Divers recover body from foot of Cliffs of Moher

Garda divers have recovered a body from the base of the Cliffs of Moher.

Members of the Garda Water Unit and Irish Coast Guard volunteers from Doolin mounted a second recovery operation early today.

The alarm was raised at lunchtime on Monday when the body of a woman was spotted beneath a viewing platform at the popular attraction.

A recovery effort late on Monday night had to be abandoned as sea conditions deteriorated.

Gardaí and search teams visited the cliff top yesterday and later requested the Garda Water Unit to mount a further effort early today.

In a three-hour operation this morning, garda divers swam ashore and recovered the body which was later removed to University Hospital Limerick for a postmortem examination.

The operation also involved the Shannon-based search and rescue helicopter and local gardaí.

Gardaí are understood to have identified the woman and are treating her death as a personal tragedy.