Starstruck at the Cliffs of Moher

SOCIAL media enthusiasts in Clare went into a frenzy last Friday after Hollywood star Ashton Kutcher was spotted by staff members at the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre.

There were also reports that he was accompanied by one of the faces of Christian Dior 2012, Mila Kunis, which remain unconfirmed.
Earlier last week, the arrival of another Hollywood star of That ’70s Show, Danny Masterson also created some excitement at the Cliffs. The American actor and disc jockey, best known for his role as Steven Hyde in the hit programme, put up a photograph of the cliffs on his phone and tweeted “sweet, sweet, Cliffs of Moher”.
Cliffs of Moher director, Katherine Webster, said the amount of worldwide publicity generated by the public endorsement of Hollywood stars is something the centre couldn’t afford to purchase.
Ms Webster said the centre didn’t get a photograph of Mr Kutcher when he stopped off at the site.
“Unless celebrities make themselves known to us, we would not disturb them. The exception is for official visits. Sometimes a staff member may recognise a celebrity and may ask their consent for their photograph to be taken if they felt it was appropriate.
“A number of celebrities have visited the Cliffs of Moher while holidaying in Ireland and sometimes we may not become aware of this until they are gone or through social media sites,” she said.
The Cliffs of Moher attracted 809,474 visitors last year and provisional figures for the first six months of this year suggest a slight increase of about 2%, which is considered a good performance in the current economic climate.
The slight increase is being driven by a hike in the amount of group tours visiting the Cliffs, which represent about 40% of their overall visitor numbers. The only exception is in August, when there is a seasonal reduction in the number of coach tours as a result of the school holidays, resulting in an increase in individual and family visits.