Tour of Ireland - 2011: Day 4 - Limerick and Clare County (Lower Shannon Region)

Today we boarded this train for our day tour of The Lower Shannon region of Ireland (Clare and Limerick Counties). It was a 2 hour trip to Limerick.

The first stop is the Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. Set on 26 acres of natural Clare countryside, Bunratty Folk Park features over 30 buildings in a ‘living’ village and rural setting.

Bunratty Castle (Irish: Caisleán Bhun Raithe, meaning 'Castle at the Mouth of the Ratty') is a large 15th-century tower house in County Clare, Ireland. It is located in the centre of Bunratty village (Irish: Bun Ráite). The castle and the adjoining folk park are run by Shannon Heritage as tourist attractions.

Rural farmhouses, village shops and streets are recreated and furnished as they would have appeared at that time according to their social standing, from the poorest one roomed dwelling to Bunratty House a fine example of a Georgian residence built 1804 home of the Studdarts, the last family to occupy Bunratty Castle.

This was a peat fire inside a typical 19th century thatched roof home in the Folk Park village outside of Bumratty Castle. Peat was cleaner burning (less smoke) and in abundance so it was used instead of wood. I had some kettle cake from the one pictured and baked over this fire. It was pretty tasty. It had a cornbread texture and was a little sweeter.

Entering the fortress

Bunratty castle was built in the 15th century. The most important inhabitants were the Earls of Thomond from the 1500s until the mid 1600s. The present interior looks much as it did under their reign.

A baby, Mama, and Papa cannon to protect the premises.

The main guard of the castle. This is where Bunratty's soldiers ate, slept, and relaxed.

This piece of furniture was gorgeous. It's ornately hand carved and stands about 7 feet tall. The passageways and doorways in the castle are tiny so it's a little problematic to get furniture like this into the various rooms. Therefore, all of the large pieces of furniture are designed to be disassembled and reassembled inside the castle. This chest breaks down into 7 pieces. The massive tables that you see in the other pictures follow the same premise.

Guest apartments with linenfold wood panelling (popular during the Tudor period). This room looks so cozy and inviting in the picture, but I'm reminded of the tour guides depiction of castle living. It was generally cold, damp, dark and smoke filled due to their size and construction. So a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.

A tower with a view. The name Bunratty, Bun Raite (or possibly, Bun na Raite) in Irish, means "river basin" of the 'Ratty' river.^[2] This river, alongside the castle, flows into the nearby Shannon estuary.^[3]

This overgrown brush alongside the roadway is actually the much revered "fairy tree". Irish folklore states that anyone that cuts down this type of tree will suffer bad luck. In fact, the country spent millions of dollars to re-route a highway around this one. The last person that cut one down died mysteriously along with two close relatives that died in a tragic accident. It's not much to look at, but it's well respected by the Irish. They don't mess around with the "fairy".

A sample of the lush green countryside and the stone hedges that divide the land.

The land was very rocky so the Irish people showed some resourcefulness and built stone dry stacked walls around their property. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

A picturesque Ireland countryside

The Cliffs of Moher (/ˈmʌhər/; Irish: Aillte an Mhothair)^[1] are sea cliffs located at the southwestern edge of the Burren region in County Clare, Ireland.^[2]^[3] They run for about 14 kilometres (9 miles). At their southern end, they rise 120 metres (390 ft) above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag's Head, and, 8 kilometres (5 miles) to the north,

At the centre of the Wild Atlantic Way in Co Clare are the stunning Cliffs of Moher. Stretching out into the mist along the North Clare coastline, the Cliffs of Moher are jaw-droppingly beautiful.

Their sheer drop into the heaving Atlantic ocean is a well known haven for sea birds. Waves crash below, seabirds whirl above and paths wind along the cliff-edge between villages all the way.

Situated on the Wild Atlantic Way on Irelands west coast the Cliffs of Moher are one of the most outstanding coastal features of Ireland. Rising slowly from Doolin village they ascend to over 700 feet (213 metres) boasting some of the most breathtaking scenery in Ireland. They have become one of Irelands premier tourist attraction and a must see for many people visiting Ireland.

The cliffs reach their maximum height of 214 metres (702 ft) just north of O'Brien's Tower,^[4] a round stone tower near the midpoint of the cliffs, built in 1835 by Sir Cornelius O'Brien,^[2]^[5] then continue at lower heights.

The requisite "we were here" pic in front of the beautiful cliffs.

This is a shot of the Burren region's lunar-like landscape. It's a rocky part of the country where not much grows. You'll notice it's flat with no trees or shrubs. Some grass with a shallow root system grows among the rocks along with a few species of flowers. The grass has a moss-like texture.

This plant should look familiar. The dandelion has to be the most stubborn weed ever. A continent away it can be found thriving in a rock crevice. It's no wonder I struggle removing this pesk from my yard.

Crystal "admiring" the desolate and barren landscape.

There's an unconventional beauty in the ugly, barren landscape that's captivating in its own weird way.

Not as spectacular as the Cliffs of Moher, but the Burrens' offer their own version that's pretty amazing.

View of the coast from the Burrens

This is the remains of a "famine house". A number of these ruins dot the countryside. These small stone homes existed during the great potato famine that killed and forced the migration of millions .