PHOTO: Whiterocks Coastal Park in Northern Ireland

Whiterocks Coastal Park on the Coastal Causeway in Northern Ireland

Over the centuries, strong surf has eaten into the cliffs at Whiterocks Coastal Park, carving myriad caves and arches into the jagged white limestone. Where land has prevailed over ocean, stunning headlands like Shelagh’s Head, the Wishing Arch, Elephant Rock, and the Lion’s Paw, thrust out into the ocean. The exposed white cliffs are home … Read more

PHOTO: Mussenden Temple at Downhill Palace in Northern Ireland

Mussenden Temple at Downhill Palace, on the Coastal Causeway in Northern Ireland

Mussenden Temple at Downhill Palace in Northern Ireland was built by Fredrick Hervey, who was both the 4th Earl of Bristol and the Bishop of Derry. Hervey was extremely close to his young niece, Frideswide Bruce, leading people to suspect that the relationship was inappropriate. When these rumors reached the young woman’s father, he quickly … Read more

Wild Atlantic Way – The Best of Ireland

Wildflowers decorate Mullaghmore peninsula in County Sligo, Ireland

The stunning scenery along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way is so forcefully etched on my memory that I can close my eyes and see it still. Unshorn sheep, fat like giant cotton balls, meander across green-carpeted bluffs. Waves smash at the feet of precipitous cliffs, while thousands of seabirds whirl and screech above. I can almost … Read more

PHOTO: Gallarus Oratory on the Dingle Peninsula of Ireland

Gallarus Oratory, an early Christian Church on the Dingle Peninsula of Ireland

Gallarus Oratory, an early Christian Church on the Dingle Peninsula of Ireland, is believed to have been built between the 6th and 9th century AD. The site was constructed using a technique known as corbel vaulting, wherein each successive layer of sandstone is angled inward, until the narrow opening that remains at the top can … Read more