Clare County Council spent €691k on consultants for Cliffs of Moher strategy

Draft strategy outlines need for complete overhaul of facilities at the famed attraction

Wed, 30 Jul, 2025 - 18:15

Gordon Deegan

Clare County Council has paid almost €700,000 to consultants in preparing its draft Cliffs of Moher 2040 strategy.

In response to a Freedom Of Information request, the council has confirmed a spend of €691,001 over the past five and a half years.

Some €617,618 has been paid to Haley Sharpe Design Ltd. The firm received €473,318 between 2020 and 2021.

The draft strategy provides a blueprint for the development of visitor facilities at the cliffs and outlines the need for a complete overhaul of the facilities.

The Cliffs of Moher is one of Ireland's most popular attractions and last year 1.49 million people visited. A spokesman for the council said visitor numbers this year are on a par with 2024.

The draft strategy says that “over the past 10 years, visitor numbers have far exceeded those which the site was originally designed to cater for. This has significant negative impacts on both the quality of the visitor experience and the special qualities and environment of the site."

It adds the restricted cliff-edge paths “also create health and safety issues, resulting in erosion of the cliff-edge itself as visitors go beyond the designated pathways”.

The draft strategy says “the paths beyond the visitor experience are considered to be a major safety hazard due to their proximity to the unstable cliff-edge and unpredictable weather conditions”.

“Visitors rarely heed the warnings in situ and try to get as close to the edge as possible for photograph opportunities.”

It adds the design of the current visitor centre, retail, and catering spaces does little to mitigate the impact of crowds and are underscaled for the needs and expectations of visitors.

A council spokesperson said the Cliffs of Moher 2040 strategy was in draft format and was available for the public to view at cliffsofmoher.ie.