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Cliffs of Moher (Ailltreacha
Mothair)
Our 1 hour cruise will
take you on a voyage of discovery
along this 8km shoreline and a more
enjoyable, enriching, and fulfilling
experience you will not find on the
Irish coastline. As you approach the
Cliffs on the southern tip of Galway
Bay and the Burren, you will gaze
in awe at the scale and uniqueness
of this natural phenomenon.
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Approaching
from Doolin
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The
Cliffs
of Moher rise from the Atlantic
Ocean to a height of 214 meters and
extend for a distance of 8km from
Hag's Head
due west of Liscannor to a point beyond
O'Brien's Tower where the cliffs reach
their highest point.
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They
take their name from a ruined fort
on the headland, Mothar, which was
demolished during the Napoleonic wars
to make room for a signal tower in
the 1800s.
The
sediments which now form the rocks
of the cliffs were laid down by rivers
onto an ancient sea-bed about 320
million years ago. The cliffs are
formed from layers of siltstone, shale
and sandstone with the oldest rocks
found at the bottom of the cliffs.
The sandstones are more resistant
to erosion than the siltstones and
these layers jut out more from the
cliff face.
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An
Bhreannán Mór
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An
Bhreannán Mór is an
impressive 70m high stack or rock
pillar which is below O'Brien's
Tower.
At the stack, you can see right up
close the many different species of
sea birds
who make their home at the cliffs.
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Birds
nesting on the sea stack
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The Cliffs of Moher are Ireland’s
largest seabird
colony and have been designated as
a Special Area of Conservation by
the EU They are home to about 30,000
birds.
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The
most famous are the Atlantic Puffins,
which live in large colonies at isolated
and grassy parts of the cliffs.
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O'Brien's
Tower
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O'Brien's
Tower was erected in 1853 by Cornelius
O'Brien, a descendant of Brian Boru,
the High King of Ireland, as an observation
point on the highest point of the
cliffs.
From
here on a clear day you can see as
far as the Kerry Mountains, the Aran
Islands and the Twelve Bens of
Connemara.
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Hags
Head
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Hag's Head
is a large rock formation above a
sea arch which resembles a seated
woman looking out to sea. The point
affords spectacular panoramic views
of cliffs, sea caves and the ocean.
Click
here to read
about the legend of the Hag.
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Signal
Tower
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This point also has a
Napoleonic signal tower built around
1806. Signal towers were built to keep
watch on the coast for any sign of the
French during the Napoleonic Wars.
At any sign of an invading ship, signals
would be passed to the next tower and
so on back to the commanding station.
The next tower on the coast should be
visible in each direction.
(Information courtesy of www.signaltowersireland.com)
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