Pinch me I’m dreaming of the Cliffs of Moher

Pictures don’t do it justice. Nevertheless, I will attempt to be your window to the enchanting views the Cliffs of Moher have to offer. It’s amazing to me that it has almost been two years since I’ve seen it in person.

The most incredible thing I’ve seen to date (even still!), the Cliffs of Moher turned out to be a top bucket list item I never knew I had.

 

Maybe you’re planning a trip, or you’ve already been there; I bet these photos will make you wish you were there right now. Along with some pictures from my visit, I’ve got a few facts for ya that I bet you didn’t know about the beautiful cliffs.

The Cliffs have had major screen time

They’ve starred as the backdrop to many movies, TV series and music videos. Have you heard of the movie Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince? Low budget, Indie film? Ha – gotcha. I’m sure you remember the scene where Dumblebore takes Harry to the horcrux cave; the scene before they enter- yep, Cliffs of Moher. The Cliffs… They’re magic.

And not to mention that The Cliffs were featured on the cover of a U2 album, No Line on the Horizon.

 

 

They’ve seen a thing or two…

The first sign of man at The Cliffs was in 1st century B.C. Back then there was a little fort that stood in place of the Moher Tower today. The fort stood until 1780 A.D., as recorded John Loyd in “A Short Tour of Clare.” Back then The Cliffs served as a lookout spot, as well as a place for fishing and quarrying.

If you want the best view, you’ll have to trespass

Millions of people visit The Cliffs of Moher each year, which must be a tad annoying for the neighbors next door.The Cliffs stretch 8 miles along the coast, but some of that is the property of farms. You’ll see a long barbed wire fence next to the hiking trail where cows come up to say hello.

It’s not trespassing, really, but it is a risky move if you want to take pictures on the edge like this one:

To get here we walked by a posted sign that stated going past that point was at your own risk; The Cliffs of Moher association was not responsible for anything that happened to… A little scary to read, but when life gives you an opportunity like that…. Take it!! (but with the utmost caution). One wrong move on The Cliffs and you could end up like the witch in the legend of The Hag and Cu Chulainn.

 

Did you learn something today, or was this post click bait? Happy St. Patrick’s Day – What was your favorite part about The Cliffs of Moher? Are you headed there soon?

 

My Ireland Top 5

My hair, my skin tone, my last name (Mulcahy; which, by the way, I found I’ve been pronouncing incorrectly my entire life) – all of it screams Irish. You can probably imagine how exciting it was to finally be in the country of my ancestors. It was really special.

The actual trek to Ireland and back wasn’t special in the least. In fact, I have a few choice words for Ryanair… But if any trip went off without a hitch, I’d be slightly concerned. Unforeseen problems are just a part of traveling and you have to always put yourself into the right mindset to adapt.

Anyway, we arrived in the evening on Friday just in time to check-in and hit the greatest tourist trap of all, Temple Bar. On Saturday we got up nice n’ early to catch the “gourmet” hostel breakfast and explore the city of Dublin for the day. Our last day was devoted to a tour of the Irish countryside; hitting Limerick, The Cliffs of Moher, The Burren and Clare.

Okay let’s get to it – Here’s my top 5 Ireland experiences:

5. The Abbey Court Hostel

This weekend was not only my first time in Ireland, but it was the first time ever staying in a hostel. Man… It was super cool. We stayed at Abbey Court Hostel which was in a SUPERB location – right on the river and just a short walk to the Irish nightlife.

This place was completely packed with travelers from all over. I had the opportunity of meeting some of the most interesting people. Like my friend Eugene, whom I met for a charming 15 minute conversation in front of the hostel bathrooms.

Initially the purpose of my trip to the bathrooms was to dry my hair. [I brought a european hairdryer but (of course, just my luck) the plugs were UK and not EURO so, I had to repurpose the electric hand dryers in the bathrooms as a blowdryer. The outcome? Something I like to call “disheveled chic.” Better than the alternative of air-drying my bangs, though… Where it’d look something like an overused toothbrush; bristles going in every direction.]

Anyway, so that’s how I met Eugene. He’s from “a random town in the middle of Ireland… you’ve probably never heard of it,” and he’s the same man who told me that I’ve been pronouncing my own name incorrectly for 21 years now.

This came up when I called him Eugene instead of Eugene. Americans put the emphasis on different parts of words than in Ireland/UK. So, when I told him my last name, he just lost it in a fit of giggles. Le sigh.

All my life I’ve been saying: Mul-kay-hee (more emphasis on the last part of the word)

What I should’ve been saying: Mul-kah-hy (more emphasis on the middle, the last part of the word is softer)

Oh well, live n’ learn. Right? He also called my bangs fringe, which was just silly.

Y’know I love chance meetings like that.. It’s beautiful when you cross paths with someone, share a great moment with them, and move on with your lives. It really shows you how fleeting life is.

4. St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Founded in 1191, St. Patrick’s Cathedral is said to be the largest church in Ireland. Dear St. Patrick, known as the “Apostle of Ireland,” is the patron saint of the beautiful green country and also the face of the famous holiday, St. Patrick’s Day (17 March, which is also the day of his death.)

Although I don’t claim to be a particularly religious person, there is something I just absolutely love about cathedrals. I think it’s the architecture; beautiful façades, ornate stained glass and the serenity. The quiet, stoic atmosphere has a way of clearing my head and reminding myself to appreciate the effort and passion that was put forth to create such a temple.

3. The Winter Passing

Dublin isn’t a very beautiful city. But what it lacks in aesthetics, it makes up for with some of the best live music I’ve heard in awhile. They’ve got musicians all over the streets playing great covers and even some originals. And they’ve got dedication to the art form; I found out that these street performers pay 90 euro a year to play on the streets… And we all know they probably don’t make that money back in tips, either.

On Saturday night we tried to get away from all of the touristy pubs near Temple Bar and we came across a more subdued hole-in-the-wall. When you stepped into the pub there was a sign that said “Beer Garden Upstairs.”

Now, we all know this girl loves a good beer garden, so I started up the stairs… Eventually we pass other drinking areas of the pub and push through double doors into an outdoor area which was packed with people. A local band was jamming onstage – a popular local band at that, because basically everyone in the crowd was singing along to their songs.

It was an Irish Punk Rock band called The Winter Passing, which I find hilarious because I don’t fancy myself for a punk rock fan in the slightest. I think the gig was also part of a come-back tour because the lead singer mentioned towards the end of the set that they hadn’t played in ages… What’re the odds?

2. The Guinness Factory

I ask you – who goes to Dublin without seeing the original St. James Gate Guinness brewery??

No one. It’s a definitely must see, in my opinion. I learned so much about beer (ahem, Irish stout, actually). And, my college kid budget was super stoked because for 16 euro you get a tour, a tasting of Guinness and a free pint of Guinness. Also, if you’re up for it, they’ll teach you how to pour your own glass.

Which I did and you can read more about that here.

1. The Cliffs of Moher

Hands down the most incredible thing I’ve seen to date.

Really, it’s been hard to put the experience into words. It was just breath-taking…

You can sit on the edge of the cliffs with your legs dangling off the side – just 700-some meters above the sea crashing against the stone below.

Some may find that completely terrifying… Maybe I’m an adrenaline junkie. Maybe I’m just completely insane. Nevertheless, I have never felt so content; sitting on the edge of a cliff, looking out to the Atlantic Ocean.

This was a moment where I was happy that Europe doesn’t believe in excessive guardrails like America does.

I could’ve stayed there for hours. Unfortunately, we only had 1 hour 30 minutes before we had to get back on the bus… I am definitely going to return to the cliffs someday. And it’s a place that everyone needs to put on their list to visit.

Oh, one more thing….

Look at how nicely my pin collection is coming along! I started it in 2012 when I went to Italy after my high school graduation and I’ve been adding to it since I’ve returned to Europe. I have a Brussels pin, a Netherlands pin and from Dublin, I took home a pin of the Mulcahy family crest and a little tiny Irish flag 🙂

How to Pour a Proper Guinness

While away in Dublin for the weekend, I was able to tour the Guinness Factory; soaking in some history and guzzling down the best selling Irish dry stout in the world.

Now my Belgian friends will scoff saying that Guinness is the worst; that it tastes like water. It must be the Irish blood in me, but I whole-heartedly disagree with them. And after this weekend especially, I have a strong appreciation for a nicely poured Guinness. You can’t get a glass poured like it anywhere else in the world.

Starting with the facts

The St. James Gate Brewery is one of the most technologically advanced breweries in the world (or so they say.. I’m not about to fact check them).

The Guinness recipe is brewed in 50 different countries all around the world – some recipes vary depending on the area. For example, the West Indies Porter recipe is a lot spicier than the original.

Approximately 3 million pints are brewed each day using the same exact technique since 1759.

There are only four key ingredients: barley, hops, water and something they like to call “Guinness yeast.”

Guinness trusts no other yeast in the world to make their product && extra yeast is locked away somewhere just in case all hell breaks loose, so at least the Irish people will be sane because they can still brew some Guinness beer.

And, I don’t know if you’re aware (because I certainly wasn’t), but Guinness is actually ruby red. You have to hold it up to the light to see, otherwise I think the stout looks black.

Pouring the Guinness

During the tour of the factory, you are able to learn how to pour your own Guinness and, now that I’m a pro, this Guinness snob will pass the knowledge along to you.

Please note: the temperature is arguably the most important part of a delicious glass… The stout must be chilled to 6 degree celsius (no more, no less – even a degree off can effect the taste).

1. Take a cool, clean, dry Guinness glass and position it at a 45 degree angle underneath the tap.
2. Pull the handle forward and fill to the Guinness label. As soon as it hits the label, straighten the glass and fill to about 3/4″ to the top.
3. Now this step is ~very~ important: leave the pour to settle for 119.5 seconds. At first the stout looks like chocolate milk, but it needs to settle into the dark black (but actually ruby) color.
4. Push the tap handle backwards to top off the glass. This part is a little tricky because you have to stop as soon as the pour hits the rim to create the little dome at the top. You never use a spatula to level the head of a Guinness, making it extremely important to get it right the first time.

Voilà! The perfect Guinness! Now to taste it (I got a head start in the picture above…)

Tasting a Guinness

Somehow I was herded into a line for a free tasting of Guinness. This place was trying to get us sloshed or something… Not that we were complaining, of course ;P

Guinness is a complex stout; you use every part of your tongue to experience all of the flavors within it. Definitely not a beer to chug.

The tip of your tongue experiences the sweetness of Guinness. Then, the sides catch the roasted barely.. Which has a coffee, chocolatey flavor. The back of your mouth is where you sense the hoppy taste.

When you take a sip, you must first inhale through your nose. Drink enough so that you can swirl it in your mouth to touch all sides of your tongue. You can feel that Guinness has a smooth, velvety texture. Swallow and then immediately exhale through your mouth to get the signature Guinness aftertaste. So delicious.

Sláinte! Cheers, my friends!