Galway to Clifden

Modern stone walling
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We were in need of a rest day after all the driving and navigating with incorrect maps and minimal road signs so we left the car and got a ferry to Inishmor, one of the Aran islands.  It was quite a rough crossing, but well worth it, the Aran Islands (there are 3) are this strange mix of traditional life and reliance on tourism.  The islands are the home of those big thick cream coloured woolen jumpers with cable knit and it's big business there.  The islands are almost treeless and are covered in ancient stone walls and fallen down houses.

Cliffs of Inishmor
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The most impressive site though is Dun Aengus, an ancient stone fortress that is semi-circular with the cord being a very high cliff face.  The fort has 4 ring walls of varying thickness and height, with the central ring containing rooms.  In between 2 of the outer rings were thousands of jaggered 2-3ft stones standing vertical as an extra layer of defence.

Time to let someone else do the driving

We headed back to the mainland and drove to Clifden where we stayed the night through more stunning scenery of mountains, lakes and rivers - all very bleak but very beautiful.