Ireland Travel Guide: Cliffs of Moher, Rock of Cashel & Ancient Ruins
Previous: First Day Back in Ireland
Planning an Ireland road trip? This guide highlights some of Ireland’s most unforgettable destinations, including the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher, the historic Rock of Cashel, ancient stone monuments, and spectacular landscapes. Whether you’re visiting for photography, history, or unforgettable scenery, these stops belong on every Ireland itinerary.
Explore the Otherworldly Landscape of The Burren
Located in County Clare along Ireland’s famous Wild Atlantic Way, The Burren is one of the country’s most fascinating natural landscapes. Stretching for more than 150 square miles, this unique limestone plateau is unlike anywhere else in Ireland. Its weathered gray rock formations, ancient stone walls, hidden caves, and rare wildflowers create an almost lunar landscape that has attracted visitors for centuries. The Burren is also home to prehistoric monuments such as the Poulnabrone Dolmen, making it a destination that combines spectacular scenery with thousands of years of history. Whether you’re interested in hiking, photography, archaeology, or simply experiencing one of Ireland’s most unusual regions, The Burren is an unforgettable stop between Galway and the Cliffs of Moher.
Cliffs of Moher
After surviving the “horrors” of our first day back in Ireland, Stacy and I checked out of our hotel and headed toward one of the most famous landscapes in the country: the Cliffs of Moher.
Wow.
That is basically all I have to say. Very insightful travel writing, I know.
We lucked out again and the sun made another brief appearance, which in Ireland feels like winning a small lottery. The light was perfect for photographs, and the Cliffs of Moher became the first Irish location from this trip that I later turned into a watercolor painting.
The cliffs rise dramatically above the Atlantic Ocean on the western edge of County Clare. Their name comes from an old ruined promontory fort called “Mothar” or “Moher,” which once stood near Hag’s Head before being demolished in the early 1800s to build a Napoleonic-era signal tower. So yes, even the name comes from a ruin. Ireland understands me.
The cliffs have been attracting visitors since the 19th century, long before “must-see tourist destination” became code for “prepare to be surrounded by buses.” O’Brien’s Tower, built in 1835 by Sir Cornelius O’Brien, was constructed as a viewing point for visitors. Apparently even in the 1800s people were willing to climb windy cliffs for better scenery- and we’re still doing it today.
I later painted the Cliffs of Moher in watercolor:
Purchase the original painting and fine art prints HERE
and another version rendered on Japanese rice paper using the batik method:
Purchase the original painting and fine art prints HERE
It was very, very windy at the top of the cliffs. Stacy started to lose energy after a while. I, on the other hand, am a coffee-fueled freak and do not stop taking pictures until my body physically gives out. Literally. I walked the southern path near the visitor center while she waited for me.
Celtic Ruins- Poulnabrone Dolmen
After the cliffs, we had planned to visit a castle farther south. However, we kept seeing photographs of a strange prehistoric stone monument in shops and tourist displays: Poulnabrone Dolmen. There is nothing I love more than an old ruin. Yes, I enjoyed Ireland. Everywhere you look, something is ancient, crumbling, haunted-looking, or possibly all three.
So we changed plans and headed into The Burren.
Poulnabrone Dolmen ended up being one of my favorite places in Ireland. The rocky limestone landscape of The Burren made a perfect backdrop for the ancient tomb. It felt barren, strange, and beautiful — basically the exact kind of place where you expect history to quietly punch you in the face.
Poulnabrone is a Neolithic portal tomb dating to roughly 3800–3200 BC. That means it is far older than the pyramids at Giza, Stonehenge in its final form, and definitely older than whatever bad decisions I made while driving on Irish roads. Archaeologists found the remains of 33 people here, along with burial objects, suggesting the site was used over many generations. It may also have marked territory or held ritual significance for the people living in the Burren thousands of years ago.
Entrance was free, and there were only a handful of tourists, which was a nice change from the Cliffs of Moher. Walking around the site felt like stepping back into 2000 BC, except with a camera, rental car anxiety, and slightly better shoes.
We were scheduled to spend the night in Kilkenny, and I still wanted to reach the Rock of Cashel that same day. Unfortunately, our unexpected stop at Poulnabrone pushed the schedule back, and we ended up leaving in the mid-afternoon.
Rock of Cashel
The drive to the Rock of Cashel was not too terrifying. It was technically a two-lane road, although “two-lane” in Ireland often means “one lane plus optimism.” Stacy asked several times if I could move a little closer to the center of the road because branches were hitting the car window and, at times, we were maybe six inches from a stone wall.
I had to politely decline, since moving farther right would have placed us directly into oncoming traffic. Relationships are about compromise. So is not dying.
Remember: get the full insurance. Side mirrors have a short shelf life in this country.
Driving through Ireland makes you realize just how much history is scattered across the landscape. Every few miles there seems to be another ruined castle, monastery, tower, church, or mysterious stone structure sitting in a field like it has been waiting 800 years for someone with a camera to show up. We made way too many stops for photographs, which is another way of saying we traveled correctly.
Eventually we arrived in Cashel a wee bit too late to tour the Rock of Cashel.
And that was okay. Plans change. I never travel with a rigid itinerary. I prefer “guidelines,” which is a much nicer way of saying I have a list of things I hope to see before getting distracted by ruins, sheep, coffee, weather, or a promising side road.
We couldn’t tour the ruins that evening, but we could eat ice cream, drive around, and look for good vantage points for photographs. That still counts as a successful travel day.
This was my first painting of the Rock of Cashel. You can purchase the original painting and prints HERE.
The Rock of Cashel is one of Ireland’s most important historic sites. It was once the seat of the kings of Munster and is closely associated with both St. Patrick and Brian Boru, who was crowned High King there in 978. In 1101, the site was granted to the Church, and Cashel became one of Ireland’s major ecclesiastical centers. The surviving medieval buildings include a round tower, cathedral, high cross, and Cormac’s Chapel, which contains rare Romanesque frescoes.
In other words, it is not just “a cool castle-looking thing on a hill,” although it is definitely also that.
Watch the creation of this limited palette painting on my YouTube Channel
Explore More Ireland
- Cliffs of Moher
- Rock of Cashel
- Kilkenny
- Belfast
- Killarney
- Dublin
Next: Kilkenny, more Cashel, and probably more ruins
References:
Ruins:
Hotels
The Club House Hotel– hotel in downtown Kilkenny. Super close to all sites in downtown city- perfect for photographers getting up before dawn for photographs
Lahinch Coast Hotel & Suites– our hotel in Lahinch. Downtown, plenty of restaurants nearby, and parking lot in back
Bailey’s Hotel– Cashel
Talbot Hotel– Clonmel
Clayton Dublin Hotel– near Dublin airport. Easy for early-morning flights
Hotel Kilkenny– downtown Kilkenny. Perfect for early morning excursions
Hotel Doolin– Doolin (west coast near Cliffs of Moher)
The Merion– Dublin. If I were loaded (money-wise, not on Guinness)
Coffee
Unfortunately, most bakeries and coffee shops in don’t open until 7:30 a.m. For photographers chasing summer sunrises, that means being up hours before your first shot of caffeine—an impossible situation. I was convinced I’d die of coffee deprivation before then. My advice: stock up the day before on supermarket iced coffees and drink just enough to survive until the cafés open (a strategy I tested and can confirm works).
Tours
Find things to do in – day trips (museums and public transport), and more:
Travel Guides
Here is the recently published Lonely Planet Guide. This is what I used to plan the trip (in conjunction with the all-beloved internet):
Another travel guide available for :
Flights:
My girlfriend and I took the train from Dublin to Belfast. I usually start my search on:
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