Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

The Cliffs of Moher in Ireland's western County Clare will be in every tour book as a highlight. The sheer cliffs are more than 500 feet high. I drove by late on a Sunday morning in late May. Yes, I drove by. Heading north on the R487 from Liscannor, you'll see a large visitor center on the left with drives to it restricted to tour buses. That should give you a clue about its popularity. To the right of the road is a large, gated car park. I was in no mood for crowds, so I drove on...

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By driving on a few miles, I came to left turn marked with a sign for a store that sold jams. This was within sight of O'Brien's tower, which is not a terribly old building by Irish standards: 1835. It was built to provide views of the Cliffs, but access was denied when I drove by. The road dropped steeply -- and I do mean steeply -- down to the ocean's edge. I parked at the end of a country lane and had a truly delightful hour-long walk south toward the Moher Cliffs. I ended the walk when the lane came to a house. Perhaps I could have walked further, but the dogs gave me cause to pause. The cliffs were steep here though not of the same magnitude of the Cliffs of Moher, and I had a view across to Doolin and Bradford (site of Aran Island ferries) as I soon learned. I decided to not retrace my steps and climb that hill, so I followed the road along the shore and it brought me to Doolin, which was my intended destination.

I met maybe 4 people during my walk. I wish I had had more time...

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		Parking spot just off a side road to Doolin. The Cliffs of Moher are in the background of the photos.
		O'Briens Tower, built for views of Cliffs, but not accessible now. All photographs available for purchase as prints or JPEG files. Original JPEGs are approximately 2.5 mb suitable for enlarging up to 20"x30". Contact us.
		Crashing surf on the cliffs along this walk. Not as high as Moher, but no crowds. Worth the trade-off?
		Views towards Doolin and Broadford, where one can catch ferries to the Aran Islands. Marker for where Seamus Maher fell to his death in 2002.
		End of my walk and on the return, views north to The Burren.