Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Things you should know:
  Used in The Princess Bride - The Cliffs of Insanity
  Used in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

THE CLIFFS OF MOHER

On the west coast of Ireland The Cliffs Of Moher are one of the most outstanding coastal features of Ireland.The cliffs are located in county Clare and lie just south from the Village of Doolin and the Burren. Rising slowly from Doolin they ascend to over 700 feet (213 metres) stretching south for nerarly five miles (8km) to Hags head.

The Cliffs of Moher were origionally the site of a gigantic river delta and were formed about 320 million years ago during the Carboniferous period. The Napoleonic signal tower at Hags Head was built built in 1803, this is close to the site of a long gone 1st century BC ruined fort “Mothar” from which the Cliffs get their name.

Being almost vertical, their sheer drop into the heaving Atlantic ocean is a haven for sea birds. One can see the Aran Islands, Galway Bay, as well as The Twelve Pins and the Maum Turk Mountains to the north in Connemara and Loop Head to the South, the top is never tiresome.

The cliffs reach their highest point near O'Brien's Tower. A walk along the paved pathways near the cliffs edge cliffs is not to be missed.