THE POPULARITY among foreign tourists of the Cliffs of Moher in Co Clare should reach new heights with the release this month of the latest Harry Potter movie which features scenes from the 700ft-high rock face.
While Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Princewill go on release on July 17th, parts of the movie filmed at the Cliffs of Moher are already featuring in the movie's trailer.
In one particularly spectacular sequence, Harry Potter and Prof Dumbledore appear standing on a rock in raging seas before a sea cave and towering cliffs.
With a bit of movie magic, the rock, in reality Lemon Rock off the Kerry coast, appears to be in front of the cave at the Cliffs of Moher.
The footage, mostly filmed from helicopter and boat, was shot in September 2007 when a film crew was based at the Cliffs of Moher for almost a week.
Millions of people have already seen the trailer in cinemas around the world while the footage has also been viewed on YouTube several million times.
Director of the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience Katherine Webster said: “The Cliffs of Moher feature prominently in a key section of the next Harry Potter movie. The Cliffs of Moher are credited in the location credits of the movie and this will be a further boost for the area when the movie releases worldwide.
“The release of the film will coincide with the short-listing period for the New Seven Wonders of Nature when we are hoping that the cliffs will make it in the final 28. This type of exposure is invaluable for the profile of the Cliffs of Moher worldwide,” Ms Webster added.