Tag Archives: Cliffs of Moher

Small tourism businesses across the county will be forced to close if Clare County Council continues to focus its tourism strategy on a small number of tourist hotspots. That is according to Clare Senator, Róisín Garvey (GP), who has accused the local authority of focussing on “making money” at three specific locations, rather than benefiting the entire county. The Inagh politician claims that Clare County Council is too focused on driving tourists to the Cliffs of Moher, Loop Head Lighthouse and Holy Island in East Clare, at the expense of the wider county. After a series of recent deaths on the county’s roads, Senator Garvey also says that the current tourism strategy is leading to a marked increase in car and bus traffic, without a corresponding increase to bed nights across the county. “On a local level we need to look at how sustainably tourism is being dealt with by Clare County Council. It can’t all be about the Cliffs …

THE best of Clare’s artisan food and crafts will enjoy a unique shop window next month at the inaugural Cliffs of Moher and Clare Retail Expo. Clare food and artisan suppliers will come together with consumers and retail buyers for the event which takes place over two days on February 19 and 20. Supported by the Clare Local Enterprise Office, Clare County Council and the Burren & Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark, the two-day event is the biggest showcase of its kind to be held in County Clare in recent years. The Expo opens at Cliffs of Moher Experience on Sunday February 19 with a business-to-consumer event from 10am to 4pm during which local Clare artists, producers and craftspeople will exhibit their products at Ireland’s most visited natural attraction. Amongst the suppliers in attendance will be McConnell Woollen Mills (Killaloe), Airmid Soap (Kilfenora), Anchor Crafts (Kilrush), Western Herd Brewery (Kilmaley), Creative Clay (Sixmilebridge), Brideog Trad, SIAR Photography and Wix …

ALONGSIDE the Cliffs of Moher being named the country’s best visitor attraction in the Irish Independent Reader Travel Awards, there was further good news for Clare. Bunratty Castle and Folk Park was also in the top ten, while Hotel Woodstock was ninth in the best hotels category. Sean Lally of Hotel Woodstock said that he was thrilled to be included. “Head over heels! We’re the only Clare hotel listed in it and since we got it over the weekend the phones have been ringing off the hook in terms of bookings and enquiries and website bookings are well up on what they normally would be for this time of year. “It’s a busy time for web bookings anyway, but they’re well ahead and you can see the spike in terms of traffic to our website. It has really been exceptional. We didn’t see this coming!” He feels that the use of social media, which the hotel has become famous for, …

A PRESTIGIOUS Travel Awards has named The Cliffs of Moher Experience winner of ‘Ireland’s Best Visitor Attraction’. The County Clare visitor attraction finished ahead of Ireland’s best known tourist sites in The Irish Independent’s annual Reader Travel Awards 2023. The awards are decided by a poll of Irish and international readers of The Irish Independent and adjudication by an expert panel comprising Niall Tracey (Director of Marketing, Fáilte Ireland), Pól Ó Conghaile (Pól Ó Conghaile is Travel Editor, The Irish Independent), John and Francis Brennan (hoteliers), Roz Purcell (author & adventurer) and Katy McGuinness (food writer & restaurant critic). It is the second time that the Cliffs of Moher has picked up the overall award having previously been named ‘Ireland’s Best Visitor Attraction’ in 2019. Welcoming the award win, Councillor Tony O’Brien, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, paid tribute to the management team at the local authority owned visitor attraction whom he said, “continually set a high bar for other …

Three community-based charities in County Clare received a combined fundraising donation of €3,550 from the Cliffs of Moher Experience this week. The North Clare visitor attraction marked the end of the tourism year with a Christmas Breakfast for all staff at the Cliff View Café this Wednesday. The management team was on hand to help serve tea and coffees to the hard-working team and to representatives from Pieta House, Ennistymon Community Hospital and Clare Crusaders, who shared the proceeds from the fund.

TWO of Clare’s top outdoor amenities will share funding worth €768,204 under the Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors initiative. A sum of €500,000 has been allocated to develop the Cliffs of Moher North Coastal Walk, with another €87,304 going to the Cliffs and Burren Geopark for upgrade works. Meanwhile €180,900 has been allocated to Ballycuggaran/Two Mile Gate in the east of the county for the upgrade of facilities there. Minister Heather Humphreys launched the Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors initiative today, a five-year strategy aimed at developing outdoor recreation nationwide. Deputy Joe Carey said that the funding for the Cliffs of Moher looped walk is particularly significant and he had made a strong case to Rural and Community Development Minister Heather Humphreys in support of an application from Clare County Council for funding under the ORIS scheme. “With the backing of local landowners, the IFA and the Clare Local Development Company, the council is ready to proceed with this project and can meet ten …

Something’s brewing, and it’s going to be ghoulishly fun! Cliffs of Moher Experience have a wicked weekend of spooktacular Halloween activities planned for all monsters big and small! The visitor centre will be adorned in Halloween decorations from Saturday October 29 to Monday October 31. Witching hour will begin at 8am until 7pm, with activities running throughout the day. Staff will be telling tales of long ago and spooky stories from the Cliffs of Moher Experience within the visitor centre. Anyone who arrives in Halloween fancy dress will be in with a chance of winning some scarily good spot prizes. On arrival, all children will also receive a Treasure Hunt with clues leading them to five locations on site. Visitors to Ireland’s most popular natural attraction also will be able to enjoy a menu filled with locally sourced produce. The Cliffs View Café and Puffins Nest Café, both located within the visitor centre, will be offering visitors Halloween Muffins, and …

AN ENNISTYMON wheelchair user, with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), has been forced to pay almost 60% of her weekly disability allowance on private care so she can go to bed at night. Trish McNamara (52) requires assistance to get into bed, but was recently informed by the HSE that it doesn’t have anyone available to put her to bed for six out of seven nights in the near future. This leaves the disability activist with two choices: sleep in her wheelchair, running the risk of sores on her skin, leading to ill health and hospitalisation or pay €102 out of her weekly €175 disability allowance for a private person to assist her, which she is currently forced to do. While the HSE pledged to advertise to fill the required hours, the authority noted there is a huge lack of personal assistants and carers in the North Clare area. “I have been asked do I have to continue working at the Cliffs …