As I mentioned before, Ireland is notorious for its unpredictable weather. In fact, it’s highly recommend that you carry, at all times, the following items: wool socks, sunscreen, sunglasses and a scarf. You just never know.

And sadly, Mother Nature’s time of the month decided to strike just when I was scheduled to visit the perilous Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge in Northern Ireland with Shamrocker Adventures. Not that I particularly minded, though.

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ll know that I’m scared shitless of a lot of things (spiders, masks, clowns, speeding cars, the dark) but heights has got to be the worse one. And the dangling, ethereal-looking rope bridge was just the perfect place to exacerbate that fear.

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge: Quick Story

You see, Carrick-a-Rede is not just a regular bridge. Oh no. For over 350 years and up until a decade ago (yeah, let that sink in – a decade) the bridge was just a flimsy couple of wooden slats grouped together by a single handrail, and was used by local fishermen who needed to get to the small island of Carraig a’ Ráid to fish the abundant salmon of the Irish Sea. You’ve got to tip your hat to these courageous men, risking their lives 100 feet up in the air, for the sake of salmon!

Strong winds today? Is it not safe to cross the bridge? Aw, that is *such* a shame. No, no, I assure you sir, I don’t mind at all, I completely understand. I’ll be on my way then.

A quick close-up picture and I was gone.

Just crouching down by the bridge had me tremble uncontrollably, seeing as the winds were particularly powerful that day. One wrong step and I could have been thrown off the mountain cliff – no wonder the bridge was closed!

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge: Why You Should Go Even If You’re Scared of Heights

Even though I would have never crossed the bridge (curiosity DID kill the cat, right?), I’m still glad my tour guide forced me to come with him because the scenery was absolutely stunning. I had no idea water could be turquoise in Ireland – if it wasn’t for the bitterly cold winds I might have very well been the Caribbean!

The dramatic, rugged northern Irish coast definitely makes for a photogenic trek and it’s an absolute must-do.

[disclaim]Disclaimer: I was a guest of Shamrocker Adventures. All opinions, as always, are my own.[/disclaim]

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