They run for about 14 kilometres (9 miles) along the coast.
At their southern end, they rise 120 metres (390 ft) above the Atlantic Ocean and, 8 kilometres (5 miles) to the north, they reach their maximum height of 214 metres (702 ft).
On a clear day the Aran islands are visible in Galloway Bay.
The Cliffs of Moher are a UNESCO Geopark and are a Special Protected Area for Birds and Wildlife.
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John likes to have the option of having his early morning coffee fix in a coffee shop a short walk away.
We like to be able to get around easily without a vehicle.
And if there is an old historic centre we like to be really close to it.
So it was totally out of character to choose a small farm in Adare, just south of Limerick.
Outside our windows the curious steers kept watch.
But now that I am older I find graveyards are interesting.
They don't generally reveal much, just when someone was born and when they died. But if you stop to look more closely there are more clues. Sometimes who their parents were, who they married, siblings, kids, where they lived and what they did. There can also be clues with icons on their gravestones that reveal more.
I always wonder what the rest of their lives were like because at most a graveyard just reveals a small snapshot of a person's life, not all their joys and sorrows or trials and tribulations.
Anyway, enough musing... a friend knew we were in Ireland and part of her family had come from Ireland, back in the day.
She asked us if we would be near a tiny village called Kildysart.
Well, that simple question led to a "mission"!
It is located in the Iveragh Peninsula, in southwest Ireland and is considered to be the edge of Europe.
The area has ancient forts, glacial valleys and lakes, and, mountain peaks that include Ireland’s tallest mountain, Carrauntoohil.
Often we would go to a pub for "beer and wings".
My beer of choice was usually a Kilkenny.
Who knew that some day I would travel to Kilkenny?
And who knew that Kilkenny beer is now brewed by Guinness in Dublin?
But, Kilkenny Castle is still in Kilkenny, there's still really pretty countryside and there are still ruined abbeys to explore.
Not always, but sometimes.
Driving forward is rarely a problem.
However.....
"Highways" in Ireland, and also in Europe, are not always as big as I am used to in North America.
There are times when I just have to close my eyes, hold my breath and hope for the best.
That is when John is driving.
I couldn't decide which of Dublin's most famous claims to fame I should start this journal entry with.
It was between Christchurch Cathedral, The Book of Kells, or at the other end of the spectrum, Guinness beer, Irish whiskey, or Temple Bar.
I decided that the Book of Kells would be the winner.
The Book of Kells is considered one of the most famous artefacts in the world.
(Once again, I am seriously wondering where I was when they taught this in school?!)
