The Cliffs of Moher (Irish: Aillte an Mhothair, lit. cliffs of the ruin, also known as the Cliffs of Mohair) are located in the parish of Liscannor at the south-western edge of the Burren area near Doolin, which is located in County Clare, Ireland.
The cliffs rise 120 meters (390 ft) above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag's Head (Irish: Ceann na Cailleach), and reach their maximum height of 214 meters (702 ft) just north of O'Brien's Tower, eight kilometres away. The views from the cliffs attract close to one million visitors per year. On a clear day, the Aran Islands are visible in Galway Bay, as are the valleys and hills of Connemara.
O'Brien's Tower is a round stone tower at the approximate midpoint of the cliffs. It was built by Sir Cornelius O'Brien, a descendant of Ireland's High King Brian Boru, in order to impress female visitors. From atop that watchtower, visitors can view the Aran Islands and Galway Bay, the Maum Turk Mountains and the Twelve Pins to the north in Connemara, and Loop Head to the south.
Name
The cliffs take their name from an old fort that once stood on Hag's Head, the most southern point of the Cliffs. The writer T.J. Westropp refers to it as Moher ui Ruis or Moher ui Ruidhin. The fort still stood in 1780 and is mentioned in an account from John Lloyd's a Short Tour Of Clare (1780). The field where the fort stood is still called Moher a Thairbh. The present tower built near the site of the old Moher ui Ruidhin was built as a lookout tower during the Napoleonic wars.
Geology and wildlife
The cliffs consist mainly of beds of Namurian shale and sandstone, with the oldest rocks being found at the bottom of the cliffs. It is possible to see 300 million year-old river channels cutting through, forming unconformities at the base of the cliffs.
There are many animals living on the cliffs. Most of these are birds, with an estimated 30,000 birds, representing more than 20 species. These include Atlantic Puffins, which live in large colonies at isolated parts of the cliffs and on the small Goat Island. Also present are hawks, gulls, guillemots, shags, ravens and choughs.
Tourism
The Cliffs of Moher rank as one of the most popular tourist destinations in Ireland and topped the list of attractions in 2006 by drawing almost one million visitors.
The site has been developed by Clare County Council to allow visitors to experience the Cliffs, without the distraction of overly-imposing man-made amenities or features. In keeping with this approach, the "Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience" is built into a hillside approaching the Cliffs. The centre is also intended to be environmentally sensitive in its use of renewable energy systems including geothermal heating and cooling, solar panels, and grey water recycling.
Officially opened in February 2007, having been planned and built over a 17 year period, the €32 million facility features interactive media displays. These explore topics such as the origin of the Cliffs in local and global geological contexts, and the bird and fish life in the area. A large screen multimedia display allows visitors to experience a bird's eye view from the cliffs, as well as seeing the inside of underwater caves at the foot of the cliffs. The official Cliffs of Moher website features pictures and information on tours, school trips and other areas of interest.
There is a charge of 6,00€ per adult with children under 16 going free. This charge includes access to the visitor centre building, entry to the Cliffs Exhibition - Atlantic Edge, parking and a contribution towards conservation and safety at the cliffs. Various discounts for seniors/students etc. are also available.
Cliffs of Moher Cruise
The Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience won an award in the Interpret Britain & Ireland Awards 2007 awarded by the Association of Heritage Interpretation. Although the award was specifically for the Atlantic Edge exhibition, the AHI assessed the entire visitor centre and site. The citation states that the entire visitor centre was "one of the best facilities that the judges had ever seen."
Ferry trips also allow tourists to view the Cliffs of Moher from sea level.
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