There is nothing quite as awe inspiring as looking out at the ocean from atop the cliffs. Waves crash on the rocks below. The wind catches the mist down below and brings it sailing upward to dust you as you walk along the narrow path. With every step the view changes. It’s impossible to catch it all, though you feel an obligation to try so you can bring this beauty back home with you to share.
Only about a twenty minute bus ride from where the Irish Fellows stay each year, this the Cliffs of Moher stretch up from the ocean like something from a fairy tale. The cliffs reach anywhere from almost 400 feet to 700 feet up over the ocean and run for nine miles total, creating spectacular views along the coast.
We are not the first to bask in the beauty of these cliffs, nor will we be the last. They have made appearances in many different pieces of pop culture, including the Princess Bride where they appear as the cliffs of insanity. Fans of Harry Potter, like myself, will recognize them from the 6th movie when Harry and Dumbledore visit a cave to recover the locket horcrux.
The cliffs are always changing. Each year more of the cliffs fall away into the ocean below. A placard stood on one of the walls separating us from the ocean telling of a permanent stone table that was set into the rock several decades back that has since fallen away. Our view of the cliffs was unique. Never again would we see them exactly like this, even if we manage to make it back later in life.
These are only one of the many wonders that the five of us Irish Fellows have been able to see these last few weeks in Ireland. We still have more to come as we journey to Dublin, then onwards on a few individual trips as well. All of us are forever grateful to get this opportunity to travel for a month abroad through many generous donations and the diligent work of our professors at Hastings College.
