County Clare Things to Do Tips by grandmaR

Surf, Birds and Cliffs Cliffs of Moher Review

The Cliffs of Mohr are among the most popular tourist destinations in Ireland.

We were here on a nice clear day in early June and were able to observe both the cliffs, which are some 400-700 feet above the Atlantic, but also the Aran Islands and Galway Bay. We also saw some towers along the edges of the cliffs (photo 4 and 5).

After we visited the brand new Visitor's Center, my grandson went up towards O'Brien's Tower (which I don't think was open), but I asked one of the rangers where I could best see the Atlantic Puffins and he indicated that I should walk the other direction so that was what I did. The puffins 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. If you look at the cliffs and see white edges (photo 3), that's probably the bird guano and if you use your binoculars there, you will see the birds nesting there.

You would think that these nesting sites would be safe from anything except another bird, but apparently people climb down the cliffs to collect eggs as there are warning signs that prohibit that.

Directions: GPS Coordinates

Latitude: 52.9714578
Longitude: -9.4247540

Phone: +353 (0)65 7086141

Website: http://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/

Cliffs of Moher "The Atlantic Edge Center" Cliffs of Moher Review

The new visitor's center which cost €22 million to build is nestled into the hillside (mostly underground) and has a restaurant, exhibits in four areas OCEAN, ROCK, NATURE and MAN. and a movie about the area. It was officially opened in Feb 2007 by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.

In 1993 Reddy O'Riordan Staehli Architects won an international architectural design competition to replace the existing visitor and interpretative centre at the Cliffs of Moher...

To minimise the visual impact.., the design strategy proposed an underground building on the site of the existing facility. .. the original, much smaller, centre .. was demolished..

Directions: Take the N18 to Ennis. Then take the N85 to Ennistymon where you turn left onto the N67(signposted Lahinch). In Lahinch turn right onto the R478 and continue on to the Cliffs of Moher passing through the village of Liscannor and St. Brigid's Well

Phone: +353 (0)65 7086141

Website: http://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/AtlanticEdge.aspx