Ireland

Warning signs ignored at Cliffs of Moher as public engage in ‘risky behaviour’

Sport Ireland report calls for Clare cliff trail to be ‘closed immediately’ to be made safe

Cliffs of Moher: Sport Ireland finds the trail unsuitable for the type of people it is attracting with multiple examples of 'dangerous [or] risky behaviour'. Photograph: Enda O'Dowd
Cliffs of Moher: Sport Ireland finds the trail unsuitable for the type of people it is attracting with multiple examples of 'dangerous [or] risky behaviour'. Photograph: Enda O'Dowd
Ken Foxe
Mon Nov 04 2024 - 16:33

An inspection of the Cliffs of Moher walking trail found visitors ill-equipped for conditions, people ignoring warning signs, and a humanist wedding taking place at which participants were standing close to the cliff with their backs to the edge.

The review was undertaken by Sport Ireland in mid-August after two children, aged 12 and 17, fell to their deaths in separate incidents at the Co Clare cliffs in July.

The inspection report said many walkers were simply ignoring warning signs, climbing over flagstone barriers and going straight towards the cliff edge.

The report said: “In summary, it was observed that walkers were unprepared for this grade of walk [and] warning signs were unheeded.

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“The volume of walkers was too high for some sections of the trail and unofficial events were being held close to the cliff edge.”

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It said the facilitation of wedding ceremonies near the cliff edge gives “the impression that these are officially sanctioned events”. This in turn led people to believe that it was “safe and acceptable” to go off the official trail and towards the cliff edge.

The review found that in parts of the trail it was not obvious which was the “official” or “unofficial” route and people could easily stray on to the wrong one. It said: “In some locations the official trail was too narrow to cater for the volume of walkers travelling in both directions making the unofficial path, which is often wider, more attractive.”

The inspection highlighted several locations where people were most likely to stray off-course, sometimes deliberately and while “engaging in risky behaviour”.

It said the trail was unsuitable for the type of people it was attracting and that the inspector saw multiple examples of “dangerous [or] risky behaviour”.

The inspector’s view was that the trail should “be closed immediately” to make it safe, according to a copy of the report released under Freedom of Information laws.

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The report said: “Sport Ireland Outdoors acknowledge the severity of the safety issues identified and note the comment of the inspector above.” However, they said the large volume of visitors and the high quality of some sections made it possible for operators to keep some of the trail open.

A detailed analysis also highlighted safety signs that were easy to walk past without noticing and specific areas where people were most likely to go towards the edge.

In another area, the trail was waterlogged just beyond a “pinch point” where visitors found it hard to get past each other. “[This is] resulting in walkers skirting around the puddle bringing them dangerously close to the cliff edge,” the report said.

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Notes on another location near Nag’s Head said: “This is an extremely dangerous point on the trail where an unofficial path leads to a point right on the cliff edge not visible to walkers approaching from the south.”

Asked about the report, Sport Ireland said “several safety issues” had been identified with some sections of the trail kept open while others were closed for renovations. They said all issues on the trail that remained open had been successfully addressed and that other sections would remain closed until any unresolved safety issues were rectified.