A highlight of most Ireland tours and undoubtedly the most visited natural wonder in the country, the Cliffs of Moher are a sight to behold, not to mention all the fascinating things about its origins and surroundings.
Carry on to find out the top 7 most fun facts about them!
1 – The Site of Many Legends
The Cliffs of Moher has been one of the top Irish landmarks for many years, so it is only natural that there are numerous folklore legends about these sites! The sad and very well-known story of the Hag’s Head is one of the most fascinating Cliffs of Moher facts.
According to the locals, the unusual rock formation you can see when looking at the cliffs from the North is an old hag watching the surroundings after her own sordid tale. The woman fell in love with an Irish hero, but her feelings, sadly, were not returned.
Hag’s Head is said to be the woman still looking over her loved one after she went after him to the Cliffs and lost her footing, dashing into pieces and staying on Moher eternally.
These kinds of legends give the landmark much flavour and definitely make visitations more fun!
2 – The Cliffs Are Media-Famous
Apart from the stunning natural sights, the Cliffs of Moher also attract tourists by being a famous spot for several movie productions and some very recognizable scenes in blockbuster movies!
Undoubtedly the most popular one is the scene in the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince production in 2009. The cliffs and gloomy surroundings made for the perfect setting and had a crazy impact on the whole magical story.
The same goes for The Princess Bride! The heritage site appears when the Man in Black sets on a journey to save the precious Princess Buttercup from her captors.
Who can deny that the Cliffs of Moher are magical?
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3 – Second Most Popular Destination in Ireland
There have been debates and numbers varying every year regarding the most popular attractions in Ireland, but the Cliffs of Moher stands as a firm number two! For now, that is.
Constantly competing with the Giant’s Causeway, the Book of Kells, the Guinness Brewery, and Killarney National Park, our gorgeous natural landmark still never goes lower than third place – which is actually quite a rare ranking!
If nothing else, this should only tell you just how important and worthy your visit to the Cliffs of Moher is.
The people are not drawn here for nothing – the site is truly one of the best places in Ireland, if not the whole of Europe!
4 – Tourism Has Been a Thing for Ages
Yes, the Cliffs have always been a popular attraction, even back in the first century BC. Of course, at that time, Moher was most likely a lookout post, but it still counts as tourism, right?
In reality, though, people have been gathering to see the Cliffs of Moher increasingly since the 16th century.
Keep in mind that, generally, Ireland was not the most popular region at that time, yet there are plenty of entries found by travellers describing the beauty of Moher.
5 – O’Brien’s Tower Was Built to Increase the Popularity
With a lovely glimpse of O’Brien’s Tower just above, let’s learn a bit more about the when and the why, shall we? We bet you never realized why the tower was built in the first place!
Well, just like we mentioned, the 16th century was a kickstart for all kinds of travellers seeking to experience the beauty of Moher. So, naturally, a local landowner Cornelius O’Brien saw this as an entrepreneurial opportunity to charge people money! Business never sleeps!
He built the tower in hopes that people would want to go even higher and enjoy the landscapes from a better point of view. The idea only kind of worked since people seemed to like the view from the land a bit more, but it definitely adds a nice touch to the surroundings!
6 – Birds Love the Cliffs of Moher
Being specially protected by Irish and EU legislation, the area makes for the perfect site to breed seabirds! Cliffs of Moher is a breeding site of over 30,000 seabirds and was even classified as a Refuge for Fauna in 1988!
Even if you do not know anything about birds, this is the very best spot in Ireland to do some bird-watching. Maybe look at some pictures and see if you can recognize Guillemots and Razorbills, or the famous Atlantic Puffins, Peregrine Falcons, and Kittiwakes?
Also, keep in mind that bird-watching will inevitably lead to taking a closer look at Moher’s nature overall. In that case, maybe you will get lucky enough to see dolphins, whales, and seals!
So take it all in and leave with the most perfect picture of the Cliffs in your head!
7 – The Cliffs of Moher Are Older Than You Might Think
Whatever number you imagined before reading our article, it probably was not 320 million, right? If it was, congratulations, but if not, get ready to be absolutely mindblown! The Cliffs of Moher are literally millions of years in the making, and you can witness it all today.
Due to its formation during the upper Carboniferous period, the Cliffs of Moher is the epitome of the most unique rock mixture ever! You will see layers of Namurian sandstone, siltstone, and shale. The variety of the stone is exactly why you can see so many different colours!
After reading about these seven fascinating Cliffs of Moher facts, you might be excited to visit one of the most significant sites in Ireland’s history.
Remember to refresh your memory right before going, but other than that, capture a couple of photos, take a deep breath, and enjoy!
Safe travels and have fun in Ireland.
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