Ireland's Wild and Wonderful West Coast

Of course you've heard of the wild beauty of the Emerald Isle, but I was unprepared for the impact of the experience. Around every curve of it's narrow, winding roads, another gorgeous vista unfolds. From the sheer dropoffs to the sea that are the Cliffs of Moher, to the Killary Fjord to the cows grazing amid castle ruins, Ireland's west is an experience like no other. I took about 450 pictures during our trip there (honeymoon, actually), in late June and early July. While staying in Clifden, at a cottage on Streamstown Bay, we explored up and down the west coast for about a week.
We got an education in peat bogs along the way, from how the peat forms on the bogs to how it's harvested and used as a major source of fuel in Ireland. Everywhere you go on a damp chilly evening, you can smell the pungent, earthy smoke generated from burning bricks of peat. Lacking timber, the Irish learned to improvise by literally burning chunks of the ground for heat.
While shopping for groceries in Clifden, the "green" aspect of Ireland came into focus. Asked by the cashier if I needed a bag for my groceries, I of course said yes. When the bag was full, she again asked if I needed a bag. A little bewildered, again I answered in the affirmative. Only after I looked at the receipt did I understand why: you're charged $.22 for each shopping bag. What a great way to cut down on waste and prevent bag-litter! I kept thinking what a great idea it would be to implement that policy in the U.S., though it's far-fetched that American consumers would make such a sacrifice.
The cottage we rented near Clifden was a slice of traditional Irish heaven. Built of stone walls that were about 2 feet thick (and a huge stone fireplace to boot), it was exactly what we had hoped for. When a chill overtook the air in the evening, we'd start a peat fire in the fireplace and gaze out over the water, and beyond the bay, at the sheep and cattle dotting the rocky hillside.
Our host was a man named Shane O'Grady, and a better host we couldn't have asked for. He has several rental properties around Clifden, and you can see them at www.connemararentals.com or email Shane at info@connemararentals.com.
I'll include a few more pictures, and if there's enough interest in this hub I'll follow up with another about Ireland.