Days One and Two: From Airports to the Cliffs of Moher

We made it safely to Ireland, all nineteen of us, and we are absolutely exhausted! Between the three-hour waits at the airport terminals and the five-hour flight to Dublin then the trek across Ireland to Galway we’re all pretty worn out. Our spirit, however, hasn’t diminished yet and it has somehow given us extra boosts of energy.

We spent most of the ride counting cow herds (surprisingly, we’ve seen more cows than sheep so far) and talking/taking pictures. Most of us slept at one point or another too. Our two major expeditions for the day were the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher.

At around two-ish we arrived at the Burren Centre Kilfernora. The centre was a small, museum-esc building of the geologic history of the Burren from its birth to its settlement by local Irishmen. In a nutshell, the Burren is a massive structure of limestone that was exposed during the last Ice Age when glacier recession stripped away the topsoil. A plethora of exotic flowers grow amidst the cracks and crevices. Life has found a way to flourish and grow, persevering even in such a barren landscape.

At the centre there was also an elderly church – Kilfernora Cathedral. The cathedral - crumbling in some places, sunken in others - houses the ‘City of Crosses.’ In the cemetery that surrounds the cathedral stand tall, intricately carved crosses of Christ’s Crucifixion and Irish Bishops. The most inspiring aspect of the cathedral, however, was the presence of both the old and the new; faded tombstones sat next to glittering ones still polished to a sheen. It’s a reminder of how the past and the present are inexorably entwined; the present building upon the past and reshaping it for the future.

The Cliffs of Moher were unimaginable. Only God could have carved the sheer cliffs and clear waters. We were all in awe of the towering rock faces and endlessness to the cliff line. Many of us climbed O’Brien’s Tower and were afforded a complete, panoramic view of the cliffs in all their splendor. Wherever we looked there was a new scene to see and if you stopped and listened, you could hear the calls of hundreds of birds drifting on the cool breeze. It was difficult for us to leave, we all could have happily stayed until the end of time had we been allowed without ever being bored.

For the rest of the day we rode to Galway and are currently about to spend our first night in the SleepZone hostel after a wonderful meal out and evening worship. Tomorrow we sail for the Aran Islands and none of us can wait.

Fun Facts of the Day:
Our first meal in Ireland was lunch at McDonalds and Subway.
Both the Sixth Harry Potter Movie and the Princess Bride were filmed at the Cliffs of Moher
Cornelius O’Brien built O’Brien’s tower to impress his lady friends. (provided by Lizzie Simms)

God bless everyone at home and wish us luck on our journey tomorrow!
~Megan Wilson for the Confirmation Class Pilgrims