Cliffs of Moher and Limerick

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.”

– Albert Einstein

Limerick

After waking up on our last morning in Dublin, we began our trek across the country to stay in Galway that same night. We started heading west toward Limerick, on our way we stopped at the Cliffs of Moher, before ending the day in Galway.

From Dublin, straight to Limerick, takes almost two and a half hours. We wanted to visit the Limerick Milk Market, however it was not open the day we visited. This is an outdoor public market that’s been around since 1852! It seems like a great place to grab some lunch and walk around to see all the local vendors.

Driving around the town we passed by the St. Mary’s Cathedral and Medieval Limerick City Walls on our way to King John’s Castle. This was definitely the coolest castle we visited on our journey through the UK and Ireland. The medieval castle is well preserved, has a great history museum, interactive activities such as archery, and rooms with authentic artifacts.

Where to Eat…

In limerick we ate at Katie Dalys, Limericks Oldest Public House, which is right across the street from King John’s Castle. It was very quiet as we were the only party in the restaurant, we enjoyed traditional Irish breakfasts for lunch and delicious tea before hitting the road toward the Cliffs of Moher.

Cliffs of Moher

These magnificent Cliffs are about three hours and 15 minutes from Dublin, straight through without stops. If you decide to not rent a car, there are several tour options that leave from Dublin. If you have an extra day in Dublin, I highly suggest making a day-trip to the Cliffs. Even the drive out to the cliffs was beautiful (don’t forget your Dramamine!). We saw countless sheep and green rolling hills, just like the Ireland you see in movies. As you begin to get closer, you will find the signs directing you to the cliffs and parking lot. We parked across the street and made our way toward the cliffs. Along the walk you will pass a giant restroom, cafe, and a few little trinket shops. As mentioned in the Wandering through Wales post, remember to wear your layers! I added and removed layers the entire time we were here.

When you get to the starting point you can choose to go North or South. We started on the North side and walked until the sidewalk ended and hiked some more through the rockier terrain. Each turn shows a different sight, more amazing than the last. Before we were too tired to continue, we made sure to turn around so we could hike down the South part of the cliffs as well. Pictures do not do these ginormous cliffs any justice. I can see why this destination is on every list I came across as I was panning our trip. Several movies, including Harry Potter, have been filmed on the cliffs.

Additional Stops

With so much to do, and never enough time, there are some additional places that I had on the itinerary if time permitted. Here are a few places that look really cool along the route from Dublin to Galway and the Cliffs of Moher:

• Sean’s Bar in Athlone claims to be Europe’s oldest pub as it was established in 900AD! How crazy is this? This bar is right on the route from Dublin to Galway. You could go here instead of Limerick or do both depending on time.
• Dunguaire Castle is 55 minutes from the Cliffs of Moher and 34 minutes to Galway and tickets are £7.20. We did not have time in our schedule to make the stop, but would definitely like to visit on our next trip.
• Kylemore Abbey and Victorian Walled Garden looks absolutely incredible! We had way too much on our agenda to make a stop here, but it looks gorgeous! This would be an ideal location for a fairy tale wedding!

As you are planning your trip around Ireland, here are some travel times that may help you decide where you’d like to stop:

• Dublin to Limerick: Two and a half hours
• Dublin to Cliffs of Moher: Three hours and 15 minutes
• Dublin to Sean’s Bar: One hour and 50 minutes (on the route toward Galway in Athlone)
• Dublin to Galway: Two and a half hours
• Galway to Kylemore Abbey and Victorian Walled Gardens: an hour and 25 minutes

After exploring the cliffs for a few hours it was time to head toward Galway where we were staying that night. There are a ton of bed and breakfasts near the Cliffs of Moher so you could find lodging and stay in the cute town nearby if you would like, but we wanted to expand our trip to see as many cities as possible. Have you stayed near the Cliffs of Moher? What was your favorite area to visit?