When I started planning this trip, I pictured nights at pubs, beautiful views of majestic green mountains, and mornings of sausage, eggs, grilled tomato and baked beans. I also pictured the Cliffs of Moher. I pictured standing on the edge of the cliff, looking out into the Atlantic Ocean and just taking in Ireland in all her Glory. With Celtic ballads playing on my iPhone, if I’m being perfectly honest.

Feeding your belly near the Cliffs of Moher

Our first stop when we got near the cliffs was a lunch break at McGann’s Pub. It was a perfect Irish pub. The place had a lot of character and the food was delicious. It also had the added bonus of being less than 15 minutes away from the Cliffs of Moher. The only problem was that McGann’s was a huge tourist stop. This made perfect sense considering that the pub was raved about in every tourist book around. After all, that was how I found out about the pub. However, in addition to a stop for the individual travelers, it was also a stop for many tour buses. Fortunately, we were already leaving when a gigantic tour bus pulled up.

Visiting the Cliffs of Moher

There’s no other way to say it, the Cliffs of Moher are amazing. If you are travelling to Ireland, the scenic walk along the 700-foot coastal cliffs should not be missed. The cliffs turned out to be slightly more commercialized than I envisioned. It was a little less standing on top of a cliff jutting out into the ocean and more of a walking trail located far away from the edge, with countless signs showing how dangerous going outside of the restricted boundaries could be. Go figure.

That being said, the cliffs are still absolutely worth your time to visit. Many tour buses do stop by the Cliffs of Moher (as evidenced by those that stopped at McGann’s Pub). However, if you have the chance, renting a car and driving out on your own is a great opportunity to be able to see the awe-inspiring views without a time constraint.

Be Safe People!

There are signage everywhere about staying safe and warnings of what could happen if you disregard the signs. That being said, the Cliffs of Moher aren’t policed and it is easy to go beyond the designated boundaries in search of an epic selfie. While we were there, we saw a particularly nice, flat outcrop jutting into the ocean that looked like the perfect place to take a picture. We didn’t attempt the shot, aware of how dangerous it could be, but there was a young couple nearby who did think the photos from that vantage point of the Cliffs of Moher would be worth the risk.

To the dumbfounded stares of hundreds of visitors, we watched the couple head out to the outcrop to take pictures. They took turns standing and sitting near the edge while taking pictures of each other. And then it happened. The girl who had just been dangling her legs off the precipice started to get up and slipped. In abject horror, I watched frozen in fear as she started to slide off the edge. Her boyfriend / husband thankfully moved fast and dove towards her, catching her and pulling her back on the ledge. They sheepishly left the outcrop and I got to experience hearing what I can only assume was the word “idiots” muttered in multiple different languages.

Hawaii Girl Travels…

Click here for the full itinerary of my big 3-0 celebration in Ireland. Click here to learn about our travels from County Mayo to County Claire, via County Galway.