Our tour group took the bus from Galway to Rossaveel, where we boarded a ferry to travel to Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands. There we took a small van to Dun Aenghus, the stone fortress at the end of the island that hangs off the cliff 300 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. It was a long hike through the Burren-like rocks to the top of the hill, but the view was worth it! We took a side tour to see the chevaux-de-frise (Frisian horses) - stones placed on end as a barrier to protect the fort from warriors attacking on horseback.
The mini-bus also stopped at Seven Churches - a cluster of monastic houses and tiny chapels. We enjoyed seeing the pony carts taking tourists close to the fort. After our hike, we stopped at Dun Aungusa Knitwear to visit Sarah Flaherty's shop. Sarah makes everything in her shop. I was pleased to find a pair of fingerless gloves that she knitted in beautiful Aran wool.
We returned to Galway in the afternoon in time to take a walk, shop and go to dinner at Busker Browne's restaurant. We ate in a quieter area while we watched the Euro 2012 soccer tournament. Later, we heard a "big band" group playing '50's jazz. Not Irish, but great fun!
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