CEA Galway’s first excursion was the Cliffs of Moher Experience through County Clare and County Galway of Ireland. The tour offered more than just visiting the cliffs of Moher, we got to see castles, ancient ruins, a surprise helicopter takeoff and even a famous dolphin!
Ireland is a great place to explore because it offers historical ruins as well as stunning landscapes. Brian Slattery, program director for Galway, organized this great day trip through the west of Ireland. It was an experience I’ll never forget! 
Dunguaire Castle (Dún Guaire in Irish) was built in the 1500s on Kinvara Bay. It stands 75 feet tall and is picturesque for the many visitors of County Galway.
Across Kinvara bay stands the beautiful sea-port town of Kinvara (Cinn Mhara in Irish).
We captured many great photos as the bright-blue sky reflected in the water of the bay.
This photo was taken standing on the land surrounding Dunguaire Castle
This is a photo of Poulnabrone Dolmen (Poll na mBrón in Irish), a portal tomb in County Clare.
We stopped here to see this ancient tomb dating back to the Celts sometime around
3600 B.C.E. It's a magnificent structure that has stood the test of time.
Leamaneh Castle stands in The Burren of County Clare. Our guide, Damien, told us
an ancient legend that the occupant of the house, Mary Mahon (or “Red Mary” from her flaming red hair),
pushed her husband from the roof of this castle to gain control of the estate and his fortune.
This was our first exposure to the Cliffs of Moher.
After visiting Dusty the dolphin near this area, we got to eat lunch facing
this beautiful view of the Atlantic Ocean and our first peak at the cliffs
One of the many perks of studying abroad are surprises and chance happenings that you’ll never forget. As we were eating our lunch watching the beautiful waves crash against the cliffs nearby, a group of friends walked up to this helicopter and began taking photos of themselves in front of it. I offered to take a picture of their group and learned that they were an old group of Irish friends taking a helicopter ride together. We got to watch their take-off and even got a wave goodbye on their way up!
Here’s a photo of CEA, Galway Spring 2013! The nine of us on our first excursion
to the Cliffs of Moher. We stopped to take a photo on our first up-close viewing of the Cliffs
The Cliffs of Moher is one of Ireland’s most famous and most visited landmarks.
At their highest point they stand over 700 feet! They are something
incredible to experience while in Ireland, although I don’t know if I’d visit on a windy day!
This is a view from the other side of the cliffs. Our guide informed us that they’ve filmed
movies such as Harry Potter and The Princess Bride at this location. The tiny monument
you can see on the end of the tallest cliff is a small ‘castle’ built for an extra-high view of the cliffs.
We ended the tour at what some call “the baby cliffs of moher”. This is Ballyvaughan during sunset. It was a perfect way to end a long day of touring County Clare and County Galway.
Anna Toman is the CEA Spring 2013 MOJO in Galway, Ireland