Inis Oírr and Cliffs Cruise: Day 19 – Ireland 2014

This page contains affiliate links, and we may receive compensation if you click on a link. You can read our full advertising disclosure here.

27 April 2014

Since we didn’t have breakfast to rush to, we slept in a tad before starting the day. After enjoying our lazy morning, we walked over to the pier and checked out our options. From what I recall, there were two businesses to choose from. For the life of me, I can’t remember which one we went with, but we chose to do the cliff tour and then head out to Inis Oírr for a few hours. Our ferry was supposed to leave at noon, but alas, we were on tide time, so we had some time to spare. What do you do? Take in the views, of course!

Since we were killing time, we decided to grab a sandwich from one of the stalls nearby. We both decided on toasted tuna sandwiches. And now, for a bit of foreshadowing, a direct quote from our travel journal:

“In hindsight, I should not have done this.”

Cliff Tour

At last, a little over an hour later than scheduled, we were on our boat and headed out to the cliffs! The day couldn’t have been more different than the one before. The sun was shining and the sky was a vibrant blue, not a rain cloud in sight. The tour was delightful, and we got some really great pictures of the cliffs and the Stack, a single column of rock that stands 220 feet tall. It was formed by wave erosion which slowly destroyed the rock that had once joined it to the main cliff. Now, it stands proud near the cliffs and boasts a substantial number of birds that call it home.

Snapshots From Our Cruise Around The Cliffs

As our cliff tour was coming to a close, I started to get a headache, so we decided to go inside for our return to the dock. Some passengers would be disembarking and others would be boarding for the crossing to Inis Oírr. After a brief wait, we were on our way!

Inis Oírr

About 10 minutes into our crossing, I was frantically searching out the restroom. You see, that blasted toasted tuna sandwich was back to haunt me. I never had issues with motion sickness (except for when I was little and got car-sick quite often). It had been YEARS since I’d experienced anything like this, but boy was I dealing with it then. I’ll spare you the details, but I can tell you it was severely unpleasant. Luckily, I found the toilet in time and didn’t embarrass myself by having to throw up over the railing of the ferry. We’ll leave the entire situation with one more quote from our travel journal:

I regret the tuna sandwich.

The Island

Inis Oírr is one of three islands that make up the Aran Islands. The other two are Inis Meáin and Inis Mór. Inis Oírr is the smallest and has some amazing features. Not only is it an incredibly authentic place to visit, but it also has a panoramic view of the Cliffs of Moher, a shipwreck, a seal colony, and much more.

Even though it has the true feel of an isolated fishing village, there are also bed and breakfasts for hire to stay overnight if you wish to extend your visit. We didn’t know this when planning our trip, but we’d definitely love to go back and stay for a few nights.

Our Visit to Inis Oírr

We didn’t have a lot of time on the island. If memory serves, we had maybe two hours? The ferry only ran twice during the day for Inis Oírr and we were going to be catching the last one out. If we missed it, we were stuck till morning. Knowing time was limited, we hit the ground running.

First order of business? Bikes! There is a bike rental right near the ferry and we happily rented some to get around the island. With that taken care of, we pedaled off to explore the island!

If there is one thing that Inis Oírr is not, I’d say touristy. As we pedaled down the slim lanes, we almost felt like intruders in the small town. The roads are narrow and bordered with stone walls for as far as we could see. It felt like home, in a way. I grew up in a tiny town and this island had that same feeling. With the sun on our faces, we raced through the village to check out the ship that had run into Finnis Rock on 8 March 1960.

The Wreck of The Plassey

As we crested a small hill, the Plassey appeared to us just over the top of a stone wall. Its hulking, rusted shell sat perched on the rocky beach, basking in the sun. She loomed ever larger as we approached.

On 8 March 1960, a storm was blowing over the seas. The Plassey, carrying a cargo of whiskey, stained glass, and yarn, was farther north than she should’ve been. In the storm, the crew didn’t know it. They hit Finnis Rock and started to sink. Luck might not have been on their side at that point or when they lost their lifeboat, but that would soon change. All onboard were thankfully saved and pulled to shore safely by the local rocket crew. The wreck was pushed onto the shore above the high tide line by a storm a few weeks later. For a brief first-hand account by the last living survivor, click here. For more history of the ship, check out this page. No clue what a rocket crew is? This short video sheds a little light on that while also giving the account of the Plassey crew rescue.

There’s something so strange about seeing a ship resting on the beach. It’s not where it should be, and yet, the Plassey seems right at home. We peered in through holes in the hull and poked around for 15 minutes or so before racing on to the next destination.

The Plassey

O’ Brien’s Castle

O’ Brien’s Castle, or Caisleán Uí Bhriain if you want the true Irish name, hails from the 14th century. Naturally, it was the first thing Billy spotted as we sailed up to the island. It is in a very strategic spot and offers incredible views in every direction. It has a rectangular keep and there is still quite a bit of it left to explore. We took our time here, enjoying the break and the gorgeous sunshine.

Saint Cavan’s Church

Our next stop was a brief visit to Saint Cavan’s Church. Built in the 10th century, the church is now well below ground level due to shifting dunes. Excavated and accessible, the church is kept free from the sands by the islanders. It’s an odd sight to see, the whole building so far below the topsoil with the headstones standing taller than the roof peak. I wish we’d have had more time to explore, but we were on a time crunch, and we knew the ferry wouldn’t wait.

The Seal Colony

The last stop of our short Inis Oírr tour was the seal colony. We only had about a half-hour left before the ferry was set to sail, so we pedaled like mad over to the shore area where the seals are said to gather. Unfortunately for us, they weren’t there.

We hung around for a few minutes, gazing out into the ocean, before jumping back on our bikes and racing to the dock. Making it back with minutes to spare, we returned our bikes and boarded the ferry. As Inis Oírr faded into the distance, we were already hoping to go back someday. We’d definitely recommend a full day to explore if you visit!

A Day Well Spent

While I felt terrible, I didn’t get sick on our return trip, thank goodness. Once we arrived back in Doolin, we showered and dressed before heading down to O’Connor’s for dinner. Now, THIS is our kind of place. The food was great and there was a group of folks who broke out their instruments after their meal and filled the entire pub with wonderful music. It was awesome! We really took our time that night, enjoying the pub, the music, the people. After dinner, we slowly strolled back to our little oasis at Nagles Camping and Caravan Park (see our past post here for more info). It was an amazing day. Tired, full, and happy, we went over our change of plans for the next day. With it settled, we headed to bed, letting the sound of the sea lull us to sleep.
Cheers,
Lydia and Billy