Just a reminder that there are 3 days left before the official deadline (10 June) to respond to the proposals for a greatly expanded visitor complex at the Cliffs of Moher (CoM).
For those who are unaware, UK consultants Haley Sharpe were hired in 2019 by Clare County Council with Fáilte Ireland on a €400k contract to develop a plan to enhance the current CoM visitor centre. When opened in 2007, at over €35m this had been Ireland’s biggest tourism project. In recent years, a rapid expansion of visitor numbers comprised largely of day-trips has created problems of congestion while bringing revenue to the Centre but relatively little to the N Clare region.
What is now proposed is likely to cost €80m, and could take 5 years to complete. The key elements are:
• constructing a new larger visitor centre with expanded coach/car parking on the land-side of the road, with a pedestrian bridge over the road to access the site
• increased use of park-and-ride from nearby areas to try to constrain traffic
• re-purposing the existing visitor centre mainly as an ‘interpretation experience’
• seeking greater revenue per head to help pay for the investment by greatly expanding shopping and restaurant areas (similar design to airport terminals), hosting events and providing some entertainment, and promoting CoM branded goods in-shop and online
• creating a ‘rewilded’ park area to incorporate new cliffs viewing points
• meeting various environmental and safety objectives.
These plans are described in a detailed consultation document available here. This also contains a review of an earlier phase of consultation in 2021, which is said to have influenced the plans.
An attractive picture is painted of what the end result could be, once the land rights and official permissions are achieved, and the finances found. It stresses the importance of the Cliffs as a local employer and the need for improvements if it is to remain a ‘magnet’ for visitors.
However these are some of the concerns expressed by community groups and businesses, both in 2021 and about the latest consultative document.
• The plan talks of trying to encourage overnight stays, but essentially the CoM would remain a drive-through attraction that does not serve to increase tourism income across N Clare.
• The intention to create a ‘one-stop shop’ experience with all the best of local crafts etc seems designed to threaten the market position of other local tourism businesses.
• The vast expenditure projected at the Cliffs contrasts with tiny investment across N Clare. Official promotional spend is just concentrated on ‘signature attractions’ such as the CoM and Wild Atlantic Way.
• A ‘theme-park’ style expansion may harm the Burren’s image and threaten its Unesco Geopark status.
• The offer of buses to connect with Burren villages would be welcome, but not if the purpose is mainly to drive business towards the Cliffs visitor complex.
• The consultants urge that the CoM should work collaboratively with local communities and tourism businesses; yet the 2021 consultation revealed widespread scepticism and mistrust.
• It has been pointed out that there are no community representatives on the project steering group; the members are all from CoM, Clare Council and Fáilte Ireland, bar one.)
• There is no connection discerned between this ‘strategy’ and any plan to regenerate N Clare economically and socially.
As the plan’s purpose is to develop the CoM as a single internationally competitive attraction, there is no discussion about developing the Burren region as a rival to Kerry, Connemara, West Cork etc as a destination for a holiday. More staycationing would bring much higher visitor income, enjoying the great variety of things to see and do – including visits to the Cliffs – and reducing the current prevalence of day-tripping in and out of Clare.
The CoM plan talks of increasing the appeal to independent travellers as opposed to just coach tourists, as they spend far more. However, all research points to the preference of the more discerning visitor for varied, authentic and ‘different’ experiences (N Clare has many of these) rather than crowded spaces such as the CoM Visitor Centre, Bunratty etc. Ironically there is a distinct danger that this type of development will struggle to cover its cost because it may put off the most desirable customers.
Undoubtedly the decisions made will have a major impact over time on the future prospects of communities across North Clare, even for those not directly involved in tourism.
So what is your view? Are you persuaded by the imaginative suggestions in the CoM proposed plan? Or do you share the misgivings expressed so far by local communities and businesses?
Your options to comment are to write an email with views to the consultants leading the exercise on behalf of Clare Co Co and Failte Ireland – [email protected] OR there is also a short questionnaire – download here or fill in online – although this does not cover many of the important issues at stake.
And do also let us know at Kilfenora Development what you feel, to add to the views we have already received – write to [email protected]
