Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare, Ireland
The Cliffs of Moher are located at the south western edge of the Burren region in Co. Clare and stretch for about 9 miles. At their southern end, they rise 390 feet above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag's Head and 5 miles to the north they reach their maximum height of 702 feet just north of O'Brien's Tower, a round stone tower near the midpoint of the cliffs built in 1835 by Sir Cornelius O'Brien, and then continue at lower heights. The closest villages are Liscannor, 4 miles to the south, and Doolin, 4 miles, to the north.
From the Cliffs of Moher, visitors can see the Aran Islands in Galway Bay, the mountain ranges of the Maumturks and Twelve Pins in Connemara in Co. Galway to the north and Loop Head in Co. Clare to the south.
The official Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk runs for about 11 miles from Hag's Head to Doolin. This passes the Visitor Centre and O'Brien's Tower with good viewing throughout subject to rain or sea fog.
There are 2 paths near the Visitor Centre, the official one being set back a little for safety whilst an unofficial path runs closer to the edge. In July 2016 the so-called Cliff Walk, outside the official Cliffs of Moher amenities, was temporarily closed because of the risk of rock falls. People were warned to stay on the official path further away from the cliff edge instead of the unofficial path.
Since 2011, the Cliffs of Moher have formed a part of the Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark, one of a family of geotourism destinations throughout Europe that are members of the European Geoparks Network and also recognized by UNESCO. The cliffs are also a "signature point" on the official Wild Atlantic Way tourist trail.
The Cliffs of Moher rank among the most visited tourist sites in Ireland with around 1.5 million visits per year. In the 1990s the local authority, Clare County Council, initiated development plans to enable visitors to experience the cliffs without significant intrusive man-made amenities. In keeping with this approach, a modern visitor centre, the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience, was built into a hillside approaching the cliffs. The centre was planned to be environmentally sensitive in its use of renewable energy systems including geothermal heating and cooling, solar panels and grey water recycling. The €32 million facility was planned and built over a 17 year period and officially opened in February 2007. Exhibits include interactive media displays covering the geology, history, flora and fauna of the Cliffs of Moher.
The Cliffs of Moher consist mainly of beds of Namurian shale and sandstone with the oldest rocks being found at the bottom of the cliffs. During the time of their formation between 313 and 326 million years ago, a river dumped sand, silt and clay in to an ancient marine basin. Over millions of years, the sediments collecting at the mouth of this ancient delta were compacted and lithified in to the sedimentary strata preserved in the now exposed cliffs.
Today the Cliffs of Moher are subject to erosion by wave action which undermines the base of support causing the cliffs to collapse under their own weight. This process creates a variety of coastal landforms characteristic of eroded coasts such as sea caves, sea stacks and sea stumps. Branaunmore, a 220 feet high sea stack at the foot below O'Brien's Tower, was once part of the Cliffs of Moher but coastal erosion gradually removed the layers of rock that joined it with the mainland. A large sea arch can also be seen at Hag's Head below the Napoleonic signal tower and many smaller sea arches can be seen from sea level.
During the peak summer breeding season, there are an estimated 30,000 pairs of birds of more than 20 species and the Cliffs of Moher are designated as an Important Bird Area. A wide range of sea life can also be seen from the Cliffs of Moher including Atlantic Grey Seals, various species of whales and dolphins and Basking Sharks.
Date: 6th February 2020
Location: view from Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk near Visitor Centre
From the Cliffs of Moher, visitors can see the Aran Islands in Galway Bay, the mountain ranges of the Maumturks and Twelve Pins in Connemara in Co. Galway to the north and Loop Head in Co. Clare to the south.
The official Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk runs for about 11 miles from Hag's Head to Doolin. This passes the Visitor Centre and O'Brien's Tower with good viewing throughout subject to rain or sea fog.
There are 2 paths near the Visitor Centre, the official one being set back a little for safety whilst an unofficial path runs closer to the edge. In July 2016 the so-called Cliff Walk, outside the official Cliffs of Moher amenities, was temporarily closed because of the risk of rock falls. People were warned to stay on the official path further away from the cliff edge instead of the unofficial path.
Since 2011, the Cliffs of Moher have formed a part of the Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark, one of a family of geotourism destinations throughout Europe that are members of the European Geoparks Network and also recognized by UNESCO. The cliffs are also a "signature point" on the official Wild Atlantic Way tourist trail.
The Cliffs of Moher rank among the most visited tourist sites in Ireland with around 1.5 million visits per year. In the 1990s the local authority, Clare County Council, initiated development plans to enable visitors to experience the cliffs without significant intrusive man-made amenities. In keeping with this approach, a modern visitor centre, the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience, was built into a hillside approaching the cliffs. The centre was planned to be environmentally sensitive in its use of renewable energy systems including geothermal heating and cooling, solar panels and grey water recycling. The €32 million facility was planned and built over a 17 year period and officially opened in February 2007. Exhibits include interactive media displays covering the geology, history, flora and fauna of the Cliffs of Moher.
The Cliffs of Moher consist mainly of beds of Namurian shale and sandstone with the oldest rocks being found at the bottom of the cliffs. During the time of their formation between 313 and 326 million years ago, a river dumped sand, silt and clay in to an ancient marine basin. Over millions of years, the sediments collecting at the mouth of this ancient delta were compacted and lithified in to the sedimentary strata preserved in the now exposed cliffs.
Today the Cliffs of Moher are subject to erosion by wave action which undermines the base of support causing the cliffs to collapse under their own weight. This process creates a variety of coastal landforms characteristic of eroded coasts such as sea caves, sea stacks and sea stumps. Branaunmore, a 220 feet high sea stack at the foot below O'Brien's Tower, was once part of the Cliffs of Moher but coastal erosion gradually removed the layers of rock that joined it with the mainland. A large sea arch can also be seen at Hag's Head below the Napoleonic signal tower and many smaller sea arches can be seen from sea level.
During the peak summer breeding season, there are an estimated 30,000 pairs of birds of more than 20 species and the Cliffs of Moher are designated as an Important Bird Area. A wide range of sea life can also be seen from the Cliffs of Moher including Atlantic Grey Seals, various species of whales and dolphins and Basking Sharks.
Date: 6th February 2020
Location: view from Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk near Visitor Centre
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Also in: Ireland - January and February 2020
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