The Cliffs of Moher
The Cliffs of
Moher are one of Ireland's most spectacular sights. The Cliffs of Moher rise
from Hag's Head to the south and reach their highest point (230 meters) just
north of O'Briens Tower before slowly declining north again. On a clear day,
the view is tremendous: the Aran Islands on the waters of Galway Bay and beyond
lie the hills and valleys of Connemara in western Galway.
The Burren Area
The Burren
region is well worth the time because you will probably never see anything like
it in your life. The craggy limestone appears as one Irishman said, "it
looks like something on Mars". You will be amazed by the barren
countryside, but you'll be surprised to see cows grazing on the small amounts
of flora and fauna.
The Muckross House
The Muckross House was built in 1843, on the edge of Muckross Lake, at a
cost of 30,000 Irish pounds for Henry Arthur Herbert the M.P. (member of
parliament) for Kerry. The Herberts entertained many important guests at
Muckross most notably Queen Victoria of England in 1861.
Ahenny High Crosses
The two Ahenny crosses are impressive, both about four meters tall and
dating from the 8th century. They are somewhat unusual in that they're almost
exclusively covered in an interlacing design. Only on the bases are there any
panels depicting the more typical religious scenes. They are said to represent
the transition from the older abstract designs of high crosses to the pictorial
scenes found on later crosses. Another odd feature are the removable cap stones
known as mitres (bishop's hats). Legend has it that these caps can cure
migraine headaches if placed on the sufferer's head.
Kilkierian High Crosses
The west cross is similar to those in Ahenny:
about four meters tall, richly decorated, and the large cap stones (mitre)
still intact. The legend of the crosses is that if you can put the mitre on
your head you will be cured of headaches. There must have been a plague of
headaches at the time considering the number of cures found in the area. It's
no wonder it would cure a headache because the size of the mitre is so large it
would crush a person's head!
Hore Abbey
The 13th century Hore Abbey is set in farmland just a few hundred yards
from the base of the Rock of
Cashel. It was the last daughter house - a religious house which was
affiliated to the main monastery - of Mellifont's Cistercians and was a gift
from a 13th century archbishop who expelled the Benedictine monks after
dreaming that they had plans to murder him..