above: Bunratty Castle, County Limerick

 

ITINERARY:   7.40am: Depart Paddys Palace Tourist Hostel, Dublin. Enjoy a scenic drive across the beautiful midlands of Ireland, your 100% Irish Tour Guide will keep you entertained and informed with songs and stories.    Arrive at the world famous Cliffs of Moher, one of the world’s great natural attractions – you can enjoy a hike, a relaxed walk, all the time gazing in amazement at this geological and natural beauty.   Depart from Cliffs of Moher for Doolin village where you may wish to enjoy a traditional Irish pub-lunch (optional)   Doolin, although a tiny wee village is Ireland's traditional music capital.   Depart Doolin and visit one of the most unusual limestone surfaces anywhere - the lunar landscape of the Burren, the only place on Earth where Arctic, Alpine and Mediterranean all grow together. If it’s the right season you may see one of the 26 different types of orchids that grow here right on beautiful Galway Bay. Botanists, geologists and archeologists among you will be foaming at the mouth; and if flowers, rocks and history aren’t you’re thing then this special place just might turn you onto them!   Arrive at Bunratty Castle, a truly glorious monument to 12th century military architecture (Ireland's most photographed fortress) for a rest stop and the chance to grab a coffee and refresh yourself. You can easily imagine Norman Knights, Gaelic warriors and Jousting Chieftains at this hallowed spot.   Depart Bunratty Castle for the pleasant return drive to Dublin   Arrive back in Dublin City Centre with your thirst for knowledge quenched after a fun and relaxing day out in the West of Ireland.                 What’s included:   A sparkling 100% Irish Tour Guide Luxury Mercedes Paddywagon Coach The Burren Bunratty Castle (photostop & restroom break) Limerick City Galway Bay Irish stories and songs Zillions of sheep and stone walls!

1. Over 1 million visitors annually - our most popular day-trip (obviously the entire 1 million dont come on our buses, we wish!)

2. As of June 2009 the Cliffs were in 5th place in the Seascapes section of the "New Seven Wonders" competition

3. The Cliffs of Moher have been featured on film numerous times, including in The Princess Bride (1987), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009),^[12] and in the Tentacles of Doom episode of Father Ted (1996).

4. One of our top Guides - Paddy Murphy - once caused a stir at the cliffs dressed in a leprechaun suit

5. On the same day an apparently famous German stunt man almost gave us hfeart-failure by doing one wheel jumps on a BMX at the top of the precarious Cliff!

6. The majority of Dusty Springfield's ashes were scattered here.

7. The cliffs consist mainly of beds of Namurian shale and sandstone, with the oldest rocks being found at the bottom of the cliffs.

8. T'is possible to see 300 million year old river channels cutting through the base of the cliffs.

9. BIRDS!!  An estimated 30,000 birds from 29 species have the much sought after address of 'Cliffs of Moher, Western Ireland'. These include the noted Atlantic Puffins, which live in large colonies at isolated parts of the cliffs and on the small Goat Island. Also present are hawks, gulls, guillemots, shags, ravens and choughs.

10. World surf champ Kelly Slater surfed here this year in the new Irish surf movie 'Wave-riders', much to the delight of the tiny surfing fan-club within the ranks of our Irish tour guides.

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