Famous cliff trails should be 'closed immediately' as warning signs go unheeded

An inspection of one of Ireland's most famous cliff walks found visitors were "ill-equipped" for conditions on the and prone to ignoring warning signs, and advised that the trail be 'closed immediately.

The inspection of the Cliffs of Moher coastal trail was undertaken by Sport Ireland in mid-August after three people tragically fell to their death this year.

The walking trail stretches 18km from the famous cliff site to Doolin, 10km of which is a coastal cliff walk.

The inspection found that many visitors were ignoring warning signs along the trail, and walking dangerously close to the cliff edge, and that sections of the walk were too narrow to cater for the volume of walkers travelling in both directions, resulting in many straying off the official pathway.

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The Sport Ireland inspector also found the trail was "unsuitable for the type of people it was attracting", and recorded multiple examples of dangerous or risky behaviour.

In one case, parties to a humanist wedding were standing close to the cliff edge with their backs to the edge and ocean below.

“In summary, it was observed that walkers were unprepared for this grade of walk [and] warning signs were unheeded," the report said.

“The volume of walkers was too high for some sections of the trail, and unofficial events were being held close to the cliff edge," it added.

The inspector’s view was that the trail should “be closed immediately” to make it safe, according to a copy of the report released under freedom of information laws.

Clare Local Development Company (CLDC) undertook work to improve safety measures at points where walkers most commonly step off the official trail in August.

The improvements came just weeks after the death of a 12-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy at the cliffs in late summer 2024, while a young woman, believed to have been an international student, also tragically lost her life in May this year.

In a statement, Sport Ireland said that following the inspection in August, "several safety issues were identified" along the Cliffs of Moher Coastal trail.

"In agreement with Clare Local Development Company, which manages the trail, these issues were deemed serious enough to require urgent attention."

The Cliffs of Moher coastal trail is included on the National Trails Register and is on the connected Public Liability Insurance Policy, which is managed by Sport Ireland Outdoors, who also inspect the trails on the National Trails Register periodically "to ensure they continue to meet the required standards".

"To remain on this register, any safety issues reported during these inspections must be resolved within 30 days of the inspection date," Sport Ireland said.

As the Cliffs of Moher are a key tourist attraction in Ireland, with the connected coastal trail "attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year", Sport Ireland said that CLDC have structured their plans to allow sections of the trail to remain open while other parts are closed for renovations.

"Clare Local Development Company have successfully addressed all safety issues in the areas of the trail that remain open," the statement from Sport Ireland continued.

"Sections of the trail with unresolved safety issues are now closed to the public until they are addressed."