Hmmm....Ireland? Yes.

-Day 6 of 31-

It's always interesting to me to think back and remember how trip ideas emerge.  Sometimes it's a spur-of-the-moment impulse to hop a plane and head somewhere new, with very little planning in place.  Other times a well thought out plan is executed methodically.  I've done both.  I've found that the best method is a blend of the two, keep things flexible and spontaneous while mixing in a few solid points along the way.


And now another trip is looming.  Where the original idea for this trip came from I don't remember.  I know that Alan will be overseas visiting his "Finnish family" for awhile in 2013 and based on this we discussed a possible trip.  May is likely timeframe.  Many options were thrown about and discussed.  My recollection is that we went from Ireland, to England and Scotland again, to mainland Europe, to Armenia, and finally now (after Alan apparently heard good things from a friend) we're back to Ireland.  I'm glad that we've settled on this.  Not that I wouldn't take my best shot at speaking Armenian buuuuttt.......

I've been to Ireland once before but spent most of that time in Northern Ireland at the Ulster-American Folk Park.  I was there for a "Maymester" trip when I was at Radford University.  It was my first trip abroad and my first time in a plane.  We were studying alcohol Irish and Scottish immigration during to the U.S. during the mid-to-late 1800s.  We stayed in Dublin for a few days but I was so hammered I don't remember much.  Going back will be fantastic I'm sure.

As far as climbing there I know that Galway, Wicklow, and an area outside Dublin have good cliffs.  Apparently some of the best climbing in either Ireland or Britain is on the spectacular cliffs of Fair Head (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Head) near Belfast.  Other than that I think we're both kinda clueless...so let the spontaneous planning begin! :-)

Climbers at Fair Head, Ireland