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VISITOR charges at one of the country’s most famous tourist attractions remain a major bone of contention with tourists and locals complaining about having to pay steep fees to park their cars and visit the Cliffs of Moher.
The Journal reported in July that locals in Co Clare were complaining about the council over a range of new measures which they say are prioritising profit over community welfare.
Clare County Council was then accused in September of blatantly “ripping off” tourists by charging €99 to allow people to watch the sunset with a box of craft items atop the Cliffs.
Documents published following a Freedom of Information Act request now show that the Cliffs of Moher Experience received multiple complaints between 9 January and 31 July with one person saying they felt “scammed”, another saying it was like passing through border control in “Nazi Germany” while one group were told they were being charged because they had left a “carbon footprint”.
In one gripe, a person who had visited multiple times said they had arrived at the cliffs with two people in their car expecting to be charged €10 for parking.
However, they were hit with a €32 charge and said they were “shocked at this huge increase”.
A message said: “I am most annoyed at being ripped off in this way and would like to complain and request a refund of this huge overcharge.
“I know the entry gate has [the] price displayed but I feel the difference in the charge at the gate is outrageous, and I also feel there should be some allowance for visitors from County Clare, particularly frequent visitors.”
In another, a person wrote of how 15 teenagers from various countries had arrived at the Cliffs of Moher intending just to go for a walk only to be told they would have to pay €10 each.
A report of the complaint said: “I spoke with a manager of the facility today who told me quite clearly that it was because they came off a bus and did not walk to the amenity.
“I asked why [and] he said because they left a carbon footprint, I asked was it a carbon tax or an entry fee?”
One person griped about being very “rudely haggled” for an entrance fee to the cliffs after arriving on a Bus Éireann route that said entry to the attraction was free.
“I travelled regularly to [the] Cliffs of Moher by Route 350 Bus Éireann and the bus has always dropped off and picked up inside the parking compound for years,” they said.
Another couple were unhappy they were hit with a fee even though they wanted “to stay in [their] car”.
“Explained that it was an all inclusive admission,” said a review of the complaint.
One person said it was unfair to be hit with a charge for using the visitor centre and other facilities when all they wanted to do was go for a walk along the cliffs.
“I reluctantly paid the fee so as not to disappoint my son,” they wrote.
“I was even more disappointed to discover that not one person asked to see my ticket after this. I felt at this stage that I was scammed out of money.”
Another said it was unfair to charge per person and that it should be a fee for each car instead.
They said: “The car should be charged and not the people in the vehicle. I personally think this needs to be improved and not charged at all as it should be a public place for people to go in, not to be charged ridiculous fees.”
The most furious complaint came from a woman who visited the cliffs with her daughter and husband. However, her husband wanted to just stay in the car.
A message said: “A male attendant ANGRILY directed me to a lane and proceeded to practically shout to the female cashier about how my husband had left the car and was waiting up the road.
“I felt thoroughly violated. I felt like my husband and I were on the run and we were at a border control in Mexico or Nazi Germany.”
The complaints were released under FOI by Clare County Council.
A spokesman for the Cliffs of Moher Experience said it was a purpose-built safe viewing point that provided information and services to visitors.
“The charge on entry to the car park or coach park is not a parking charge, it is a per person charge for an all-inclusive experience ticket with parking included. We do not offer separate charges or parking only charges,” he said.
He added that there was an on-site team to provide assistance to visitors, complimentary services, and who also carried out litter picking and conservation work around the cliffs.
With reporting by Eoghan Dalton
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Boycott the place. Rip off Ireland is alive and well.
Probably our countries most famous landmark, and the pure greed is what people remember about the place. Shame on County Clare.
@Ciaran: Its kind of nice that tourists feel it too tho. Not just the everyday worker
@Ciaran:Be jaysus, sure it costs a fortune to pay the leprechauns to be washing and polishing the Cliffs. Then we have to get the banshees to bring in the roads when it’s raining.
@Patrick Presley: what about the pukka
Go to Slieve League in Donegal instead. Higher cliffs, better walks, better views and don’t get ripped off. Simples
@Conor O’Neill: Or go to the bridges of Ross in Clare, beautiful and no cost,drop into the local village after,get a drink and food,help the local community.
Cliffs of Moher an absolute rip off, stay well clear. I went with my wife and 2 kids and they were looking for €45. I said I don’t mind paying a small parking charge but not paying €45. I was told the €45 was for the “full experience”. I said I didn’t want to go into the visitor centre so don’t give me an entrance ticket for that, I just want to park. But that wasn’t an option and because we had driven for a few hours and I didn’t want disappointed kids I ended up paying. The annoying part was there were no staff members was looking for tickets on entrance to the visitor centre, so anyone could have walked in. But never again.
BOYCOTT THE KIP.
@Herby Donnelly: It’s not a Kip lol.
@John Ryan: it is.
Welcome to Ireland folks hopefully those tourists will 1. Boycott the place and 2.
Plaster their experience all over social media and complain to their tourists boards.
It’s a privately owned business. The rip off has been going on for years. I’ve been a tour guide for nearly 30 years and every time I go to the cliffs I cringe. They can give the carbon footprint “explanation” all they want but it is nothing but greed incarnate.
I think they are seriously overrated. Sliabh League, the Kerry Cliffs, and the Cliffs of Croaghaun, off hand are far better.
If you must see them, save your money, drive south of the main entrance. There’s a lane that’ll take you to a decent viewpoint across some fields.
@honey badger: can you send gps coordinates .. I am going Tuesday
@danny hennessy: you can walk there from Doolin
@honey badger: agreed. And the cliffs around Mizen Head are fairly good too
It is a rip off. There are so many wonderful areas to visit that are completely free.. and not over run with tourists. Visit the cliff walk in Kilkee which has stunning views of the cliffs and you can see the Aran Islands in the distance. There’s a lovely cafe en route where it’s free to sit outside even!! Or, head to The Loop lighthouse and walk – free – for miles along the cliff paths. Also a trip up the lighthouse is cheap – was a fiver – nice cafe and – guess what?? Free parking!! All counties have lots if free activities so no need to pay a fortune
Only the Irish could milk a cliff.
An ‘all-inclusive experience ticket’. There have been tax payer funded meetings about the language to be used when defending the indefensible. Just let that simmer for a moment.
Like something out of Father Ted. In fact the Father Ted house (Craggy Island without the sea) is nearby.
Ireland of a thousand welcomes or
Ireland of a thousand ways of doing tourists. You’re very Welcome
Why do they even have the right to charge anything? It’s an ffn cliff that is part of our country.
@Pat Ruane: they don’t , its free. The visitor centre and car park are not free though. You can choose to not use it and just walk to the cliff from doolin. The cliffs of course are free obviously because they are part of the natural landscape.
Just don’t go there, it’s a typical Irish ripoff,
A person would need their head examined to pay Clare county council to see a few cliffs.
Reminds me about what Canadians say about visiting British Columbia – BC really means “bring cash” – lots of it!
Its like we want refugees but we dont want tourists.
@Denis Rathsallagh Brady: What have refugees to do with this ffs?
@F2yxfluD: Its a comment on a point, like you know, chat?
Don’t even think im anti refugee from that comment, that would be foolish of you.
‘An all inclusive experience’. They are absolutely money hungry trying to monetise something that isn’t even there. It’s some cliffs. €99 to watch the sunset with a box of tat included. lol. Fresh air charge as well? They are getting away with it as it’s the type of thing that most people probably only go to once and are put on the spot after going all the way there. Just more greed
What do they expect? It’s Ireland, land of price gouging and rip off merchants.
Cead mile failte, now gimme your money and feck off… but don’t forget to tell everyone how great and wonderful Ireland is!
Go to the bridges of Ross,carrigaholt castle or loop head in clare,all close by, no charge bar if you want to go into the lighthouse,rather spend my money in the local community by having a few drinks, something to eat,buy something in the local shops.
So can someone just walk up and walk in with no charge or not
@denis silver: yes, you can park near Liscannor GAA pitch and walk along the cliff as far as Doolin without a charge
The visitor centre was set up with the intention of ripping off tourists. It should be shut down.
(A google search “cliffs of moher visitor experience” shows the visitor centre top of the list, with 4.8 out of 5 stars, 2115 votes. How did they arrive at that fake positive result?)
@A D: what attraction did you vote for?
just drop your passengers off near the entrance. drive into car park yourself. no one ever checks tickets.thieves.
The cliffs of moher are free to see. The visitor centre and car park is not. There is where the confusion lies. People have this weird idea that you must use the visitor centre and car park , which of course you don’t.
Steep cliffs demand steep fees. It benefits the local community greatly,they’ve been living on the edge for years.
@Larry Betts: No he means they’ve literally been living on the edge Larry.
@F2yxfluD: Jimmy
@F2yxfluD: He’s quoting the Cliff Richard song, “summer holiday”
No better country for riiiding people
@Daisy Domergue: that’s why they have the matchmaking festival there
No one is saying why,it’s privately owned hence outrageous pay demand,run under opw wouldn’t be as high
No wonder people are jumping off !
@Trevor Phils: you’re a very, very sick puppy Trevor
Culchie cowboys………
@John Ryan: Up the banner
Better value get the boat at Doolin to see the cliffs.
@Thomas Linehan: A great alternative to see the cliffs, if the price is reasonable. I did it several years ago, was good value then.
Reflects the worst of capitalist Ireland
They didn’t even get the proper planning permission to actually build those cliffs in the first place. At least Bunratty Castle is a natural beauty spot.
Something that God give the world free and u have the little backward people in for what they can get.
@Jimmy Wallace: take a guess u dope or do you need it explained to you
As teenagers back in the late ’70s, we walked to the edge of the cliffs with no cost, just to cure the hangover after the Lisdoonvarna festival the night before. I brought the family to the cliffs three years ago. Exorbitant prices and on entry, the mist descended, so we saw nothing. No refund offered except “hold on to your ticket stubs until next time.” I’ll never return.
@Sean O Toole: You saw the mist. That’s reality for you. What sort of guarantee were you expecting?
Rip off Ireland, wat do U expect…
If it’s for carbon footprint then to which Irish environmental group is the money going to? Just for transparency…otherwise if no transparency is there a possibility that some fraud is being committed?
I remember a time when you could drive and park without any fee!
They will keep charging what people keep paying.
GOOD OLD RIP OFF IRELAND
Apparently Clare was the 3rd most visited County in Ireland but the majority were day trippers so the county didn’t benefit. Now seemingly they’re trying to make up for lost time.
@Charlie Arum: Not making any excuses for the Cliffs of Moher rip-off, but maybe if people could access accommodation reasonably easily then more people could stay overnight in Clare. But much of the guest accommodation in that county is occupied by our “guests from the east”.
@Corey Dalton: cop on
Can you not still pitch a tent behind those two pubs in Doolin like we used to, and walk to the Cliffs?
There iss so many fabulous places along the west coast to enjoy the sunset without visiting the rip off that the cliffs of moher centre. Doolin and Fanore are only a few miles from it and we’ll worth a visit
Park in doolin and do the cliff walk all the way to the cliffs and back it’s beautiful espically if you want go a for a hit longer, get trail run
Go to Loop Head in West Clare, free parking, amazing cliff walk and views
Public service including county council worker pensions are very generous
Money doesn’t grow on trees folks
@Gerry Kelly: The visitor centre is run by a private entity.
A total ripoff, I have advised such to any tourist going there and suggested Bromore Cliffs north of Ballybunion where the farmer who owns the land will let you walk for 2 euro
And they are spectacular
It’s simply disgusting. Holiday abroad.
Gobshi8es that pay it
Park along the main road and walk through the fields beside Clare County Council’s zone. They don’t own the cliffs and can’t stop someone walking along them. The visitor centre isn’t worth it. Musicians have to audition to play along the path. Clare County Council also decided to change the A to an E in Lahinch. Extortionate priced parking along promenade car parks. The best punishment is avoid Clare, despite it being my favourite county.
Giants causeway also has rip-off charges. Many years ago it was completely free. Then they built this monstrosity aka visitor centre and 3 adults get charged around 50€ to walk there
Say no more or they’ll start charging to walk the streets of temple bar,we’ve got the greediest landlords,most dangerous cities and ludricrous prices for hotels and restaraunts,but dont worry they will set up an enquiry when people stop coming ,and all will be well,when the minister returns from hii holidays on the Riviera!
@Thomas Devlin: you forgpt to mention the most deadbeat tenants!
How crazy far left do you have to be to refer to landlords on a Cliffs of Moher article?
These thieves are taking advantage of the fact that most tourists/visitors will have come from a long way off and are unlikely to just turn around and leave. There’s little or no choice for the frustrated visitors who aren’t likely to be aware of other accessible options.
Scammed and ripped off in Ireland surely not. Thy should try live here, they wouldn’t be impressed.
Let’s charge extra for every clare person staying in a hotel outside clare
Where does that millions of euro go to in admission and fee
@Timo: Sure it pays for the bigger Christmas party the council will have and maybe upgrades to computors. Stuff they already get money for. Cant see it going back into the community now can you?
This is Ireland we now have to fend for ourselves while our politicians fly all over the World telling us to cut down on carbon emissions.
You couldnt make this up, like really
Absolutely overpriced and over rated. Really hope Clare county council take note of these complaints
Public service including c
One shakedown after another. Welcome to Ireland
Where did all the miserable commenters come from today. Its great value!!
Should be free parking and entrance fee at the gate.
Ah come on now Ted !
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