Management at the Cliffs of Moher in Co Clare have warned of the dangers of rock and mud slides following last weekend’s severe weather.
The Cliffs of Moher Coast Walk was pounded by torrential rain last weekend leaving sections of the popular track flooded and in a dangerous condition.
There have been four incidents in the past week where walkers sustained injuries requiring hospitalisation. One person had to be airlifted to hospital.
Many of the recent incidents happened at locations where walkers strayed from the official cliff trail to get close to the cliff edge to take photographs.
While rockfalls are not uncommon in the area, last weekends severe weather conditions have resulted in more frequent incidents prompting management at the cliffs to issue an urgent warning.
Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience Director Katherine Webster said: “Following the recent storms the Cliffs Coastal Trail is in a very dangerous condition.”
“There have been multiple mudslides and rockfalls and there are many sections of cliff edge that are unstable and may fall at any time. We are appealing to visitors not to walk the trail at the moment as it is not safe,” she added.
There have been several dramatic rockfalls at the cliffs this year including one in May that was captured on camera.
The Doolin unit of the Irish Coast Guard has also responded to as many as a dozen incidents in the past year where people had been injured in falls along the 20km trail.