Summary

The author recounts a memorable day in Ireland, enjoying local B&B hospitality, visiting the Cliffs of Moher, exploring a bird preserve, horseback riding, and experiencing Galway, despite the absence of Fourth of July fireworks.

Abstract

On the fourth day of their Ireland trip, the author and their family experience the warmth of Irish hospitality at Westbrook House in Ennis, where they enjoy a traditional Irish breakfast and receive personalized travel advice. They brave the rain to visit the majestic Cliffs of Moher, capturing stunning photographs and embracing the cheesy fun of a souvenir video postcard. The family continues to the Bird Preserve below Allwee Caves, where they watch a bird show featuring an African eagle and other raptors. After a picnic lunch, they partake in dressage and cross-country riding lessons at Dartfield, an activity initially met with skepticism but later enjoyed. The day concludes with a visit to the vibrant city of Galway, where the author replaces a cherished wedding ring with a new Celtic design. Despite missing the traditional Fourth of July fireworks, the author reflects on the day's experiences with contentment.

Opinions

The author highly values the genuine advice and friendly interactions with the Irish people, particularly the hosts at their B&B.
The Cliffs of Moher leave a profound impression on the author, described as breathtaking and magnificent.
The author finds humor and enjoyment in the "funnest cheesy thing" they've ever done, referring to the souvenir video postcard experience.
The bird show at the preserve is a highlight for the author's daughter, Sabrina, who overcomes her shyness to participate.
The author is pleasantly surprised by the unexpected fun of the horseback riding lessons, despite initial reservations.
The author appreciates the lively atmosphere of Galway and the charm of finding unique jewelry, replacing a sentimental item with a new Celtic ring.
The absence of Fourth of July fireworks is acknowledged but does not diminish the author's satisfaction with their day in Ireland.

No Fireworks, No Problem

Day 4 of our Ireland Trip

I love Irish bed & breakfasts.

So far, we’d lucked out the past couple of days, getting super nice owners. Last night, we stayed at Westbrook House in Ennis, were Drew and I were toasty warm in a four-poster bed and our three teenage kids shared a room, each in their own bed.

For breakfast, our hostess Sheila served us a traditional Irish breakfast of sausage, ham, black pudding, tomato and mushroom, in addition to a self-serve continental breakfast. Drew, a cheese-lover, got a platter of various cheeses. Happy day!

As we were checking out, Sheila asked her husband to suggest some must-sees. The husband seriously chimed in, doling out lots of ideas. That’s what I love about the Irish. Ask them a question and they will gladly share their opinion in an earnest way like they have been asked for the meaning of life.

Sheila and I talked about her family, and somehow she mentioned about a bird preserve by the Cliffs of Moher. Our 15-year-old daughter, Sabrina, perked right up, listening intently. I asked Sheila’s husband if he had mentioned about it. He hadn’t, so he launched once again into a generous friendly dose of advice. With a barrage of thanks and farewells, we got on our way.

I understood then what they meant by the “wet” Irish weather.

It was raining when we left Ennis, a steady drizzle, and I worried how we would enjoy going to the Cliffs of Moher. Still, we drove up, on little narrow roads with broken yellow lines tidily marking either side of the road that was free of debris, very clean. The car was so close to the growth of tall grasses on the side, I could hear whispers of grass blades stroking the side of the car. We passed rock-hedge outlined fields, black and white cows at pasture and expanses of green farmland. Beyond, I could see the sea, muddy gray from the rainstorm.

We arrived at the Cliffs of Moher parking lot and the rain was still falling. Dressed in our rain jackets, we went into the Exhibit Center where I laughed my head off doing this souvenir video postcard — we had a green screen behind us and the image of us standing on the cliffs.

I had watched a man and his elderly parents stand there to pose, and as the video recorded, a fan blew their hair around. They had solemn faces and were awkward being filmed. Seeing that and the cheesiness of the set-up, I kind of snickered to the side.

Until I tried it, and I decided it was the funnest cheesy thing I’ve ever done in my life. We bought souvenirs, stowed them away, and went up to the overlook for the Cliffs of Moher.

I don’t know what I expected. A long hike? Smallish formations, perhaps? But not what I saw.

Oh. Wow.

Just a few yards from the visitor’s center, the cliffs say hello to you and seize you by the throat by their sheer size and magnificence.

I took lots of pics from the bottom of the walkway, and yet every step, there was another breathtaking pic, and another. Meanwhile, it drizzled, but it didn’t matter as we were dressed properly. We had four cameras altogether and I’m sure we had about 50 photos each between us. A mist rolled in, obscuring the view, and then it cleared up again.

I got a text from my sister and we had kind of an amusing back and forth:

Me: Be sure to dress for rain. Her: Okay, so what’s new?

Yes, dressing for rain is really funny advice to tell the Irish.

A snail thrives in Ireland’s wet weather at Cliffs of Moher. Image by Jewel Allen.

After the cliffs, we went on to the Bird Preserve below Allwee Caves.

The bird show was to start in an hour, so in that time, Drew took Sabrina around the preserve, the two older kids hiked up a trail by the cave, and I drove the car up to buy us lunch we could eat after the show. The food was wrapped in the same care and earnestness that I’ve come to appreciate in the Irish. By the end of it all, my takeaway lunch was wrapped in foil, with cream set aside in cups, in a sturdy box.

We then watched the bird show. Sabrina volunteered to be the first person to have a bird perch on her gloved hand. Which is saying a lot for this cute but shy girl.

She looked so happy the entire time, if I hadn’t been busy trying to capture bird-in-flight pics, I’d have taken lots of her happy mug. The bird she held was Batty, an eagle from Africa. They also brought out a Great Horned Owl and a Lanner Falcon.

Image of a Great Horned Owl by Jewel Allen

Picnicking in the car afterwards, we went on to Dartfield, about 20 km outside Galway, this time for dressage and cross-country riding lessons.

It was Drew’s idea, one that I was admittedly lukewarm about, considering we had six horses at home we could ride. But it turned out okay. It was a lot more fun than I expected.

If nothing else, I was done kvetching about it and just let myself enjoy riding Ginger, a smaller draft horse.

When the more advanced riders in our group got back, a guide named Charles took us on a trail ride across fields of bounding sheep and grazing horses. The grass was surprisingly dry, so we didn’t have to worry about the ground being wet and slippery.

Image of Author’s family, used with permission

Finally, tonight, we went to the harbor city of Galway upon my sister and her husband’s suggestion. They met up with us at Dartfield. We picnicked in the back of a lot which I thought was pretty charming and resourceful, and made me realize Ireland doesn’t have rest areas like the United States.

We took in Galway, which has a ped-only area like Dublin. The crowd was a little rougher at the edges, but the vibe was similarly lively. The kids bought hoodies and souvenirs while I bought something I’d been wanting to replace for a long time: a new ring to replace my original wedding ring whose diamond solitaire got gouged. This time, I bought a silver ring from a Celtic jewelry store. It had some amethyst accents and a simple but feminine design.

Image of the Author by Drew Allen, used with permission

It was near midnight when we finally returned to my sister’s farmhouse. The kids were asleep in the back of our rental car. Which was good. The next day, our son and our youngest daughter were running an 8K at Clontarf and they needed to rest up.

And then I remembered what day it was.

July 4th.

Happy Independence Day, America.

The skies were dark over my sister’s Irish farmhouse, with nary a firework in sight, but it was more than okay.

This is a 9-day series through Ireland. Here are Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3. Thank you for reading!

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