Cliffs of Moher

We were welcomed to the Cliffs of Moher by a small building with a door at the side. Inside there was a large bowl full of pebbles with a trickling fountain of water. You are encouraged to use this space to meditate. It is provided by the Samaritans.

Further on are shops, and a visitor centre built into the hillside. The visitor centre was state of art with interactive displays and an exciting animated film of life on the cliff face.

The cliffs round the visitor centre are well protected so you cannot easily get too close to the edge of the cliffs.

Further up there are more signs by the Samaritans, and then a gap in the fence. 'Need to Talk? Samaritans'.

Beyond this point a lot of tourists were taking daring photographs on a zig zag rocky ledge. It has to be said that portions of the rock face can collapse without warning. According to one local we spoke with, the life boat comes this way two or three times a week to search the bottom of the cliffs.

Visit Father Ted's House

Father Ted is a much loved TV character in the UK and Ireland. By chance we found ourselves on Craggy Island and visited his house.

We were not only offered cups and cups of tea but we were plied with sandwiches. Try to refuse and Mrs Doyle, the housekeeper, would insist 'Go on Go on Go on'.

Lisdoonvana - too late for the Folk Festival and too early for Matchmaking

We got here a few decades too late for the Lisdoonvana Folk Festival where many of our old favourites performed: Van Morrison, John Martin, Loudon Wainright III... Back in the late 70s and early 80s festivals were free and easy. But after a group of young people died swimming in the sea this particular festival came to an end.

There is still a big festival in Lisdoonvana in September. It is where traditionally people would come to be matched by a professional matchmaker. Today, the only true Matchmaker left is Willie Daly, who writes details of hopeful couples in a book, and gets the passion going by getting couples dancing together. There is a lot of dancing at the Matchmaking Festival. We just got here too early for the dancing as it starts in September.