council carry out repairs on popular Cliffs of Moher walking route

CLARE County Council has confirmed that emergency health and safety repairs have been carried out on a section of one of the most popular walking routes in the county for tourists and locals.

Repair works on the Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk in a two kilometre zone, one kilometre north and one kilometre south of the Visitor Centre, are almost complete.

Works completed by Guerin and Considine include resurfacing the entire length, reinstatement of a dry stone wall 500 metres in length, repairs to stiles, and raising of flagstones in areas of uncontrolled access.

Access to the cliff edge area was achieved in collaboration with the landowners, design was  completed in-house by the Design Office and a Section Five declaration was obtained from the Planning Department for part of the works.

These repair works were recently inspected by Clare County Council chief executive officer, Pat Dowling, and Geraldine Enright, Director, Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience.

The works were jointly led by the council’s teams in the General Design Office and Cliffs of Moher in partnership with local landowners.

The financial resources invested were self-generated by visitors to the Cliffs of Moher.

The full 16 kilometres Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk embraces some of Ireland’s most outstanding coastal landscapes with breathtaking views.

This cliff-edge trail simply spoils walkers with unrivalled views of Galway Bay, the Aran Islands, Doolin and the roaring Atlantic itself.

The Coastal Walk connects lively Liscannor and Doolin, via the . A stunning linear route, it takes 4.5 hours to complete.

With a remote, exposed cliff-top path, this strenuous walk requires a high level of fitness. Challenging walkers with narrow, steep ascents and descents, flagstone steps, farm tracks, local and regional road; it can also be uneven underfoot.

This salt-aired trail starts and ends on road from the villages of Liscannor and Doolin, before moving onto protected paths at the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre. It then steps up a gear, as the trail becomes more isolated and demanding, with no barriers, handrails or seaward fencing.

Ideal for the seasoned walker, the Atlantic seascapes, the incredible sheer cliffs and the rich Clare landscape are very rewarding for even the most experienced walker.

Meanwhile, locals who are living within five kilometres during Covid-19 restrictions, who stop off in the Visitor Centre, can now avail of upgraded toilet facilities.

This was the first full upgrade since the centre opened in 2007, and the total cost of the upgrade was €220,000.

Construction and fit-out of the toilet facilities upgrade in the centre was completed last year.

The upgrade included reverting unisex to separate male and female toilets, disabled toilet facilities and baby changing facilities.

According to Clare County Council, the quality and the finish of the works by Jada Construction is excellent and has had an immediate impact on reducing complaints and increasing customer satisfaction rates.

 

Dan Danaher