Inishowen with Mizzou with Swat Stowaways, Inc.

Travel on a Shoestring tip # 1279: Always hook up with a tour group for hard-to-reach locales. Preferably one that's already paid for their bus. There was a group of students on a summer study abroad experience from the U of Missouri (they have a cute name for it: Mizzou) living in the dorms. I was lucky enough to be able to hitch a ride (via Denise) on their bus to go to Inishowen. Inishowen is a peninsula at the north of the Republic of Ireland. Its northernmost point, Malin Head, actually extends above Northern Ireland. On the bus I sat next to Maurice, another Swattie who had just finished his semester abroad in Derry. We got to visit to Fort Dunree, Griannan of Aileach, and the Famine Village.

Above: the view from Fort Dunree. Below: the Famine Village tells the story of the Famine, and ends the tour with inspirational quotes reminding you that other parts of the world are still in need.

I actually saw a real thatched-roof house on my second trip to Inishowen.

Before I came of Ireland, I used to picture rolling hills and misty green fields. Although I saw plenty of those, I never expected to see a lot of beaches. The Emerald Isle: go figure, it's got a lot of coastline.

Mo skipping a rock:





The view from Griannan, and Iron Age stone ring fortress.

I snagged an aerial view from the great Ireland website so you all can see what it looks like as a whole.