Cliffs of Moher Becomes Ireland's Newest Tourist Trap

Michele Erdvig · Host

Cliffs of Moher Becomes Ireland's Newest Tourist Trap

Zstep · Veteran Member

Having just been there, we skipped the Visitor Center but did pay 8E to park.

Michele Erdvig · Host

I parked at the water tower down the road free and walked in. Saw the cliffs free. Those days are long gone. Unless someone sues the Clare County Council.

Michele

tony2phones · Guru

Dont tell everybody but down at Loop Head there are some really good unspoiled cliffs for free.

Monty · Senior Member

The only way I desire to see the Cliffs is by boat (haven't done that yet). I agree, there are fabulous cliffs across the country to see instead. The Cliffs of Moher, with it's recent "improvements" no longer holds interest to me, and this pay-per-view approach clinches it. furious

The last two times I went there, I was not impressed with all the commercialized changes, and sure as heck didn't go there for the visitor's center ambiance. I much prefer places like Slea Head (shown in the photo below that I took last year near Dingle).

An obvious way to take away the tourist's choice, a force them into supporting the visitor's center whether they chose to go there or not. There are a few things online about this today in the Irish press, and it isn't getting good ink! The Clare People had this to say:

The Clare People has learned that management of the Cliffs of Moher Visitors Experience are planning to introduce a major overhaul of parking and facility charges next month which - according to one of six independent traders based at the centre - is a deliberate effort to trick tourist into paying for accessing the historic site.

Loop head here I come.

Monty

-- Edited by Monty on Thursday 1st of July 2010 11:47:41 AM

Sidz · Guru

-- Edited by Michele Erdvig on Thursday 1st of July 2010 02:33:35 PM

Michele Erdvig · Host

Tony,

I love Loop Head. I go there instead whenever I can. Shhhhh!

Sidz,

I edited your post because your shaking head emotocons were making the page too wide. I put them on 3 lines instead. But we get the message.

Gone are "the good old days" when everything did not need to be interpreted. When you could just go and enjoy nature without a circus, visitor's center and people hearding you where they want you. I have visited the Cliffs of Moher in the past where it was just the cliffs, the ocean, O'Brien's Tower and nature. That's the way to enjoy such a natural wonder.

Michele

CowboyCraic · Guru

My favorites will always and forever be Loophead and the Sliabh Liag up in the wilds of Donegal.

I have siad since the vistir's centre went in that the Cliffs were becoming more and more like that other Disney trap in Ireland, Blarney Castle. There are so many options which are free and even more breathtaking.

tony2phones · Guru

From what I am getting over here you can still get to the Cliffs by the Right of way on the south side of the entrance Without Paying. This does not include Car Parking or the Visitors Centre (inc Toilets) but as a long standing Public right of way up to the Cliff edge (or the 12ft away you can get now) the powers that be cannot charge you for the use of this path.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Tony,

Thanks for letting us know about the public right of way into the cliffs. A couple of years ago when they first opened the new visitor's center I knew something was up when I saw the ticket booths at the entrance. Although they were not in use at the time I just knew that eventually they would start charging. Why else build them? Now my assumptions have come true.

Michele