Wild Atlantic Way

17 October 2025

Sorry I haven’t written sooner, but my life has been very chaotic. I’ll share more about that after we travel part of the Wild Atlantic Way. The Wild Atlantic Way is a scenic route that stretches from County Donegal (Inishowen Peninsula) in the north to County Cork (Kinsale) in the south, covering over 1,600 miles of stunning Irish coastline. Here we go to explore this beautiful region!

Aughnanure Castle, which may not look like a typical castle, but according to experts, any

Aughnanure Castle

fortified building capable of protecting its surrounding area can be considered a castle. Most castles lacked a ballroom, throne room, or elegant staircase; instead, life within them was often basic and communal. Aughnanure is a tower house, designed primarily for defense. This four-story tower features narrow slit windows, allowing its inhabitants to shoot arrows or firearms at any approaching enemies.

In times of danger, as many as 50 families, along with their sheep and cattle, could take refuge within its walls. The idea of living in such close quarters, particularly with the threat of Vikings, makes me shudder. Privacy was a luxury that vanished when danger loomed. I can only imagine the crowding and the smells! The overlords of this castle, the Ferocious O’Flahertys, must have made for quite the lively, if not challenging, company while sheltering inside those walls. The invention of the canon made this type of castle obsolete, because the tower castle was easy to blow away.

While

Street Scene in Galway

When we arrived in Galway, I was glad I had visited earlier in the year with my daughter, Shannon. Galway is a charming city with a fascinating history, and we were told none of this but to grab lunch and do some shopping. This time, we were dropped off in a part of the city I hadn’t explored before, where I discovered a delightful pedestrian shopping street. After wandering for about an hour, I settled down for lunch.

Since I was on my own, the waitress guided me to a small table but soon noticed that all the tables in that part of the pub were empty. She kindly suggested that I’d be too lonely back there and moved me to a spot at the front of the bar, where I could watch the people strolling by. I had a lovely lunch and truly appreciated her thoughtfulness.

Next, we headed to one of Ireland's most famous sites: the Cliffs of Moher. Towering at 702

Cliffs of Moher

feet above the Atlantic, these cliffs offer breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean, including the Aran Islands. The cliffs themselves are impressive, but when I spotted the path that led up to them, I shook my head, thinking, "I can’t do this." I was very tired. Fortunately, there was a golf cart service available to take me to the top. I managed to walk a bit, but my energy quickly faded, prompting me to return and catch the shuttle back to the base of the cliffs. Later, I found a movie to watch before heading back to the bus.

That night, we stayed at the LaHinch Coast Hotel, which turned out to be a bit of a nightmare when it came to getting around. The layout was confusing, with floors and half-floors. I took the elevator to room 409, but got off at floor 2, where the 200 rooms were on the right and the 400 rooms on the left. I don’t what happened to the 300 rooms. The next morning, when I went down for breakfast, I had to navigate two handicapped elevators to reach the breakfast room. Normally, I might find tackling such obstacles enjoyable, but I wasn't feeling well, which made the experience quite frustrating. In fairness, a worker in the dining room took my suitcase up to reception, thankfully.

Kilkee Cliffs

When I managed to get myself and my luggage to the bus, off we went to another set of cliffs. We stopped at the Kilkee Cliffs which are like the Cliffs of Moher just smaller. Needless to say the path to top was easier than at the Cliffs of Moher.  The view was still gorgeous and the walk enjoyable. Another plus to these cliffs is the are not as crowded as their famous cousins.

The next port of call was the ferry over the River Shannon.  Since my daughter is named Shannon, I hoped to get a couple of good pictures of the river.  It’s really difficult to get a photo of a wide river, but I gave it my best try. Rivers like the Amazon (huge), the Mississippi (really big), or the Shannon (medium) are better looking upstream than at their estuary.

Shannon River Estuary

Then we were off to Dingle, the prime party peninsula in Ireland. It’s also an area in which the Irish language is spoke and you hear traditional Irish music in many pubs. I am told it is beautiful. After driving around the town, we arrived at the hotel which had a strange layout. When I finally got to my room, I was so tired I went straight to bed. Luckily, I didn’t have any plans until noon the next day.

Dingle Street Scene

The next morning, I woke up to a bad cold. Everything felt slow and heavy. Despite not feeling my best, I had a couple of errands to run. Once I was finally ready, I headed out to the grocery store and the pharmacy. I found the pharmacy first and asked for recommendations for a head cold. The pharmacist handed me a box of Cetrine, an antihistamine. Satisfied, I made my way to the SuperValu next door to pick up a few items.

As I looked back at my path, I realized it was all uphill. I also noticed a sign pointing toward my hotel. Hoping it would lead to an easier route, I followed it. While it didn't simplify my journey, it did seem to provide a shortcut to the hotel parking lot. It was probably a good decision to take this route.

After putting my items away, I lingered for a moment, gazing at my bed, but there was no time to rest. I wanted to learn about falcons and other birds of prey. I went downstairs to catch the cab the hotel had arranged for me. When I asked at the reception if the cab had arrived, I was told it would be here soon.

Then, I overheard a phone call where someone mentioned, "Delores, you need to get here; your client is waiting." The receptionist informed me my cab would arrive in five minutes, but it ended up being ten. This meant I was late for the bird show. I attempted to pay the driver, but she had no change and didn't accept cards. She assured me she would pick me up after the show with change, which seemed like a reasonable solution.

I joined the falconry show. The first performer was a Peregrine Falcon, which flew gracefully

Ozzie, the Harris Hawk

and returned for a treat. These birds are magnificent and a joy to watch. After distributing leather gloves, we had the opportunity to get up close and personal with a Harris Hawk named Ozzie. Ozzie made his rounds, perching on each person's glove. Even though I knew what to expect, I was still startled the first time he flew straight toward me. The sight of those large wings and sharp beak coming right at me was quite the surprise.

Snowny, the White Barn Owl

Next, we were introduced to Snowy, a charming white barn owl. She flew gracefully from person to person as we held out our gloved hands. I felt more prepared for her flight, noticing her wings were smaller than Ozzie's. After returning our gloves, we watched an incredible Owl Eagle. It was a magnificent bird and quite large. Among the many facts shared, the only one that stuck with me was that it’s not found in North America, which likely explains why I had never heard of it before. After a delightful tour of the aviary, the show came to an end. It was enjoyable, but unfortunately, it didn’t do much to help my cold.

I waited for my cab driver, but after 15 minutes in the biting wind, I decided to call another cab. By the time he arrived, the original driver still hadn’t shown up. I was disappointed with her service, but I still owed her money. When I got back to the hotel, I got some change and left the correct amount for her. I didn't want to stiff her, but I suspected she was an unlicensed cab driver who took jobs as they came but often forgot her appointments, leaving clients waiting.

After a short nap, I realized I was too sick to continue the trip. I texted my tour leader, Brian, to let him know I wouldn’t be joining the van in the morning. He replied saying he was sorry to hear that and asked if there was anything they could do to help me get home from Dingle or assist me in staying on the tour. After texting no, I crawled back into bed, feeling a mix of regret and melancholy. This trip had also stirred up emotions about my late husband, David, surprising and saddening me. At that moment, I simply lacked the energy to do anything.

Stay tuned for what happened after I left the trip—it certainly wasn’t dull!

Waterford Weather:   Drippy and chilly

High                 Low

58  F ( 14C)          53 F (12 C)

Sunrise             Sunset

7:59                   6:27  (18:27 military time)

Hours of Sunlight

10 hours and 28 minutes