Tourists at the Cliffs of Moher are breaking walls and climbing protective fences to access sections of a dangerous cliff-edge trail which have been closed since last August following two deaths.
Large stretches of the Cliffs of Moher Walking Trail were closed when a Sport Ireland audit highlighted significant safety issues on the 19km route in Co Clare.
The route, which normally attracts 400,000 visitors annually, is owned by 36 local farmers and is bisected by the Cliffs of Moher Visitors’ Experience, which is owned and operated by Clare County Council.
Clare Local Development Company chief executive Dóirín Graham said managing a partly closed trail with significant safety hazards was proving challenging.
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“People still climb over fences, people pull down fences and walls, so we are constantly trying to repair fences and remind people that they should not be on that section of the trail,” she said.
“Thankfully there has been no incidents so far. Because of the nature of the trail, people can walk across [private] land and access the trail at many different points.
“People might have travelled a distance to see the cliffs and don’t want to listen. People can still see them, there are still good sections of the cliffs visible, through the visitors’ centre, that people can see. People can still get that cliffs experience.”
She said the Department of Rural and Community Development had supported the CLDC with funding to put someone in place to manage the trail on a part-time basis, “but he can’t stop people climbing over fences. There is an amount of that going on”.
Since its development in 2012, the trail has been managed by CLDC under the national walks scheme, with farmers receiving a small payment for access to their land.
CLDC is managing the closed and the open sections of the route, but this responsibility will transfer to the county council on September 1st.
Following a review of the management plan for the trail, which was instigated before two people died in accidents there last year, it was decided that the council would take over as its management agency.
The local authority has been in negotiations with farmers and Clare IFA for several months, with no agreement yet reached about the future of the grade-five difficulty walk.
The council has erected barriers and warning signs where the Cliffs of Moher Experience interacts with the closed trail, but has confirmed regular incursions take place.
“There is evidence of regular breaches of the barrier on the closed section on the northern side of the trail. There are local penetrations of the trail on the southern side which are equally being monitored and managed by CLDC,” a council spokesperson said.
The closed sections of the trail cannot be reopened until significant safety works are undertaken, with the southern half of the trail unlikely to be fully reopened for years.
The area is a nesting ground for protected birds and is a Special Area of Conservation, meaning work can only take place during the winter months.
No work can be started, however, until an agreement is reached between the council and landowners.
“Talks are progressing with the landowners and landowner representatives on the northern section of the Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk with a view to spending approved ORIS [Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme] funding,” the council spokesperson said.
Local farmers will shortly receive their last payment under the national walks scheme, and will not receive any further payments until an agreement is reached with the local authority.
“The landowners are very committed to keeping the Cliffs of Moher Walking Trail open,” Tom Lane of Clare IFA said.
“We are fully aware of the benefits in kind to Clare tourism and the important role it plays in the overall national tourism industry.”
Despite these challenges and the bad weather, thousands of tourists walked sections of the trail last weekend, with several making their way into the closed sections.
Ollie Gleeson has been running guided walks on the trail for the past five years and employs 12 people.
“It is operationally very difficult. We are able to keep going, but it is a challenge,” he said.
“This trail brought connectivity from one of Ireland’s busiest tourists attractions to two local villages [Doolin and Liscannor]. The amount of money that the trail has brought to local villages has been massive.
“When it is open, it does something massive for Doolin, Liscannor, Lisdoonvarna and Ballyvaughan. The trail isn’t just about the guides, it is a massive part of the local economy.”
In early May last year, a Belgian medical student fell from the 700ft cliffs while she was walking with a group. More than two months later a Chinese boy, who was in Ireland with his parents, also fell to his death from the trail.
