Visiting Inishmore dun Aengus

It sounded like distant thunder. I kept looking around, the day had been threatening rain but nothing that looked capable of producing the booms I heard every couple minutes. As we climbed the mildly steep trail I looked at mom and asked if she new what it was, she didn't either. We continued our way up the trail from the visitors center, today we were going to be seeing Dun Aengus on  Inishmore. you may not be familiar with the name, but I'm positive if you've seen cliff pictures of Ireland, you've seen the cliffs by this historical fort. It was a beautiful walk up from the visitor center. Rock walls, sturdy in construction but appearing haphazardly constructed lined the pathway. Most followed the path but some rule breakers climbed over the wall and headed toward the cliff face. 

To the left I could see where the land ended in a sharp drop off and knew the sea would be far below. To the right was a gentle slope downhill to the ocean. Both sides though I could see the sea stretching far out ahead. Ahead up the hill was the stone fort, a massive structure surrounded by a wall. A single entrance, large enough for one person. Despite the number of people, there wasn't a wait to get through the opening. We just went inside the fort. I was surprised to see how open and large the space was surrounded on three sides by rock walls. The fourth side, there is was, the view I'd been waiting to see. The view that had been on my bucket list for ages. The famous cliffs of Inishmore, I was finally here. 

As I neared the edge of the cliff, it occurred to me the booming noise I'd been hearing wasn't thunder, it wasn't a canon shooting in the distance. It was the ocean hitting the bottom of the cliffs. It was amazing to stand at the top and see the wonder of the landscape and feel the power of the ocean. Far below the water had carved a hollow at the bottom of the cliffs, when the water slapped the rock, a loud boom could be heard. It was beautiful, majestic, breathtaking there, a view I will never forget.

After a time we finally had to peel ourselves away from the cliffs, we had a guide waiting for us at the bottom. As we traversed down the trail back to the visitor center I knew that this was an event that would never leave my mind. I knew that for years to come I'd remember that feeling of standing at the top of the cliffs, feeling the breeze on my skin, smelling the salty ocean, seeing the dizzying height, and hearing the thunder of the sea against rock.