The Cliffs of Moher - An imposing wonder of nature
One of the top-ranking tourist sites in Ireland, the Cliffs of Moher draw millions of visitors every year, and when I looked upon the mighty cliffs with my own eyes I could see why. When I researched my West Coast Ireland road trip, I looked at some of the photos of the Cliffs and realised they were something I could not avoid, so planned to stop at Doolin which is a small lively village close to the site.
Location - The cliffs stretch down part of the west coast of the Republic of Ireland in County Clare; the area is known as the Burren and is full of beautiful and rugged scenery. The actual visitors centre and main car park for the Cliffs is off of the N67, approximately 1hour30 from Galway in the North and around 1hour20 from Limerick in the south. There are plenty of parking spaces available in the official car park and there are also several pull-ins at various stages down the road, but when I went these were all full.
Entry/Misc info - There is a barrier on the main car park with ticket booths; the ticket covers entry to the Cliffs of Moher site and the car parking fee. To gain entry to the Cliffs you need to turn left out of the car park and walk down the road - Eventually you will see a path leading off on your right hand side across the road, and a large gateway into the official area; Go through this and you will find a string of small shops sellings crafts and souveniers, and then the visitors centre and the actual walkway along the cliffs themselves.
- Official Cliffs of Moher tourist site - Link
The Cliff Walk - I spent hours and hours walking up and down the cliffs and must have covered a lot of miles. The cliffs have proper walkways but the quality varies - Next to O'Briens Tower and near the information centre there are solid concrete walkways with concrete walls, however further down the cliffs the paths are just dirt paths lined with thin wooden/wire mesh fences.
Fact - The cliffs are formed mainly of Namurian shale and Sandstone.
On most of the paths you can get right up to the edge of the cliffs and there are no safety barriers stopping you from plummeting into the depths below, so if your feeling adventerous or suicidal, please be careful! I did get right up to the edge at some points to take some photos of the birds nesting on the cliff face, and I can tell you it's god damn scary! I am not great with heights so I did feel a little sick looking over the edge, but it was worth it to see the hundreds of birds nesting and flying around the cliffs.
Fact - There are around 30,000 birds living on the Cliffs and over 20 different species.
The whole cliff landscape is just phenomonal, it really is stunning - They rise up from the turbulent Atlantic Ocean and touch the sky like giants rising from slumber. The waves crash against the base of the cliffs and send spray in all directions, while the wind blows the sea air into your face as you walk. Rock stacks stand alone in the sea; disjointed from the cliffs they look lonely, except for the thousands of birds that have made their home there. O'Brien's Tower looms on the cliff top, a solitary stone guard that has lasted through the ages. I could go on for paragrpahs describing the cliffs, but you really need to see them for yourself - It is a gorgeous place to visit and was a highlight of my Ireland road trip.
