After Ennis, we backtracked to the Connemara airport. We had missed the flight the previous day, but Robbie really wanted to go to Inis Mór (Inishmore), the largest of the Aran Islands. I’m really glad he decided on this and that we got up early enough to make the drive back! The weather cooperated once again and we enjoyed a sunny time on the Island. In the airport we ran into a lovely Vancouverite travelling around on her own and she only had great things to say about her time on the island. We boarding the 11:30 am flight on separate planes so we could both sit beside the pilot in the tiny airplanes. Surprisingly, the flight was not that rocky.
Once we landed, we decided to take a bus tour to see some of sites. We only a few hours before we needed to board the 4:30 plane back to the mainland, so it seemed like a great idea. Our original plan was to bike around the island but the winds were quite intense. I can’t quite recall everything we saw, though I know it included the 7 churches, as well as the main visitor attraction of the island, the prehistoric fort Dún Aengus. The ruins were incredibly impressive with close enough access to the cliff edge… definitely nerve-wracking!
Afterwards, we bought some hand-knitted wool hats at the sweater shop (apparently a must-do stop (?)!) and ate at an American pub before boarding our flight for the mainland and embarking on our long drive to Killarney. We checked into our hotel, The Malton, and we were quite tired. The reward at the end of the drive? Thai food, courtesy of Genting Thai. This may sound like nothing, but after eating Irish food for over a week, our tastebuds were happy for some ethnic vegetarian cuisine!
HIKES & HAMSTRINGS 