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Discover the cliffs of Ireland
Ireland is obsessed with its cliffs and with so many all around the island, you’re bound to find your own piece of windswept heaven…
Ireland’s cliffs are the stuff of countless photographs, postcards and Instagram posts, but nothing comes close to standing on the edge of the island, braced against the winds, with birds circling overhead, waves crashing below and the sea reaching out towards the horizon. If you want to experience nature at its most elemental, read on...
Kilkee Cliffs, County Clare
Cliffs and coves
Enjoy panoramic views from atop the Wild Atlantic Way's most dramatic cliff tops.
The Wild Atlantic Way
Along the Wild Atlantic Way, the coastline is punctuated with countless crags of land that plunge abruptly into the ocean below. There’s the cinematic beauty of the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, which stretch 13km along the coastline and boasts vertiginous drops. There are the forbidding peaks of Slieve League in County Donegal that fold and tumble into the sea, and there are the basalt cliffs of Inis Mór in County Galway, topped by a 3,000-year-old stone fort with drystone defensive walls and a sheer drop. Excellent cliff walks abound, especially in West Cork and County Kerry, or you can finding a viewing point where you can just sit, soak up the view and gaze at the sea.
Dunluce Castle, County Antrim
Discover Dunluce Castle
This moody ruin clinging to its clifftop perch is an iconic landmark on the Causeway Coast.
Coastal drama in Northern Ireland
Unsurprisingly for an island that boasts 3,172km of coastline, the west coast is not the only place to go cliff-hunting. On Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coastal Route, the coastline tucks and curves to create some otherworldly cliff formations that look like something from a fantasy novel. Among the most majestic sights are County Antrim’s Dunluce Castle, perched on the precipitous edge of a basalt outcrop and Mussenden Temple, which teeters dangerously close to the cliff edge near Castlerock in County Londonderry. Visit the cliffs on Rathlin Island and you’ll be treated to views of craggy sea stacks sculpted over millennia by the wind and waves. It’s a special place.
Howth Cliff Path, County Dublin
East coast stunners
On the east coast, things are just as interesting. Dublin boasts a fantastic cliff walk, not too far from the city centre, which is accessible by the DART commuter rail. The Howth Cliff Path skirts the Irish Sea with stunning views of Dublin Bay, a lighthouse and paths that hug the cliff face. And finally, if you’re hankering for even more sea cliffs and wind-blown bluffs, head to Ardmore in County Waterford. The cliff walk here is a short and scenic delight, taking in shipwrecks, Napoleonic watch towers and Early Christian wells before culminating in a 12th-century cathedral and round tower.
The Gobbins cliff path, County Antrim
5 great cliff walks
Originally devised in the 1900s and extensively renovated in 2016, this exciting cliff-hugging walk takes you through tunnels, over bridges and right by the water.
The basalt cliffs of Cave Hill Country Park offer amazing views of Belfast below and are a wonderful natural counterpoint to the bustling city.
Walk the 20km stretch from Lahinch to Doolin or opt for a shorter stretch. However you decide to do it, this is a walk you’ll remember forever.
This moderate 5.6km walk takes about 90 minutes to complete and offers a quiet, contemplative environment with stunning sea views.
On certain days, Mizen Head feels like the wildest place in Ireland. Walk the bridge, spot the seals playing below and stare at the jagged cliffs that seem to go on forever.
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