Complex "Cliffs of Moher"
The Cliffs of Moher is another calling card and one of Ireland's natural gems. They inherited their name from Fort Mothar, destroyed during the Napoleonic Wars due to the need to build a signal tower at Hags Head.
Stunning and amazingly beautiful! These are the first thoughts that tourists have when they see this miracle of nature. The cliffs are one of the most visited places in Ireland, but in any case, be careful, as there are no protective barriers, and some areas can be very unsafe. Located in the Burren area (County Clare), they reach 214 meters, stretching for 8 kilometers in length along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. There are beautiful panoramic views - to the Aran Islands in Galway Bay, to the north they are adjacent to the Maum Turk mountains in Connemara and the Twelve Bens mountain range, and to the south of the cliffs is Loop Head.
The rocks serve as a refuge for large colonies of birds. There are more than 20 types of them here. Large colonies of Atlantic puffin, hawks, gulls, cormorants… you can't count them all.
The southernmost point of the Cliffs of Moher is the Witch's Head. This is an unusual rock formation that resembles the head of a woman looking at the sea. There is a legend about the Old Witch Mal, who fell in love with the famous Irish hero Cuchulainn. The hero was proud and spoiled by the attention of the girls. Cuchulainn did not reciprocate the witch's feelings. Mal pursued the hero throughout Ireland, and almost overtook him at the Cliffs of Moher. In an attempt to escape the harassment, Cuchulainn jumped towards the Cliffs of Moher using the kekurs as stepping stones. Mal tried to follow him, but she wasn't quite as agile as she put her foot past the foothold, taking off from where the Witch's Head was. And the blood, as they say, colored the whole sea.
South of the Witch's Head stands O'Brien's Tower, a round stone tower. It marks the highest point of the Cliffs of Moher. A short distance away is the village of Doolin, famous for traditional Irish music, and the resort coastal village of Liscannor. The tower was built in 1835 by Sir Cornelius O'Brien, a descendant of the High King of Ireland, Brian Boru, as an observation tower for hundreds of tourists from Victorian England who frequented the Cliffs of Moher. He believed that tourism would bring great benefits to the local economy and help the poor people first. O'Brien also built a wall of stone slabs along the cliffs and is generally said to have built everything in the area except the cliffs themselves.
How did the Cliffs of Moher form? About 320 million years ago, during the Upper Carboniferous period, when the climate in this area was much warmer, there was a mouth of a large river here. The river brought mud and sand with it. These deposits gradually accumulated and eventually formed a layered rock, which appears before us in the form of the Cliffs of Moher.
In the building of the tourist center, which opened its doors in 2007 and is a unique structure, like a cave, harmoniously blending into the wonderful landscape of the area, there is an exhibition-museum. It tells the history of the Cliffs of Moher in three thematic directions: ocean, rocks and man. Under the arches of the exhibition hall, you can watch 2 short films "Journey through County Clare" and "On the edge of the ledge".
The Cliffs of Moher has been featured in many movies, including Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Far Far Away, Leap Year, and The Princess Bride.
In the center you can find out your pedigree and family coat of arms, send photos with views of the cliffs home, as well as have lunch and buy souvenirs.
