The next morning we found we could see Cliffs of Moher (we think) from our bedroom window.  Joe had a separate room and we had a great breakfast.  Patti Sue had been trying different things for each breakfast and today she had the Salmon I had been having pretty much each day.  Joe always had eggs and sausage (bangers and mash, I think).

It was cold, rainy and windy, but we motored on out of Doolin and passed what turned out to be Doonagore Castle (no signs, no tourism, just there along the road) and on to Cliffs of Moher.

The GPS was great – it didn’t have all the latest completions of the M-class roads (they are pretty much like freeways, some are toll roads).  But the GPS made navigation much nicer.  We had upgraded our Nuvi with an Ireland map before we left.

Video: Doonagore Castle & switchbacks

We circled back to see “The Burren”.  It is kind of a nebulous area and was difficult for us to figure out where to go to acutally see it.  We did not go to the Burren National Park - maybe that would have helped us get a better bearing understanding on the area.  We visited the Burren Center in Kilfenora and then went to cemetery - the Celtic crosses - and a church down from the center.

Not satisfied with our Burren experience so far, we went in search of more – a lady working at the Burren Center sent us to Caherconnell Stone fort.  We were the ONLY ones there!!!!  The displays told us was how the locals lived for a long time (maybe pre-cursors to castles).  It was interesting, but still not fulfilling.

The woman at the Caherconnel Stone fort pointed us a bit further north and we finally got a feel for The Burren at the Poulnabrone Megalithic Tomb.  Here we could see and actually walk on the surface that makes up The Burren.  Thist was what we were after.

As folks farmed and grew sheep, they protected themselves from marauding armies (and Vikings and such) first by these stone forts – rings of rock piles really - then by making bigger piles and strong walls (i.e. castles).  Then, with cannon able to take down the castles, they created bigger walls of rock and so the castles became obsolete.  Some of the castles were turned into estate homes, but most just got abandoned and became “historical”. 

We stopped at a SuperValu in Kilrush and got some sandwiches, salads and fruit from the deli.

Then took the short ferry ride from Killimer to Tarbert.  It cut off a LOT of time it would have taken to drive around the wide part of the Shannon River.  Joe set up the Titanic stance.  

We got into Dingle in the rain after dark, to the Alpine House B&B.  It was a bit more like a hotel than any we had stayed at so far, but still nice.

We drove to Dingle proper - a short drive, but it was cold and rainy - and went to two pubs: Courthouse and An Droichead Beag.  Both had live music.  Patti Sue is enjoying the music by the fire - just caught her with her eyes closed - she really isn't sleeping.

Video: Musicians in Dingle pub