Inishboffen

It was scheduled to be a "rest" day off the bike, but the weather was bright and sunny and we didn't want to waste it. So we combined a ride with a visit to another of the many islands off the western coast of Ireland.

We started off with a ride on the high road out of Clifton. With the clear day we could see to the horizon both north and south.

Then it was a pleasant meander to the ferry (with occasional livestock sightings).

Inishboffen is Irish for Island of the White Cow. Legend has it that early settlers saw a woman strike a white cow with a stick, turning it to stone. They (the woman and the cow) then appeared periodically as an omen of an important event, generally a disaster of some sort.


There are perhaps 8 or 9 km of roads on the island so we did a short tour seeing:

• The remains of a fort built by Cromwell, who was eliminating the catholic clergy in Ireland after his victory in the War of Roses in England -- and needed a place to house them until they were either hung or shipped to the West Indies

• and the site of the ruins of a 7th century monastery.

and then a stop for a leisurely cup of coffee before heading back to the mainland.

The surprise of the day was a sandy beach that wouldn't look out of place in the Caribbean or Mexico.

More trip pictures are archived at:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/i3Wq9Epv9sqDXb5w6