32 Roses back Cliffs as one of seven wonders

THE Cliffs of Moher received a number of endorsements at the weekend for its campaign to become one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.
Just days before they took part in the Rose of Tralee Festival, the 32 Roses visited the Cliffs of Moher where they took the opportunity to vote for the landmark in the New 7 Wonders of Nature campaign.
Many of the international Roses declared themselves joint ambassadors for the Cliffs and their home finalist.
There are only 28 finalists remaining in the New 7 Wonders of Nature contest that will run until November 2011 before the final seven are named.
Back for her second visit in as many weeks was Danielle McBurnett who is representing Arizona in the Rose of Tralee Festival. During her first visit, as a guest of the Ennis Twinning Committee, she voted for both the Cliffs of Moher and the Grand Canyon in the New 7 Wonders of Nature campaign.
“I’m delighted to have the chance to see such a spectacular work of nature as the Cliffs of Moher. Both the Cliffs and the Grand Canyon, back home, truly deserve the description of natural wonder. I hope that voters for the Grand Canyon also vote for the Cliffs and vice versa,” she remarked.
Adrienne Hussey, the Texas Rose, has a special family connection to the Cliffs of Moher. “The second you catch a glimpse of the Cliffs of Moher, it takes your breath away. The magnificence of Ireland is captured amongst the Cliffs. In my eyes, it has always been one of the seven natural wonders of the world. My family and I always visit the Cliffs of Moher every chance we get when we come back to Ireland. When my grandfather passed away, he asked us to spread his ashes here at the Cliffs so that he would forever be part of Ireland and the world’s national treasure. We did just that,” she revealed.
The Queensland Rose, Aisling Ryan waxed lyrical about the Cliffs and the Great Barrier Reef.
“I feel very lucky to have roots in the two countries which are home to such natural beauty. In Australia, in my home state of Queensland, is the Great Barrier Reef – definitely a wonder to behold. In my home away from home, County Clare in Ireland, are the Cliffs of Moher, which stand tall and proud as a national icon. It takes my breath away each time I visit.”
Yvonne Herbert, the Toronto Rose, drew comparisons between the Cliffs and the Bay of Fundy. The Sydney Rose, Louise Lenihan and the New Zealand Rose, Elisabeth Sara, are also backing the Cliffs’ bid.
“I support the Great Barrier Reef and Uluru but I also believe that the Cliffs of Moher deserve to be one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. Standing at the edge of the Cliffs of Moher and looking down into those famous waves, it feels like you’ve stepped back in time. There is a real sense of beauty, magic and history to the place,” Louise said.
The Irish Roses were also positive about their national finalist in the contest.
Veronica Hunt, the Kerry Rose, had this to say, “The Cliffs of Moher are a unique example of coastal cliff formations. They offer a protected habitat for an estimated 30,000 pairs of nesting seabirds. They form a very rare example of a sedimentary rock basin normally found on the sea bed, but here they are exposed for all the world to see. The Cliffs of Moher are an irreplaceable natural wonder of the world, consistently attracting visitor numbers of almost a million people and are eminently worthy of a nomination as a UNESCO world Heritage Site.”
While Leitrim Rose, Martha Gilheaney, put it this way. “I believe that the Cliffs of Moher should be one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature because few could be as wildly romantic or be so much a part of a rich heritage as Ireland has!”
Those behind the Cliffs campaign believe the trip by the Roses will have considerably increased the Irish landmark’s chances of making the final seven because of the women’s connection to the Irish diaspora.
To cast a votes log on to www.new7wonders.com/n7w.