Cliffs Of Moher And O'briens Tower

    The Cliffs of Moher are one of Ireland's top visitor sites. Looming over County Clare's west coast, the Cliffs stretch for 8 kilometres and 214 metres over the waters of the Atlantic ocean. Unchanged for millennia the landscape of the Cliffs of Moher has, for centuries, welcomed visitors who come to marvel at their splendour and be at one with nature. Close to one million visitors per year now come to this iconic location. Upon this canvas Clare County Council is developing a major tourism project to create a New Visitor Experience at the Cliffs of Moher. The project includes construction of an award winning visitor centre containing a state of the art interpretation centre as well as extensive visitor facilities. The building will be subsumed into the contours of the local terrain and covered by the grass hillside. The development also encompasses significant works at the cliff edge including extension of pathways, construction of viewing platforms and seating areas as well as ecological reconstruction of the eroded cliff edge habitat. Construction on the Cliffs of Moher New Visitor Experience began in April 2005. The new facilities will open to the public in early 2007. A section of the south cliff edge paths and viewing platforms was opened to the public in March 2006. Visitor access to the Cliffs of Moher is being maintained throughout the construction period. A temporary visitor centre is in operation in the car park area with public toilets, a retail shop & tearooms and a small exhibit on the project. O'Brien's Tower and the area around it are closed for development works. It will reopen along with the New Visitor Experience early in 2007.