It’s now August, and it feels like the Haller Global Fellowship Program is flying by! The end of today actually marks the halfway point of the Ireland portion of the program. We’ve already been to so many significant natural landmarks in Ireland, so I wanted to reflect on how some of our explorations of Ireland’s natural beauty have been affected by another one of Ireland’s (in)famous and unpredictable features: the weather.

All things considered, our stay in Ireland has had beautiful weather thus far. Starting with what we did today, it was an excellent time to hike the cliffs of Sliabh Liag(or Slieve League). Coated in tiny purple flowers and spotted with sheep, the cliffs themselves were beautiful in the midday sun. The Sliabh Liag actually has the highest seaside cliffs in all of Ireland! This height and proximity to the Atlantic Ocean resulted in very strong and frequent winds, which did a great job of cooling me off after I had gotten warm from climbing. Most of all, the smattering of clouds and the sunlight upon the rocky sides of Ireland presented a gorgeous view that made each and every step up Sliabh Liag worth it. 

Obviously, wet weather here would pose a serious challenge. The stone steps which take you up the cliffs can be quite steep, and the surrounding soft earth would get mushy and slippery. This is similar to what happened when we visited Giant’s Causeway a couple of days ago; it was very foggy and started raining, so some of the group including myself did not attempt to traverse some of the more treacherous stones which would give a better view… of a view mostly clouded by fog, completely obscuring the sight of Scotland across the water. The moisture is also why I didn’t take many pictures, as I was afraid of the possible damage that could come to my phone. 

Despite all this, I still quite enjoyed seeing Giant’s Causeway. While the weather made for less appealing pictures, the experience was unique and authentic. The fog also made the mood mysterious and somber, a sort of feeling that made hearing the legend of the Giant’s Causeway(written in one of my earlier posts!) very atmospheric. At the end of the day, I feel seeing the Causeway in this weather was worthwhile; it’s one half of the whole that is the Giant’s Causeway experience. The weather is unpredictable, and you can’t always count on getting the same experience. This is not just something to take into account for these natural landmarks, but for the whole of Ireland. Unpredictability is something that’s not always a problem, as it leads to surprise experiences that deepen one’s understanding of where they are. To be fully immersed in Ireland is to accept all that it brings, and this includes the surprises.