Cliffs of Moher

The cliffs are built from layers of shale and sandstone laid down roughly 313 to 326 million years ago, when this part of Ireland lay beneath a river delta. Wind and waves have been cutting them back ever since, which is why the face shows such clear horizontal bands and why rockfalls are a natural part of the landscape.

O'Brien's Tower, the round stone tower near the highest point, was built in 1835 by the local landowner Sir Cornelius O'Brien as a viewing point for visitors, which shows how long the cliffs have drawn sightseers.

The present visitor centre opened in 2007, set into the slope to reduce its visual impact. Today the cliffs are among the most visited natural sites in Ireland and form one of the signature points of the Wild Atlantic Way touring route.

The cliffs sit in a farming and fishing landscape of small villages such as Liscannor and Doolin, where Irish traditional music has long been part of everyday life and stone walls divide the fields. Much of the cliff land is still farmed, and the visitor experience is run by Clare County Council, with local craft workers selling their work in small shops on site. For many people in Clare, the cliffs are less a tourist attraction than a familiar backdrop to Sunday walks, regattas and the changing Atlantic weather.