Flew into Shannon yesterday and got our car. Staying in Ennis with plans to go to Inishmore in the Aron Islands today but storms have grounded the ferry, so decided to make the most of it and just see some sites here in County Clare

Bunratty Castle is a beautifully restored castle with a restored village surrounding it. Gives you a little feel of what life was like here in the 15th century

Yup, the Ennis Friary in Ennis. And guess where the Quinn Friary is? Yes, in Quinn.

Ennis is a 13th century Franciscan friary that fell into disrepair after Cromwell.

Some years ago the Irish public works roofed over part of the friary and moved several of the more delicate stone carvings inside to preserve them .

Quinn Friary has had a rough life since it's building in the 1200s. It's been burned, had a castle built on it's grounds, had the castle destroyed, been rebuilt, then the dissolution by Henry VIII, and even had, one of the O'Briens was hanged in it, and it was burned again.

What is left is a rather haunting site with a very active graveyard.

Today we took the ferry across Galway Bay to Inishmore, an island in the Aron Island group.

It is about 12 square miles, very rocky, a strong Gaelic heritage, tons of ancient stone forts, beautiful countryside, and wonderful people.

We stayed at Glamping & Camping - we glamped.

The town is small but quite scenic. You can walk just about anywhere in 30 minutes or less. Cars are only for locals.

We rented Ebikes to get around.

That old adage of "it's like riding a bike" is true. Even old folks like us remember how to do it.

Today we got our bikes and headed off to see as much as we could.

First stop, the ancient ring fort of Dún Eoghanachta.

I warned you about the plethora of ring forts, so this is the first of many.

Ring forts were not really for protection but more of a ringed compound for an extended family and their livestock.

This fort takes its name from the Eoghanacht tribe of Munster

Dun Aonghas is built on the highest point on the island. Walls are massively thick

Built around 500 to 800AD. Some restoration has been done to maintain it, including the steps to the ramparts which are historically accurate.

Sitting precariously on the edge of a huge cliff, it is only a matter of time until some parts are lost to the sea.

Spoiler alert. There are really only 2 churches. The number 7 might refer to the 7 churches in a pilgrimage - maybe.

We have left Inishmore and are back on the mainland, in an area called The Burren.

This was a fun stop. Not only do you get to tour a large stone cashel (Gaelic for stone fort) which are believed to date back 1,000 years, but you can watch sheep dogs show you how they work.

It was home to the O'Loghlen family, a well off clan that kept it's Gaelic roots despite the English takeover of the country.

The guide was amazing, relating how the stones for the walls were made, how the fort was built, how people lived, and how their culture was besmirched by the English who considered them sub-human.

After the history tour, the sheep dog show is a must. These are amazing to watch.

This is a working farm owned The Davoren family. One of the brothers is always available to run the sheep. A great and fun way to end a tour.

The original date of the abbey may be 1180 to 1200, but the records are a bit sketchy.

It saw a lot of action in it's life. War, burials, peace, war, Henry VIII confiscating all Catholic property. The usual Irish dramas.

Although exposed to the elements it still holds many intricate carvings and details worth seeing.

Kilfenora Cathedral has also had a rough life. The original one was burned in 1055, rebuilt in 1058 and plundered 1079, then accidentally burned in 1100.

This one was built between 1189 and 1200.

A portion is roofed now to protect 3 high crosses.

If you ever go, look for the gravestone for Neptune Blood who tried to steal the English crown jewels in 1671. It didn't go well.

There are over 100 dolmens on the island, amazingly no one has wrecked them over the centuries.

This one was erected between 3800 and 3200BC, and it follows the normal structure of a portal tomb - 3 standing portal stones supporting a very heavy horizontal capstone.

When it was excavated and repaired in 1986 and 1988, 33 bodies were found. One was a 6 month old with Downs Syndrom who was apparently well taken care of before he died.

OOPS. 2 of the arches have fallen into the sea, so it is really The BRIDGE of Ross.

Whatever. It is a lovely place, the views are fantastic, and the one remaining arch is stunning.

There's been some form of a light house here since 1670 guiding ships and boats along the River Shannon.

The current light house, a tower light house, was built about 1854. It has been updated as new technology becomes available.

It is one of 70 active light houses along the coast.

Oh, and Loop Head Lighthouse Attendant’s Cottage is available to rent

So, the Cliffs of Moher are supposed to be THE place to go in western Ireland. After visiting there I would disagree. Yes, they are lovely but way over crowded.

The cliffs themselves are Namuran shale and sandstone formed around 326 million years ago. Considered a geologic laboratory due to the history they contain.

Thy are impressive, but not more so than others we saw along the coast. Maybe if we viewed them from the base we would have liked them better.

Or probably if the 50 tour busses had not come.

Damned tourist and their damned tour busses.

Yup, another castle, or actually a tower house. These all follow roughly the same plan and are dwellings that are fortified. So often called a castle

This one sits on the site where the Irish drove the Anglo-Normas out in 1318. Diarmaid O'Dea built the castle in 1470 to 1490.

Typical Irish history, they lost it, regained it, lost it again to Cromwellians, gained it back, repeat.

The really interesting thing is in 1970 John O'Dea of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin bought it, restored it and leased it back to the Irish government.

A CAVE. Something other than forts and casttles.

Thie cave one really only has one major feature - the the Great Stalactite. It is one of the world's longest known free-hanging stalactites.

Discovered in 1952 by 2 English cavers from the Craven Pothole Club - love that name for a caving club..

Anyway not much happened with it until 1990 when the couple who owned the land decided to make it a tourist site. Their plans were met with great resistance. Finally something was agreed upon that prohibited blasting and took a lot longer but it preserved the stalagmite

The Fahan Beehive Huts are easy to find, access right along the road.

They are on private property, and you pay 4 Euro to access the site. Yes, it is a working sheep area, so there are signs not to pet the dogs that are around the entrance.

The huts, or clochan - dry stacked walled dwellings - are thought to be from the 12th century originally. Hard to actually date rock.

Just a mile down the road from the Beehive Hust is Dun Baeg Fort.

This fort, or what remains of it, may date from 580BC to 800BC based on some wood found under part of the foundation.

Today there is little left. In 2014 a large portion fell into the sea due to the severe storms, and it has been hit by a few others since then.

Lucky for us, we can see what is left and the ditches surrounding the walls.

Driving further down Slea Head Drive is Cashel Murphy - another well preserved stone fort.

The site has been occupied since about 3200 BC.

There is a nice little storage area cut under one of the walls that was probably used for food. Could not resist checking it out.

Ringfort was the family name of the builders. Probably constructed in the 8th or 9th century AD.

The walls are quite high, and very thick. Must have been impressive when originally built.

Like so many ancient places in Ireland, it is accessible from the road. Just park somewhere off the pavement, climb the style, and explore.

This is the farthest west you can get, and it is the main pier for the Blasket Island inhabitants when they come over to the mainland.

It is another wonderful stop along The Wild Atlantic Way, the incredible drive along the west coast of Ireland.

You can no longer access the tower, but that was ok.

It was built around the 15th centure for The Knight of Kerry, part of the FitzGerald dynasty.

About a mile down the road is the Gallerus Oratory. Dating it is hard, but it is believed to be from the 7th to 9th century. A very well preserved early Christian Church.

Now it is part of the national trust, but for centuries the local farmers took care of it. Amazing people

The remains of a Romanesque 12th century church. It has some very interesting stones both inside and out.

The alphabet stone with Latin scribing is from the 6th or 7th century.

The ogham stone is older, the 5th or 6th century.

Some headstones are quite old, then there is a gap until early to mid 20th century.

On to County Kerry and Killarney National Park.

We decided to see Ross Castle which sits on Lough Leane, and naturally take the boat tour of the lake.

As with all of Western Ireland it is steeped in history and beauty.

Although we could not take pictures inside the castle, we did learn a lot. Like the real reason beds were short, why toilet holes were on windward side (ammonia from urine wafted up and helped kill fleas on the clothes hung in the hall), stumble stairs, and why doors were made with 2 way wood grains.

A little hike through some nice woods and you reach Torc Falls. Yes, it is at the base of Torc Mountain. Quite pleasant and a nice break in the day

Yup another abbey. And like most of these it has had a violent history.

Founded in 1488 it has been attacked by various marauding groups, and it did not escape Cromwell's wrath.

Even in disrepair, the cemetery is still in use.

We are driving The Ring of Kerry, a lovely road around the Kerry Peninsula.

We headed for Derrynane Beach and the Derrynane Abbey on Abbey Island.

The abbey was built in the 6th century is is believed. To reach the abbey you must wait for low tide to cross the beach and walk up the hillock.

Although the abbey is in ruins, the graveyard is still in use.

Warned you. It is another stone fort, or cahir.

Believed to date from 300 to 400 BC, it is probably one of the oldest. Amazing how those folks could make an almost perfect circle.

You get to say hi to cows as you enter. Always nice to have a welcoming committee.

Another stone fort. Yes, we really do enjoy them, although you will notice they look alike. Never mess with a perfect design.

Not too far from the fort are the ruins of Ballycarbery Castle. I guess you could enter it at one time, but the land owner has put up a fence and is not longer amenable to visitors.

Cliffs of Kerry - we thought these were at least as impressive if not more so, than the Cliffs of Moher.

You pass by a couple of fields with llamas - no idea why llamas - burros and horses.

Then there are 3 beehive huts constructed for those who may not actually get to see the original ones. Excellent job.

It was a bit chilly, but the views are spectacular.

For a little island it is packed with history - ok it's Ireland and you can't turn around without centuries of history.

From 385 million year old tetrapod tracks to views from the highest peak in the area - a lot of little things to enjoy

To get to the island you go through the village of Portmagee and take the bridge across - naturally the bridge is named for an executed Irish Republican.

A light of some form has been on this site since 1828.

Construction of the current building started in 1838 and was completed by 1841.

The light boasted 2000-candle power and could be seen for 12 miles in clear weather.

In 1947 the light was automated and is still working today to guide ships in safely

We left Kerry and are meandering through County Limerick.

The little village of Askeaton has a couple of interesting and ancient ruins - yes an abbey and a caslte.

It was a rather bleak day, but the visitors information center was bright enough to light up any day.

Pan Am Yankee Clipper - the luxury flying boat that was the first commercial passenger flight that flew direct from the US to Europe in July 1939.

Think Indiana Jones settling into the plane in Raiders

From 1937 until 1945, Foynes was the center of cross Atlantic travel.

The museum was given the original plans for the plane, and they recreated it in full - a great way to see how nice air travel used to be. No sardine can seating, pay for you drink, and eat crap food.

Another part of the museum is dedicated to Maureen O'Hara, the actress. Why? n 1968, Maureen O’Hara married famed aviator Brigadier General Charles Blair.

Blair had a distinguished career in the US Air Force, U.S. Air Force, was a senior pilot for Pan American, and as a seaplane pilot for Antilles Airboats, Blair flew flying boats into Foynes between the years of 1942 and 1945.

When Maureen died she willed her collection to the museum which was dear to her.

We have left Ireland and are back in London for a couple of days.
London always feels almost like a second home, probably because we have been here so often and also because it is just a great place for history.

Today we had two great tours.

We started with one of our favorite activites, Hidden London tour of an underground - or tube- station. This one is Moorgate, opened in 1865. As time went on it grew and it's connections to various rail lines and other tube lines expanded.This is still a working station, but with the guide you go back in time to areas no longer used.

After lunch, yes at a pub, we went to The Old Operating Theatre Museum. It is housed in the attic of the early eighteenth-century church of the Old St Thomas' Hospital,

Originally the attic was used to dry herbs for medicinal uses.

The original operating room in the 1755 was only for men. Surgery on women was done in the ward in front of everyone. But in 1822 women's surgery was done in the operating theatre.