We will be in Ireland in March, flying into and out of Shannon. One part of the trip will take us from Bunratty to Donegal; before we leave we will stay at the Dromoland Castle. I have tentatively scheduled us to see the Cliffs of Moher either on the way up to Donegal, or after we leave the Dromoland Castle and before heading to our final hotel the night before we fly out of Shannon. Do I need to get tickets or make reservations ahead of time? I had hoped to see how the weather was before deciding on when to see the Cliffs, but also do not want to miss them if I need to make some type reservations ahead of time.
For those of you who have seen them, did you see them on land, by boat, or both? Did you go independently or take a tour bus?
Thanks!
Mary
Posted by
Downingtown, USA
2449 posts
No need for reservations. You park across the road from ticket booth and then walk to Cliffs. We have only done this by our rental car. Been there several times and the weather is only factor. One time in November was just beautiful, sunny perfect day. This last October was horrible, so windy I could not keep my glasses on. You never know with Ireland weather. That is the only thing you need to keep in mind.
Posted by
Santa Cruz
186 posts
Weather depending, you can also see the Cliffs by boat. From the small harbor at Doolin, boats take you to the Cliffs. After seeing the choppy waters and noticing the gray green faces of those disembarking on the day we planned for the Cliffs, we chose to see them from above. We were glad that we hadn't purchased tickets ahead of time.
Posted by
OP
12 posts
Thank you both! This affirms what I was thinking. If anyone else has additional thoughts, I will keep checking!
Thanks again.
Posted by
Eugene, Oregon...Formerly Ventura, CA
2262 posts
Mary, like a lot of popular sights, it can be good to arrive either late or early in the day. Not sure how crowded it would be at the Cliffs in the middle of the day in March, however when we were there last September we arrived around 5 in the afternoon. There were maybe four or five other people walking around, the weather was partly cloudy, and it got extremely windy. It was really nice to be there with so few people, and the wind was magnificent; we spent a couple of hours walking up and down the path, taking photos, and just enjoying the raw nature of it-the ocean was incredible! We would have had a much different experience had it been crowded.
We had dinner at Gus O'Connor's Pub in Doolin, excellent food and music, and stayed locally at a nice B & B about ten km away.
Enjoy Ireland!
Dave
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9371 posts
I have been there in both April and February. Both times were exceedingly windy, and the water was rough (so the boat might not always be an option). In February, it was a brilliantly clear day but frigid temps. The April day was nice temperatures, but the wind was COLD. You just never know. Your timing might determine which you would be prefer to do - the cliffs are more in shadow in the morning because the sun is behind them. In the afternoon, the sun is on them.
Posted by
OP
12 posts
Thank you for the insight! I appreciate all you have shared! We will be leaving in a week and are so excited to go! I have learned so much from this forum and hope to share in kind upon our return!