The Cliffs of Moher, one of Ireland’s most visited attractions, was our first stop of the day.  These are cliffs overlooking the ocean with a spectacular view from their top.  We then went to Monks Pub Seafood Restaurant, which I didn’t realize at the time, but apparently is a famous landmark in Ireland.  It is located right on Galway Bay.

We then went to Rathbaun Farm, which is a nearby sheep farm.  Where we were taught to make Scones.  Then we went out back and met the sheep and horses.  They had sheep out in the field, and gave us a demonstration of a sheepdog in action.  It’s truly amazing to watch a sheepdog heard the sheep.  He made those sheep group up, and go exactly where the farmer wanted them to go.  Then the farmer gave us a demonstration of sheep sheering, man sheep are tiny when they loose all their wool.

Then it was back to Dromoland Castle for the sad farewell dinner.  The dinner was most excellent, but it was sad knowing that we’d be going home the next morning.

Word of the Day—Slan, or “farewell”

Today we were taken to the dramatic and gorgeous cliffs of Moher.  The day started misty and foggy, and I was worried it would rain, but by the time we reached the cliffs, the romantic mist had all burned away, leaving a bright, crisp day.  About a year ago, a friend of mine died, and his girlfriend asked me if I’d scatter a portion of his ashes from the cliffs.  I was glad to do this for them, and as I walked away from the cliffs, for a moment, I could see my friend, standing on the grassy slope just past the stone “don’t fall off and kill yourself” wall.  He was standing, proud and happy, surveying the amazing view like a king of old Ireland.

Lunch today was at a pretty restaurant called the Monk’s Pub, right by the seaside, and then we were off to a pretty little Irish farmhouse.  We saw some different kinds of sheep, watched a demonstration of sheep-shearing, and even the sheepdog did a demonstration of sheep-herding for us.  We also got to make scones, and after the sheepy stuff, we ate them. 

After we got back to the hotel, David and I strolled through the walled garden which was like something out of a picture book.  It’s filled with vibrant, gorgeous flowers, and even a little fountain and pond with water lotuses.  I felt like a queen touring a fairy kingdom—I could have happily stayed a week in the garden.  We then went off to the farewell dinner where our guides did a slide show of the photos they’d been taking of us all week. We all laughed and cried and hugged and had a great time, even though all the fun was coming to an end.