Stuff to do in Ennis

YeatsHouse
Originally uploaded by natalieosbornesmith

At our trips end, we spent a couple of days in Ennis. This is a great town to stay in when hopping from one place to another. It also hosts one of the 2 international airports in Southern Ireland, so it's a great place to start or begin your trip. Some neat things to do while there are:

- Yeats Tower (Pictured here & see next post)
- Bunratty Castle (for a REAL touristy experience of Midieval Ireland)
- Other Castles of County Clare

For more info about Yeats Tower, click here: http://www.gortonline.com/TouristGuide/PlacesofInterest/ThoorBallylee/Thoor+Ballylee.htm

A Closer Look at the Burren

Burren2
Originally uploaded by natalieosbornesmith

Take a closer look at the rocks of the Burren. The Burren (Irish: Boireann, meaning Great rock, Boirinn is the modern form used by the Ordnance Survey) is a unique landscape region in northwest County Clare, in Ireland. The rolling hills of Burren are composed of limestone pavements with crisscrossing cracks known as "grikes", leaving isolated rocks called "clints". The region supports Arctic, Mediterranean and Alpine plants side-by-side, due to the unusual environment. It really is an stark yet amazing place!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Burren

The Burren, County Clare

Burren
Originally uploaded by natalieosbornesmith

The western coast of Ireland is dramatic in its views and plant life. You look one way and you see the aqua waters of the Atlantic. You look inland, and you see the Burren.

The Burren is an ecological marvel located roughly between Lahinch to the south and the southern part of Galway Bay to the north. At one time, the Burren was a fertile and productive place but human habitation sometime in the distant past stripped the land of it's soft woods and soil. The irony is, today it is considered an ecological wonder. A wide range of plant life can be found in the Burren. See the next post for more info!

http://www.tourclare.com/burren.html

Galway City

Galway_City
Originally uploaded by natalieosbornesmith

I didn't particularly care for this city. We got there on a Friday, and all the college kids were out. It was hot, crowded, and noisy that night, and there were issues with the water in Galway city. Luckly our hotel had a "high tech" filtration system, so no worries there! When we woke up the next morning, my mom and I went walking before we left for Ennis. There is a river that runs straight through the town into the sea. My mom and I spotted swans and birds all along it.

Cliffs of Mohr

Nat's Ireland
Originally uploaded by natalieosbornesmith

Another shot of the Cliffs!