It was an early start to today as although our ferry departure point was only two minutes down the road, Petr had scouted out the carpark last night and discovered that the dedicated coach and campervan area was currently out of action. So our plan was to head down there early to ensure we could find a space and then do breakfast whilst parked up.
After a rough first night with the kids waking up several times the early morning alarm was not appreciated! However, the plan worked and we managed to find a good spot and get ourselves organised for the day.
There are several options for visiting the three Aran Islands but the one that fitted our schedule best and allowed us the most time on the island itself to explore, was the closest, Inisheer/Inis Oírr. So at 9am on a wet and blustery morning we boarded the Doolin Ferry. We risked seats at the back of the lower deck and Paloma in particular loved the choppy waves making the boat bounce on the water.
Back on terra firma we decided to try the Inisheer National Looped Walk following the shorter green route around the main sites of interest on the island. This worked really well with the kids and they loved seeing The Plassey shipwreck (made famous from being in the opening titles of Father Ted).
After a quick bite to eat at a local cafe we got back on the ferry for the second part of the trip to see the Cliffs of Moher. This was meant to run via Doolin then out again but they had big enough numbers doing the tour that they ran two boats with ours heading to the cliffs straight from Inisheer which was a much better route. I thought the cliffs were quite impressive but Matt less so, who even managed to doze off a couple of times on the trip back.
We then proceeded to head to see the cliffs from the top. Deciding that at this time of day it was the safest option to get a space for the motorhomes we paid the eye-watering €24 to park at the Cliffs of Moher Experience. (We did later find out that we could have booked this in advance online much cheaper but you live and learn!). The entrance gave you access to several key viewpoints and we did even briefly explore the indoor exhibition area as a way to shelter from a sudden passing downpour. After all the walking earlier on the island we didn't wander far but Paloma and I enjoyed going to the top of the O'Brien's Tower even if we did then get stuck up there for a short while when the one up, one down system broke down on the narrow spiraled staircase.
It was then time for the main drive of the day taking just over an hour to get to Kilrush Marina. Ostensibly a carpark they rent a few parking bays for overnight stays. With full electric supply and a small but perfectly adequate toilet and shower block it works perfectly for what we need.
After another long day and after last night's shenanigans there were some pretty tired and grumpy kids (and parents!) at dinner time, but fingers crossed a good night's sleep will solve that for tomorrow.
Blogged by Amber
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