From a bird paradise to mighty sea stack – The South Platform
From the South Platform, you’re perfectly placed to see the puffin colony that makes its home on Goat Island. You may also see many other seabirds as well as the sea stack below O’Brien’s Tower. From here, you can walk 4km to Hags Head and its own incredible views of the Cliffs.
O’Brien’s Tower stands on a headland at the Cliffs of Moher offering up magnificent views south towards Hags Head and north towards Doolin. The Tower was built in 1835 by Cornelius O’Brien, a descendant of Brian Boru, the first High King of Ireland. A local landowner, Cornelius was ahead of his time and believed that the development of tourism would benefit the local economy and help bring local people out of poverty.
The tower was used as an observation tower for the hundreds of visitors who even then came to the Cliffs each year to see the breathtaking views. On a clear day, you can see across to the Aran Islands: Inis Oírr, Inis Méain and Inis Mór. Looking to the left you capture the whole of Liscannor Bay with Lahinch in the distance and Liscannor village in the foreground. Looking to the right you are met with beautiful views of Galway Bay.
Designated disabled parking spaces are provided in the main car park (8 spaces) and in the coach parking area (5 spaces) beside the visitor centre.
Wheelchairs are available for use from different areas on site:
Hearing aid amplifiers (Induction Loops) are in place at the Front Desk, the Ledge Theatre, the Help Desk area and the Gift Shop.
The visitor centre is entirely wheelchair accessible and disabled access to the cliffs can be accessed from three different exits onto pathways provided. Counter heights at the Front Desk have been staggered to allow ease of access for wheelchair users.
Different tactile surfaces on the floor have been provided at the start and end of ramps, at the start of stairwells and at platforms on the ramp where two routes exist.
While the natural terrain makes it difficult to provide full independent access to all areas outdoors, specifically elevated views at the Hags Head side and O’Brien’s Tower and the new cliffs edge works have sought to provide a reasonable level of access to the outdoor experience. Access is readily available from both the ground and first floor levels of the building as well as from the main concourse to the picnic area and cliff edge.
A hard-surfaced wheeled access path is provided to these areas but the path has sections where gradients imposed by the natural gradient of the terrain exceed the levels required for
Our Lifts of Moher buggy is available to disabled and elderly visitors to give more access to areas of the site. This is subject to availability. wheelchair access. Visitors may wish to use these paths with assistance at their own risk.
The Cliffs take their name from a ruined promontory fort ‘Mothar’ – which was demolished during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 1800s, to make room for a signal tower at Hag’s Head. The word ‘Mothar’in old Gaelic means ‘the ruin of a fort’.
The Cliffs stretch for 8km (5 miles) as the crow flies.
The Cliffs reach 214m (702 feet) in height at their highest point.
On a clear day the Aran Islands, Galway Bay, the Twelve Pins, and the Maum Turk mountains in Connemara. Looking south you can view the Dingle Peninsula and Blasket Islands in Kerry.
The Cliffs of Moher is a hotspot for a wide range of flora and fauna with as many as 20 different species of birds to be seen.
The cliffs have been featured in many movies including Harry Potter, The Princess Bride, Leap Year, and many more.
There is a long list of tales associated with the Cliffs in Irish folklore for those interested in the subject.