Follow the Goats to The Cliffs of Moher

There is a newly developed Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience that takes all of the fun out of experiencing this natural wonder located off the Co. Clare coast. Don't get me wrong, it is a wonderful way to experience the cliffs for a certain type of traveler, mainly one who arrives by tour bus and who wants to be herded around behind a big safety wall.

I walked through the newly developed portion and did not enjoy the new experience. I was jostled in big crowd of people on a walkway embedded deeply in the ground so it blocked the sea breeze from touching my skin. The shoulder high safety wall set back from the edge obscured my view of the cliffs. The whole experienced encouraged consumption of the experience over direct experience - buy the photograph at the gift shop, eat at the Puffin's Nest café, watch the aerial tours at the Atlantic Edge exhibition, but, by god, do not get close to the cliffs! I wonder what the point of being at the cliffs is if you cannot directly experience them. I'm sure many people have died there. It is only a matter of time before they will close up all access to the cliffs and keep all visitors penned up and safe.

Ten years ago, my first experience of the cliffs was different. The new visitor experience did not yet exist. It was a day of relentless rain and wind, and I remember going right up to the cliff's ledge. It was truly terrifying. I felt adrenaline flood through my body. Sensing the danger, I did not dally too close, and I stayed a safe distance away. After an experience like that, I was truly grateful to go inside out of the weather and far away from the edge. A good Irish coffee warm up in the café was well earned.

What redeemed my experience of the cliffs this visit was my discovery of the undeveloped path, the goat's trail, at the south end of the cliffs. You must be adventurous to exit touristville and to go past the sign that says not to go past it. You are taking responsibility for your own experience the moment you do this. It is well worth it, for now enter the possibility to witness the spectacular. Feel the wind on your skin, see the unobstructed view of the cliffs, get near the sheer drop to the sharp rocks below, but do not fall over, because you do not want to experience that. My travel partner and I sat in a lump of grass and watched the sea gulls, white specks swirling, hear them crying and clucking far below.

I hiked up a ways and found a herd of two dozen goats resting by a pool of water. Now I was certainly on the goats' turf. I returned to the tuft of grass where I left my travel partner to find him gone. I know he is fond of cliff edges and cliff diving, but there is no way he could do this one. Then I worried if he'd decided to nap at the edge. Later I found him napping on a different ledge, the stone fence by the Visitor Centre. Back in touristville, boredom had set in, and it was time to go.

The cost for parking is 8 euro per car. There are other ways to visit the cliffs besides by car. Come by boat on a tour from Doolin. Or hike in on the trail from Doolin, alongside the goats.

Written by Liz O' Malley - Summer of Travel 2007