We originally missed the turn for Slieve League which gave us some additional time exploring the coast which turned out to be a nice perk but we eventually found ourselves in a lower parking lot for the cliffs. We were not 100% sure if we had to park in this lower lot and hike up (which is what they make it look like) or if you could drive up further and park up by the cliffs. We opted for some exercise and decided to hike the 3 mile circuit up to see the cliffs. The views on the hike were fantastic and well worth the effort but the wind was once again brutal! The waves were crashing in hard enough that combined with the wind, a mist was actually being carried up the 1,500 foot sea walls and spraying onto us! I have never seen anything like it in my life. (Note for anyone going to Northern Ireland - you don't have to hike, there is parking at the top.)
As if the views from the hike were not enough, when we got to the top we were left awestruck by the massive Slieve League. The cliffs actually rise just short of 2,000 feet above the sea level, three times the size of the Cliffs of Moher!!! I had to take 9 pictures and merge them together to even get a full image of the cliffs. Here is the mighty Slieve League:
One of my favorite things about Ireland is watching the massive waves crash into the rocky coastline and the Slieve League was one of the best spots for this. The water is so turquoise and the waves strong enough to cause a lot of white foam. I love the colors!
From the Slieve League we headed into Northern Ireland to stay in the city of Derry. En route we saw an absolutely perfect rainbow. It was the first time either of us had ever seen one where you could actually see the full arch from start to finish (we had a high perspective from where we were driving). You could even make out a second rainbow above it (but bairly). I didn't get a good picture of it when we could see the whole thing but the below picture at least gives you an idea. We now felt like we had been blessed with the full Ireland experience!
We stayed in a cool bed and breakfast in Derry that we had found in the guidebook. Derry is the second largest city in Northern Ireland and is famous for being the location of Bloody Sunday (or the Bogside Massacre) where twenty six civil rights protestors (mostly teenagers) were shot by British soldiers in 1972. This is actually currently in the news as Britian has announced that they will be paying money to the families of the victims. Derry is also known for being a walled city as the old section of the city is surrounded by stone walls. Our B&B allowed us to stay very close to both the Bogside area and the old city.
We took off on foot to explore Derry and to find some dinner. We were able to walk through the walled city and get some views from the top of the walls and to see some murals that artists made in memory of Bloody Sunday. Below are some pictures of us at the walls of the old city, looking out on the Bogside area from the walls, an example of the murals, and a picture of our room at the B&B. So a day that started out rainy and looking like a disaster turned out to be another favorite from the trip!
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