go in springtime you will find rare wildflowers such
as gentian and orchids and bloody cranesbill.
Aillwee Caves
Unlike the vast caverns you may have
encountered, Aillwee Cave is unique to the geology of the Burren and
it enables you to explore a little of what lies under the exciting
landscape. This stunning creation of nature was formed by the melt
waters of a prehistoric ice age. The cave, carved out of limestone
cuts into the heart of the mountain. The story of Aillwee Cave began
millions of years ago when streams sinking underground on Aillwee
Mountain started dissolving channels through the lines of weakness in
the limestone. About one million years ago the ice age began and from
then until fifteen thousand years ago Ireland's climate alternated
between arctic coldness and warmer periods, freezing and melting,
freezing and melting over the centuries. This melting water roared and
crashed its way through an underground channel greatly enlarging the
passage and bringing with it large quantities of sand and silts which
are still present in the inner cave today
Aran Islands
Here, on the very edge of Europe, is an Island rich in the language,
culture and heritage of Ireland, unique in its geology and archaeology
and in its long tradition of gentle hospitality. Here is a place to
sense the spirit of Gaelic Ireland, to touch the past, but with all
the comforts and facilities of the present. Aran will take you back to
an Ireland of Celts and Early Christians. This is an island of great
peace and tranquillity, but it is also an island of great fun and
activity. A timeless land in an endless sea, weathered monuments
on awesome cliffs, great labyrinths of limestone, meandering walls,
patchwork fields, quiet beaches and a welcoming island people, this is
Aran in Galway bay on the west coast of Ireland...
River
Shannon
Dividing Ireland
almost in two and dominating the midlands landscape, the River Shannon
has acted as a formidable barrier to movement from East to West while
providing a marine highway from North to South. It is the longest
river in both Ireland and Britain, and has influenced the military,
social and economic history of Ireland since the beginning of time.
Travelling over 200 miles from its source to the sea, it is home to
over a dozen lakes and more then a hundred islands. It is joined on
its journey by dozens of smaller rivers and streams some of which are
also navigable.
The Doolin Stalactite
Poll-an-Ionain, near Lisdoonvarna, is a difficult cave to explore and
has inside it a huge stalactite nearly 25 feet long - the longest in
western Europe. The Clare caves are definitely not for the casual
visitor owing to the many narrow water floored passages. Pollnagollum
is sited on the east side of Slieve Elva in the townland of
Caherbullog and is a wide funnel-shaped hole about a hundred feet
deep. A fixed rope enables one to scramble down some seventy feet on
to a sloping area covered in ferns and mossy stones. To the left under
a cliff is the main shaft which must be descended by rope ladders. |