A 20-year strategy to guide future upgrades at the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience is currently in development, with all works to be dependent on the availability of funding.
Clare County Council, supported by Fáilte Ireland, is currently undertaking the Cliffs of Moher Strategy 2040 that will set out the future plans, including an architectural masterplan for the site and economic delivery plans for the wider hinterland of County Clare.
UK-based tourism lead multi-disciplinary consultants Haley Sharpe Design are midway through the project schedule, which is due for completion in quarter one, 2021.
A separate contract running concurrently with the strategy has been signed with internationally renowned Dublin-based architects Henchion Reuter, with a value of €1.93m over a number of years, to design key infrastructural requirements.
This contract will dovetail with the strategy to inform the wish list of developments that could be delivered over the long term.
The package of works for design include required upgrades to the waste water treatment plant facility, coastal walk 2km zone, car parking, underpass and new visitor services building. The tender for design was formulated with a notional value on infrastructure of €16.5m.
Some of these designs may not be realised depending on various factors. The Cliffs of Moher is a Special Protection Area (European Communities (Conservation of Wild Birds (Cliffs of Moher Special Protection Area 004005)) Regulations 2010), and any designs will be subject to full environmental and planning processes.
Any future developments will depend on funding availability, the recommendations of the Cliffs of Moher Strategy 2040 and the ultimate decisions of Clare County Council.
Geraldine Enright, Director, Cliffs of Moher, said: “The Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience attraction is a leader in its field, the jewel in the crown of Irish tourism. The iconic site is at a pivotal point in its development. With 1.6 million visitors in 2019, investment is required to upgrade the Visitor Experience, now in its 13th year of operation.”
The Clare County Council-owned Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience is fully self-funding, through revenues generated on-site.
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.