Description: Every visitor to the Aran Islands and Inis Mor in particular have seen the spectacular aerial photos of this fort on the Atlantic Ocean coast. Dun Aonghasa is a World Heritage Site. Built sometime between 1,500 and 2,000 BC it stands today mostly in ruin as a reminder of the accomplishments of prehistoric man living here in Ireland. The concentric limestone walls are still impressive today given the volume of rock that was used and the expansive area that was protected from attackers.
What struck me the most, was the fact that the inhabitants of this area felt the need to build a fort for protection given this area is 300 feet above the sea and would seem naturally protected by the sheer cliffs. The views from up here are pretty amazing . . . and to think that David stepped right up to the edge to take photos down into the ocean. Thankfully, there was little wind or he could have been blown right off the cliffs!
OK a bit of reality check here . . .
This OPW (Office of Public Works) Heritage site is only accessible by a kilometer long walk/hike which is on a mostly gravel uphill path. I say "mostly" because the final 100 meters or so were more than a gradual uphill walk, requiring some pretty sure footing and climbing from rock to rock. David's mom and I made it within about 50 meters when we decided not to risk going the rest of the way. As much as I really wanted to do it and felt I could get UP there, it was the coming down that had me a bit worried. Ellie had already had one bout of vertigo getting this close, we were all concerned for her ability to safely make it the rest of the way and back. So we found a nice stone step and took a seat while David continued the rest of the way up.
Once he returned, we learned that we definitely made the right choice given the strenuous nature of the climb plus the additional climbing necessary to fully see the fort on the inside. I am also glad I was not there to see him walk close to the edge for those photos he took looking down the 300 foot cliffs into the Atlantic.
On our walk up, we passed one other couple. As we walked down, however, we passed more than 15 people in groups of two to four. The tourists had arrived on the 11:30 ferry and made their way here as one of their first stops. Our plan worked perfectly since we had the place relatively to ourselves for our entire visit.
I'm guessing that some of the couples we met on our walk down would find themselves, as we did, unable to make the full hike into the fort. There were even a couple of elderly ladies with canes who I couldn't imagine making it even as far as we did. That said, it was a lovely walk for the first half and I would encourage anyone interested in just getting out and walking a bit, to still take this trip and enjoy the day. One of the things Ellie and I noted while sitting waiting for David was the quietness. Other than the ocean waves crashing against the cliffs in the distance, we only heard an occasional bird. The stillness and solitude was nice.
As an OPW Heritage site, there is an entrance fee to Dun Aonghasa. For those planning visits to other Heritage sites, I encourage you to consider purchasing the Heritage Card for €21 per person. With the 11 OPW Heritage sites we visited while in Ireland, we saved a significant amount of money.
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