Compensation for landowners on the Cliffs of Moher Walking Trail will have to be significantly increased, with calls for a “bespoke” funding scheme to replace the National Walks Scheme.
The trail, which is by some distance the busiest in Ireland, is situated on the land of 38 local farmers, each of whom currently receive a small payment under the walking scheme.
Clare IFA believes that a new scheme, likely funded by Clare County Council, needs to be put in place to compensate farmers.
“Every landowner who is participating on the walkway currently is only participating in the walkways scheme, there is no extra. There is a top-up, a sustainability package for landowners [from Clare County Council] if they wish to take it. That is roughly €1,000 per landowner,” said Tom Lane of Clare IFA.
“But what we are really looking for here is an end-to-end scheme, something that everyone would have a gain out of.
“We need a bespoke scheme for this bespoke walk. This walk supersedes anywhere else in the country. The footfall from this was close to 2 million people back in 2019, not to mention the high level of maintenance that is required.
“You need a bespoke set-up. Whatever agreement is reached, it needs to bring the community of landowners with it.
“That is the structure that we are looking at [farmers being compensated by Clare County Council]. If we continue to have meetings with Clare County Council and CLDC, hopefully we will come to an agreement as to how the walkway will be developed, how the work will be carried out, and maybe an annual income for the farmers on top of that.
“We don’t have a figure in mind yet, we need to sit down with all the farmers and trash it out amongst ourselves. We will have to wait for the Tobin Report to come out and take it from there.
“What we in the IFA are looking for is that a proper, structured system would be put in place. That all the landowners under this walking trail would come under a structured rental income followed by an agreement to allow maintenance and medical emergency access to the walk.
“Realistically, from the farmers’ perspective, no matter where the money comes from, we do feel that this walkway should be treated equally from start to finish. We want to put in place a system that reflects that.”
Clare IFA also believes that CLDC should be part of any future negotiations about the reopening of the Cliffs of Moher Trail
CLDC has not taken part in two meetings between Clare County Council and local landowners since the trail was closed last August.
The IFA, which represents some of the 38 landowners along the trail, says that CLDC still has a role to play and should be at all future meetings.
“CLDC were not at those two meetings [between the IFA and Clare County Council], but we have had a few landowner meetings, one which involved CLDC back in September or October,” said Mr Lane.
“CLDC have done an awful lot to bring this project forward from the beginning, from back in 2006 when this project was just a dream. CLDC have done a great job in developing a walking trail here at the Cliffs of Moher.
“But this walk has been a victim of its own success. It has gone from being a normal walking trail to something a little bit more extraordinary than that.”
Despite a lack of progress in recent months, Mr Lane believes that both the north and south section of the trail could be reopened this year.
“I believe that there only needs to be remedial work to get the trail open again. But what the IFA would like to see is for the trail to be brought up to a very high standard, from end to end. From Liscannor to Doolin, to be at the same standard of what has been done here either side of the centre,” he said.
“Stretches of this have been done under a national grant which Clare County Council would have applied for on behalf of CLDC. The first amount of that has been spent over the past 18 months. Further grants have been accepted but no work has yet been carried out.
“We have always sought that we have a quality of tourist brought into the county. That it wouldn’t be someone coming in on a bus for two hours to see the Cliffs and then gone. We want to get people to stay for a few days or a week and see the county properly. The walking trail helps massively with this.”
While the IFA believes that all landowners should be compensated equally for the use of their land, it also believes that upgrade works on each farm should be handled on a case by case basis.
“A lot would have to be done to the landowners satisfaction, every farmer along here has their own individual view as to whether the path is too intrusive or too narrow for people to walk on. Certainly people don’t want to give up land for nothing,” said Mr Lane.
“If they decide to widen the path by a metre, a metre the length of your farm could be a sizable chunk. Basically what you are looking at is what the landowner is willing to give you, maybe you can coerce a little bit more out of him.
“What we want is a proper structure in place, a width of a path that is safe, but they definitely, definitely need to take the thoughts of every individual landowner into account.
“There might need to be a bespoke solution for each farmer. It’s not a case of one solution to suit everyone.
“The trail may need to continue in a different way than it has up to now. The flexibility within the structure [of the agreement with farmers] to move forward and change over time may be something that needs to be considered as well.”
Mr Lane believes that if a sensible proposal is put on the table, that local farmers will be open to it.
“It would be very hard to unite a group of 38 farmers. We have had meetings here and there has been very good turnouts. Some people will ask that we [the IFA] don’t represent them, they want to represent themselves,” he said.
“But there is a lot of good will here for Pat [Sweeney] and other farmers. The work that was done here to bring 38 farmers together in the first place and get this trail up and running was massive.
“The structure that is there at the moment is not fit for purpose. That is really become very apparent over the past 12 months.”
Andrew Hamilton is a journalist, investigative reporter and podcaster who has been working in the media in Ireland for the past 20 years. His areas of special interest include the environment, mental health and politics.