Cliffs of Moher - wikipedia Cliffs of Moher For the racehorse, see Cliffs of Moher ( horse ). Cliffs of Moher Native name Irish : Aillte an Mhothair Looking north towards O'Brien's Tower Nearest city Lahinch, County Clare, Ireland Coordinates 52 ° 58 ′ 18.302 '' N 9 ° 25 ′ 34.802 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 52.97175056 ° N 9.42633389 ° W ﻿ / 52.97175056 ; - 9.42633389 Coordinates : 52 ° 58 ′ 18.302 '' N 9 ° 25 ′ 34.802 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 52.97175056 ° N 9.42633389 ° W ﻿ / 52.97175056 ; - 9.42633389 Elevation 155 m ( 509 ft ) Owner Clare County Council, private farmers Website cliffsofmoher.ie Play media Aerial video of the cliffs ( 2014 ) The Cliffs of Moher ( / ˈm oːhɚ / ; Irish : Aillte an Mhothair ) are located at the southwestern edge of the Burren region in County Clare, Ireland. They rise 120 metres ( 390 ft ) above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag 's Head, and, eight kilometres to the north, reach their maximum height of 214 metres ( 702 ft ) just north of O'Brien's Tower, which is a round stone tower near the midpoint of the cliffs that was built in 1835 by Sir Cornelius O'Brien. From the cliffs, and from atop the tower, visitors can see the Aran Islands in Galway Bay, the Maumturks and Twelve Pins mountain ranges to the north in County Galway, and Loop Head to the south. The cliffs rank amongst the most visited tourist sites in Ireland and receive approximately one million visitors a year. The closest settlements are Liscannor ( 6 km south ) and Doolin ( 7 km north ). Contents 1 Name 2 Tourism 3 Geology and wildlife 4 Popular culture 5 Transport 6 Gallery 7 See also 8 References 9 External links Name A 19th - century Photochrom postcard of the cliffs, with Leacmayornagneeve rock in the foreground The cliffs take their name from an old promontory fort called Mothar or Moher, which once stood on Hag 's Head, the southernmost point of the cliffs, now the site of Moher Tower. The writer Thomas Johnson Westropp referred to it in 1905 as Moher Uí Ruis or Moher Uí Ruidhin. The fort still stood in 1780 and is mentioned in an account from John Lloyd 's A Short Tour Of Clare ( 1780 ). It was demolished in 1808 to provide material for a lookout / telegraph tower that was intended to provide warning in case of a French invasion during the Napoleonic wars. Tourism The cliffs are one of the most popular tourist destinations in Ireland and topped the list of attractions in 2006 by drawing almost one million visitors. Since 2011, they have formed a part of the Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark, one of a family of geotourism destinations throughout Europe that are members of the European Geoparks Network. Visitor centre In the 1990s, Clare County Council initiated development plans to enable visitors to experience the cliffs without significant intrusive man - made amenities. In keeping with this approach, the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience was built into a hillside approaching the cliffs. The centre is also intended to be environmentally sensitive in its use of renewable energy systems including geothermal heating and cooling, solar panels, and grey water recycling. The € 32 million facility was planned and built over a 17 - year period and officially opened in February 2007. Facility exhibits include interactive media displays covering the geology, history, flora and fauna of the cliffs. A large multimedia screen displays a bird 's - eye view from the cliffs, as well as video from the underwater caves below the cliffs. Cliffs of Moher Cruise The visitor 's centre charges € 6 per adult, with children under 16 admitted free. This covers parking, access to the visitor centre and Atlantic Edge exhibition, and a contribution towards conservation and safety at the cliffs. The Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience won an award in the Interpret Britain & Ireland Awards 2007 awarded by the Association of Heritage Interpretation ( AHI ). Although the award was specifically for the Atlantic Edge exhibition, the AHI assessed the entire visitor centre and site. The citation stated that the entire visitor centre was `` one of the best facilities that the judges had ever seen. '' In July 2016 the so - called Cliff Walk, outside the official Cliffs of Moher amenities, was temporarily closed because of the risk of rock falls. People were warned to stay on the official path further of the cliff edge instead of the unofficial seaside trail. Separate ferry trips also allow tourists to view the cliffs from sea level. Geology and wildlife The cliffs seen from the beach The cliffs consist mainly of beds of Namurian shale and sandstone, with the oldest rocks being found at the bottom of the cliffs. It is possible to see 300 - million - year - old river channels cutting through, forming unconformities at the base of the cliffs. There are an estimated 30,000 birds living on the cliffs, representing more than 20 species. These include Atlantic puffins, which live in large colonies at isolated parts of the cliffs and on the small Goat Island, and razorbills. The site is an Important Bird Area. Popular culture The Cliffs of Moher have appeared in numerous media. In cinema, the cliffs have appeared in several films, including The Princess Bride ( 1987 ) ( as the filming location for `` The Cliffs of Insanity '' ), Harry Potter and the Half - Blood Prince ( 2009 ), and Leap Year ( 2010 ). The cliffs are mentioned in the Martin Scorsese film Bringing Out the Dead ( 1999 ) and are noted in the 2008 documentary Waveriders as the location of a large surfing wave known as `` Aileens ''. In music, the cliffs have appeared in music videos, including Maroon 5 's `` Runaway '' video, Westlife 's `` My Love '', and Rich Mullins ' `` The Color Green ''. Most of singer Dusty Springfield 's ashes were scattered at the cliffs by her brother, Tom. Transport Bus Éireann route 350 links the Cliffs of Moher to several locations : Ennis, Ennistymon, Doolin, Lisdoonvarna, Kinvara and Galway. This service includes a number of journeys each way daily. There is also a privately operated shuttle bus that serves the site from Doolin. Gallery A wide perspective A 200 - metre drop The cliffs from the sea Local feral Bilberry goats Branaunmore sea stack Looking south over the Cliffs of Moher Panorama from below O'Brien's Tower See also Wild Atlantic Way, a tourism trail Slieve League, another Irish mountain with sea - cliffs Croaghaun, another Irish mountain with sea - cliffs Surfing in Ireland, Aileens is a world - renowned Big Wave References Jump up ^ `` Cliffs of Moher ''. Placenames Database of Ireland. Retrieved 24 February 2012. ^ Jump up to : `` The Cliffs of Moher ''. myguideireland.com. Jump up ^ Portrait of Ireland : Landscapes, Treasures, Traditions. Dorling Kindersley Travel Guides. 1 August 2000. ISBN 0 - 7894 - 6361 - X. Jump up ^ `` Discover Ireland website ( official tourism site ) -- Cliffs of Moher ''. Discover Ireland. Archived from the original on 9 January 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` O'Brien's Tower ''. CliffsofMoher.ie ( Official Site ). Retrieved 7 April 2014. Jump up ^ `` Ireland 's most popular tourist attractions for 2012 announced ''. Fáilte Ireland ( National Tourism Development Authority of Ireland ). 26 July 2013. Jump up ^ `` Cliffs of Moher visitors exceed 1 million in 2014 ''. Irish Times. 30 December 2014. ^ Jump up to : Thomas Johnson Westropp ( 1905 ). `` Archaeology of the Burren : Prehistoric Forts and Dolmens in North Clare ''. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. Consecutive Series ; Vol. xv., Fifth Series. xxxv. Retrieved 24 February 2012. Jump up ^ `` Lloyds Tour of Clare, 1780 : Burren, Mohar, Liscannor Bay ''. clarelibrary.ie. Jump up ^ Kelly, Eamonn ( 2009 ). The Cliffs of Moher. Matthew Kelly. ISBN 0 - 9561746 - 0 - 4. Jump up ^ `` Failte Ireland - TOURISM FACTS 2006 ''. failteireland.ie. Archived from the original on 1 October 2011. Jump up ^ `` Burren & Cliffs of Moher Geopark ''. The Burren Connect Project. Archived from the original on 26 December 2011. Jump up ^ `` Eco technology in Cliffs of Moher underground centre ''. ConstructIreland.ie. Archived from the original on 12 March 2012. Jump up ^ `` About the Cliffs - Education ''. Cliffsofmoher.ie ( Official website ). Jump up ^ `` Tickets and Prices ''. Official website. Cliffsofmoher.ie. Retrieved 16 July 2017. Jump up ^ `` 2007 Awards -- Atlantic Edge Exhibition -- Cliffs of Moher Experience and Martello Media ''. AHI.org.uk. Retrieved 16 July 2017. Jump up ^ Elaine Power ( 9 July 2016 ). `` Warning issued for visitors to the Cliffs of Moher ''. Newstalk 106 - 108. Retrieved 19 September 2016. Jump up ^ Pat Flynn ( 22 July 2016 ). `` Warnings issued for visitors to Cliffs of Moher to avoid leaving official coastal path after landslides ''. Irish Mirror. Retrieved 19 September 2016. Jump up ^ `` Doolin Ferry to Cliffs of Moher and Aran Islands ''. doolin-tourism.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Jump up ^ Rider, M.H. ( 1974 ). `` The Namurian of West County Clare ''. ^ Jump up to : `` Birdwatching at the Cliffs of Moher ''. DiscoverIreland.com -- Official tourism website. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011. Jump up ^ `` Important Bird Areas factsheet : Cliffs of Moher ''. BirdLife International. Retrieved 16 June 2015. Downloaded from `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 10 July 2007. Retrieved 2012 - 12 - 13... Jump up ^ `` Weekend Window : The Cliffs of Moher ''. ABC News. 7 June 2009. Retrieved 1 August 2012. Jump up ^ `` Film of the Week -- Waveriders ''. Sunday Tribune. 5 April 2009. Archived from the original on 17 April 2009. Retrieved 1 August 2012. Jump up ^ `` Dusty Springfield Biography ''. London : The Guardian. 8 July 2010. Retrieved 1 August 2012. Jump up ^ `` Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk Shuttle Bus '' ( PDF ). Cliffs of Moher. Cliffs of Moher. Retrieved 10 June 2016. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cliffs of Moher. Official website of Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience Tourism in County Clare, Ireland Ennis and environs Clare Abbey Cois na hAbhna Ennis Friary Glór Theatre The Burren and environs Ailladie Aillwee Cave Ballinalacken Castle Ballyallaban ringfort Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark Burren Smokehouse Cahercommaun Caherconnell Stone Fort Cahermacnaghten Cahermore ringfort Cliffs of Moher Corcomroe Abbey Creevagh ( wedge tomb ) Doolin Cave Doonagore Castle Dough Castle Gleninsheen ( wedge tomb ) Hag 's Head Newtown Castle Parknabinnia ( wedge tomb ) Pollnagollum Poulawack Cairn Poulnabrone dolmen Shanmuckinish Castle Temple Cronan The Burren Rest of County Clare Bunratty Castle Carrigaholt Castle Castlebawn Craggaunowen Dromoland Castle Dromore, County Clare Dysert O'Dea Monastery Inis Cathaigh ( Scattery Island ) Inis Cealtra ( Holy Island ) Kilfenora Burren Centre Kilfenora Cathedral Kilkee Killaloe Cathedral Killone Abbey Knappogue Castle Leamaneh Castle Loop Head Lough Derg ( part ) Mooghaun O'Dea Castle Quin Abbey West Clare Railway Walking trails Burren Way East Clare Way Lough Derg Way Mid Clare Way Category : County Clare Category : Tourist attractions in County Clare Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cliffs_of_Moher&oldid=812009384 '' Categories : Birdwatching sites in Ireland Geography of County Clare Tourist attractions in County Clare Important Bird Areas of the Republic of Ireland Cliffs of Ireland Protected areas of County Clare Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from August 2017 Articles with permanently dead external links EngvarB from October 2013 Use dmy dates from October 2013 Articles containing Irish - language text Coordinates on Wikidata Untranslated Irish place names All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from July 2010 Articles containing video clips Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikivoyage Boarisch Brezhoneg Català Cebuano Čeština Deutsch Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Frysk Gaeilge Galego 한국어 Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Lietuvių Magyar Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Русский Slovenščina Suomi Svenska Українська Tiếng Việt Winaray 吴语 粵語 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 25 November 2017, at 11 : 19. 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Question: where is the cliffs of moher located in ireland
Answer: located at the southwestern edge of the Burren region in County Clare, Ireland.