Clare County Council has published the Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk Management Plan.
A recent leaking of the final report drew criticism from many quarters including the Irish Farmers Association. It had been reported that the plan included an option where the council might try and secure the lands on the cliff trail from local farmers by Compulsory Purchase Orders.
The report also says: “High profile fatalities in recent years, in additional to the closure of parts of the trail as a result of the Sport Ireland audit, have highlighted the fact that sections of the trail are clearly unsafe. The Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk runs for most of its length along an unprotected cliff edge and this carries an inherent risk for walkers.
The 246-page report recommends the local authority become the management organisation for the future management and development of the coastal trail from Doolin to Hags Head, a trail that showcases the world-renowned Cliffs of Moher.
The report, which had as its key objective securing the future of the Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk, was prepared by TOBIN on behalf of the council and in partnership with the Department of Rural and Community Development, Fáilte Ireland and Clare Local Development Company (CLDC).
The report found that, in general, visitors do not differentiate between the council-owned Cliffs of Moher Experience located centrally along the coastal walk, and the Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk managed by the CLDC.
The Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk functions as a popular trail that is accessed not only at the Cliffs of Moher Experience, but at other locations outwards from the centre. It forms part of the Burren Way, which is a 114km National Waymarked Trail from Corofin to Lahinch. The Burren Way is one of 24 such National Waymarked Trails in Ireland. Consequently, the trail is frequently accessed at Doolin to the north, and at Hags Head to the south.
The Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk Management Plan commissioned in 2023 was tasked with reviewing visitor infrastructure relating to visitor numbers as well as the management of the Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk.
It also examined the financial model for payments to landowners and reviewed land ownership, and considered existing agreements, signage, access, maintenance and repair programmes.
The final report assessed and proposed recommendations on how best the “off road” section of the trail can interface seamlessly with the “beginning and end” of the coastal walk and in the villages along the proposed route. Sustainable transport, health & safety, ancillary infrastructure, marketing, international and national best practice examples, as well as an environmental assessment were also discussed with key stakeholders and recommendations included in the report.
The report has proposed options for securing operational control of lands, that new models for payments to landowners be put in place and that the Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk be removed from the Walks Scheme.
The report, published today, states: “It is recommended that, if Options 1 to 3 above fail to get secure operational control, Clare County Council should, in consultation with local stakeholders, explore their options for securing control of the lands through compulsory purchase.
In section 12.2.3 of the report – Options for Securing Control of Lands – Option 1 is “Full Ownership by Clare County Council It is recommended that Clare County Council, as the Trail Management Organisation, should secure full title of the lands by outright purchase and therefore have full operational control while the second option is ‘Lease Agreement with All Landowners.’
Ownership of the Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk is at present a hybrid model. Clare County Council own the 1km central section at the Cliffs of Moher Experience. The remainder of the Coastal Walk, comprising 10.8km out of 11.4km (95%) is privately owned. The privately owned portion comprises 46 separate folios (with 36 landowners).
Welcoming the publication of the report Deputy Chief Executive of Clare County Council, Alan Farrell, said, “The final report provides recommendations about the future visitor management, safety, maintenance and upgrade of the walk as well as parking, biodiversity and marketing. Its proposed management model would see Clare County Council become the trail management organisation for the future Coastal Walk.”
Clare County Council Director of Service Tourism Development, Siobhán McNulty, said, “The report recommends Clare County Council, as the trail management organisation, utilise its resources to manage, operate, market and maintain the Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk. The report also recommends that the management of the walk be overseen by a dedicated board of expertise under a new model proposed in the report.
Highlighting the importance of continuing to work with landowners in considering some of the proposals around a new model for access to the walk, management of the land and new model of payment, Ms McNulty said, “The Council recognises the landowners are key stakeholders in the Coastal Walk and in line with a commitment that the landowners should be among the first to receive the final document, a copy of the final report was sent ahead of publication today. While a leaked draft report has been circulating for some time, Clare County Council was not in a position to issue the final report until it was signed off by the partners.
“I would like to thank the landowners for their patience in awaiting the report and I acknowledge the tension resulting from the leaked earlier draft. Much of the focus of the leak was on the use of CPO. It is not the intention of Clare County Council to wield this option over landowners,” she added.
“With the report published Clare County Council looks forward to working with the landowners, our partners and the local community to develop the walk in a sustainable manner that protects the environment, showcases the most visited natural attraction in Ireland and benefits the North Clare community for generations to come,” she said.
Chair of the Clare County Council Tourism SPC, Councillor Shane Talty said, “I welcome that the final report is now published so that we can begin working towards a mutually beneficial plan for the future management of the world-renowned Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk. The future of the trail must be developed to the benefit of the local community, landowners, visitors and the local economy.”
The full plan can be view here…
