Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre Opens
A world-class destination deserves a world-class visitors centre. And now it has one. Amid great fanfare Atlantic Edge, the Cliffs of Moher's exciting interpretive centre is finally open. The Cliffs of Moher has long been one of Ireland's top tourist attractions, drawing more than a million visitors annually. Such popularity was causing stresses on the site's infrastructure, not to mention the Cliff's fragile natural environment.
More than 17 years in the making, and with a whopping price tag of € 31.45 million, Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre project was officially opened on 8 February 2007. The renovation was highly ambitious. It included substantial cliff-edge improvements and a cutting-edge visitor centre development. The building that houses the visitor centre has been subsumed into the contours of the local terrain and covered by the grass hills to minimise any visual impact. The building includes a restaurant, café, shop and ‘Atlantic Edge’ – a state of the art interpretation centre containing exhibits and display on a range of aspects of the Cliffs of Moher.
Initial reports are quite positive. Atlantic Edge is worlds above the previous centre. Housed at the centre of the underground building, a huge domed cave contains vivid images and interactive exhibits exploring and bringing to life the various elements that have shaped the mighty Cliffs of Moher: OCEAN, ROCK, NATURE and MAN. An aerial tour entitled THE CLARE JOURNEY will appear on a central screen.
The tour continues from the central dome via a winding tunnel that evokes the many caves of the area to a theatre housing a virtual reality cliff face adventure - THE LEDGE.
Critics to the new centre may rightfully argue that all this liquid plasma is a detraction from nature itself. And that the real experience remains connecting to the cliffs, in all their raw and wild elements. Those who wish to head directly outside and experience the Cliffs of Moher firsthand have ample opportunity to do so. The area around O’Brien’s Tower has also been upgraded and this will further improve the safety arrangements for visitors.
