Western Ireland

This weekend went to Western Ireland.  Our Science professor was on the trip so much of the trip focused on the scientific aspects of the landscape that we had learned about in classes; the rock types and how they formed, rivers and much more. The first place we stopped on our journey was an old cemetery in the Buren, which was made completely of Limestone. We then moved on to the Poulnabrone portal tomb. Our professor asked us how we thought they could get that top stone on there so long ago. No one knows how so all up to speculation. We then went to what locals would call Fairy Forts. It is a moat around an earthen embankment. Locals will not go into the center of the embankment as they think that the fairies will curse them. One of the professors and our driver who are from Ireland will not go into the center. It was pretty cool.

Next we went onto the Cliffs of Moher. Our Science professor asked that we not go passed the marked area as it is not very stable. 60 people die a year so that's one every 6 days. We saw some people go sit right out on the edge, pretty sure they were gonna die. It was really cool.

After that we went to Doolin where we stayed the night. We all went out to dinner that evening and listened to some music and had a few pints, was good time.
The next day we took a ferry out to the Aran Islands. Some of us rented bikes and took them around the island.

We saw a sunken ship and I stayed down by the ocean water looking at the little pools, reminding myself how I once wanted to be a marine biologist. We then biked around to a fort on the island and to a well on the other side. It was really pretty and not very populated so was a nice relaxing day, plus I hadn't biked in a long time so that was fun. On the way back from the island a dolphin appeared right next to where I was standing on the boat and followed us in to shore so that was really cool to see.

After we got back to the mainland we bused over to Galloway where we were staying the night. We went out to dinner and then hit up a few pubs with one of my friends cousin who was a local leading the way. It wasn't great but an enjoyable time nonetheless. The next day we went to a sheep herding place to watch a guy who gives demonstrations. He had one of the dogs in Marley and Me which starred Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson and he had pictures on the wall from it, that was pretty cool. Then he handed out the little border collie puppies before he started. One was passed around to me and it immediately started licking my arm and face and then fell asleep, obviously love at first sight as everyone said. I'm still going back to steal it.

 Then the guy showed us the dogs herding in action, which was really cool. I believe I saw this at Billings Farm back in elementary school but this was really cool seeing in Ireland. One of the dogs led by going around the sheep while another dog's style was to glare like he was stalking them and move his head to get them to go. The picture above doesn't do the landscape justice as it was beautiful there, the best I have seen in Ireland so far. The guy lives on the side of the river where the picture is with the dogs and his sheep are over on the hills over on the other side. When its time to herd them he takes some of the dogs over and herds them, giving commands from the boat. Overall it was a really cool experience and a great weekend.