Cliffs of Moher

My expectations for our visit to the Cliffs of Moher could not possibly have been higher. Honestly, the famed cliffs were the only thing I knew about Ireland when I booked our trip & the only thing I really wanted to do. Sky high expectations are usually a recipe for disaster: what notable tourist site is ever as great as you imagine it? They’re usually crowded, always expensive, & it’s unfair to expect even the greatest of sites to live up to a wild imagination.

The Cliffs of Moher didn’t live up to my expectations.

They blew them out of the freakin water.

The name comes from a 1st Century fort that stood along the coast – the Irish word “moher” means ruined fort (they’re very literal people, these Irish). The Cliffs of Moher have been a tourist attraction for decades. In the 18th century, Cornelius O’Brien, a local landowner, saw the potential for tourist dollars & constructed O’Brien’s Tower as an observation point. He also built the first stone wall to keep visitors safe while walking along the cliffs (this has been restored). But after O’Brien died, not much investment was made & the site fell into a bit of disrepair. Luckily, in the 1970s, O’Brien’s Tower was restored & the first visitor center was built. It was later replaced in 2005 with the current visitor center, which is built into the side of a hill & is worth a visit.

We spent nearly three hours at the iconic cliffs, walking around, taking photos, & enjoying in the scenery. The most famous view is to the left when you come in, but the view to the right is equally as impressive. The main area is paved & has very high barrier walls (chest high on me) – there’s no way you’re getting blown over unless you place yourself on the other side of the wall on purpose.

There’s a Cliff Walk along each side of the public viewing area, giving you different vantage points of the cliffs. It’s an easy, sometimes uphill, walk along a dirt path. Those more daring may chose to walk on the other side of the protective fence along the edge of the Cliffs. We felt safe doing so the day we were there because it wasn’t very windy; however, on a windy day, I can’t imagine being as close to the edge as we were.

The Coastal Walk actually goes all the way up to Doolin – it takes about two hours to get from Doolin to the Cliffs. If you don’t want to walk it yourself, you can join Pat Sweeney on one of his great walking tours to learn about the area along your stroll.

My biggest priority when visiting the Cliffs was to do so without crowds, so we got up very early & drove the hour & a half so we could be there right when they opened (while, as a natural attraction they have no hours, entrance to the parking lot & visitor center have set hours). We arrived about 10 minutes after opening & just as the first small bus group was arriving. However, their stay was much shorter than ours & soon enough we had the Cliffs of Moher to ourselves. By the time we were leaving three hours later, the main viewing platform was packed.

I feel like I can’t really put into words how fantastic being at the Cliffs was. It was truly one of those travel bucket list items & a dream come true. Kudos to B for hanging in there with me throughout the entire multi-hour journey (& carrying my camera bag & tripod – don’t worry, he was rewarded with ice cream in the visitor center!).

Know before you go… 

– Get there early or very late. Trust me. You will thank me for this. It wouldn’t have been half the experience it was if it had been crowded.

– If you hiked to the cliffs, you technically wouldn’t have to pay the admission fee since it is paid at the entrance to the parking lot. We found the nominal fee of €6 per adult to be a steal of a price, though.

– The nearest town is Doolin. Town is probably exaggerating – it’s more of a village. Skip the little touristy strip of stores & pubs where the tour buses stop & head down the street to McDermott’s Pub for fish & chips.

– Make sure you stop in the visitor center. The interactive exhibits are really quite good, the gift shop is nice & they serve a mean soft serve ice cream cone.