Clare County Council yesterday moved to address the lack of facilities for the 100,000 tourists that visit the world renowned Poulnabrone dolmen in the Burren each year.
The council has lodged plans for a car park adjacent to the site to accommodate 20 cars and nine buses.
Currently, visitors accessing the 5,000-year-old dolmen are forced to park their cars and buses on the narrow, winding road adjacent to the site.
Archaeologist Dr Ann Lynch, who led the excavation that discovered the remains of 17 adults and 16 children buried at the site, has described the situation as "highly dangerous", expressing surprise that no one has been injured on the road.
Burren Life Project manager Dr Brendan Dunford said yesterday there is no doubt that the car park is necessary as the current situation can be dangerous and inconvenient.
"The challenge will be to ensure that the car park doesn't disturb the unique character of the site where its beauty is in its remoteness, with the dolmen acting as a window through time. The challenge will be difficult," he added.
Clare Tourist Council spokesman Paddy Maher said a car park is needed because of the dangerous situation of people coming out of buses on the roadside and clambering over walls.
"I believe that they have also chosen the correct site as it is a greenfield site and doesn't interfere with the karst landscape."
Currently, a herd of eco-friendly cattle is grazing the site in order to improve its conservation, as recommended in a management plan for the dolmen.
