Cliffs of Moher

Five miles long and soaring nearly 700 feet above the crashing waves of the sea, these impressive cliffs put the ageless power of nature into clear focus.

Perhaps 1940’s naturalist Robert Lloyd Praeger described the impact of these cliffs best when he wrote: “If you want to feel very small, go out in one of the canvas curraghs on a day when the ground swell is coming in from the ocean, and get your boatman to row you along the base of one of those gigantic rock walls.”

Visitors have been coming to admire the cliffs, near the village of Liscannon, for centuries, and in 1835, Sir Cornelius O’Brien built the observation tower that bears his name to make their visit more hospitable. Perched upon the highest cliff point, the tower looks out over Breanan More, a rockstack rising up amid the crashing waves. O’Brien also erected an interesting wall of Moher flagstones, imprinted with images of prehistoric eels.

The Cliffs were, historically, a sacred site of the Celtic people as well as a much-frequented hunting ground of Brian Boru, High King of Ireland.

Today, O’Brien’s Tower houses the Visitor centre, which distributes information on the geology and history of the area as well as other area natural wonders and bird watching opportunities – a large colony of puffins inhabits the cliffs. The Centre often provides shelter from swiftly passing inclement weather. There are also occasional performances in the parking area by musicians and step dancers, especially during the high season.

But the fabulous view is usually the main attraction from the top of these layered cliffs of sandstone silt and shale. The unguarded cliff edge offers unobstructed views (weather permitting, of course) of the Aran Islands and 30 miles of County Clare Coastline. On clear days, from O’Brien’s Tower, visitors can see all the way to County Kerry’s Mountains and to the Twelve Bens of Connemara.