*The Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk.
A NORTH CLARE councillor has claimed the Clare Local Development Company (CLDC) are “not willing to leave the pitch” regarding their ownership of the Cliffs of Moher coastal walk.
At the beginning of August, safety works commenced along sections of the 18km scenic coastal walk following health and safety concerns raised following the tragic deaths of a twelve year old boy in July who went missing after being separated from his family at the Cliffs of Moher and the death of a woman in her twenties after she reportedly lost her footing when walking with friends.
Clare Local Development Company manage the walking route while the County Council is responsible for management and public safety of the 800m section of the walk at the Cliffs of Moher Experience site. Launched in 2013, the official trail heads between Doolin Community Centre and Liscannor football field with the Cliffs of Moher in between and spawns across land belonging to 37 landowners.
North Clare representatives, Cllr Shane Talty (FF), Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG), Cllr Bill Slattery (FG) and Cllr Joe Killeen (FF) at the September meeting of Clare County Council called on the Chief Executive “to urgently engage with Clare Local Development Company to discuss the future management of the walk”.
Speaking at that meeting, Chief Executive Pat Dowling said the local authority needs “full control” of the walk to make it safe.
An update on negotiations was sought by Cllr Killeen at the recent meeting of the West Clare Municipal District.
Acting Director of Service in the Tourism Directorate, John O’Malley confirmed that he and Dowling met with the CLDC “to discuss the latest in relation to the Coastal Walk and agreed that continuing to work in close partnership was key to ensuring clarity and success. Both parties are working to ensure that the necessary works are completed on the walk to ensure its safe reopening as soon as possible. A Management Plan for the Coastal Walk is due to be completed in the coming weeks.
“If the Plan recommends that Clare County Council are best placed to manage the Coastal Walk into the future, CLDC have confirmed that they will support this provided that the landowners are in agreement. In that scenario, CLDC will continue to have a role in communications with landowners as required and advise on the scheme, for the duration of the transition period. Discussions are also ongoing with the IFA with the intention being to reach agreement acceptable to all in relation to the full coastal walk. Discussions/meetings also are ongoing with landowners outside the IFA. These discussions will continue with the intention being to agree a plan agreeable to all parties to ensure the delivery of a safe Cliffs Coastal Walk to the highest standard that is fully managed into the future,” O’Malley added.
Consulting engineers, TOBIN were appointed in December 2023 to develop a Management Plan for the Coastal Walk. A draft management process was due to be completed in recent days which was expected to highlight the inadequacies of the current model and recommend an operational and management Model with a clear lead management structure, maintenance plan and stakeholder role into the future.
Success of the walk has been “unexpected but really welcome because the whole idea is for long-stay tourism and to support tourism based business in North Clare,” commented Cllr Killeen. He added, “The question we have at the moment is the upkeep of the walk, it is important they would cooperate with other agencies to get a plan in place and allow it to continue into the future and support long-stay tourism. I know talks are taking place and there is sensitivity around it”. He said, “Safety is number one priority for those using the walk. I am happy to hear all groups are all talking. We are waiting for the Tobin Report, hopefully we will get repairs completed and the walk reopened”.
Seconding the proposal, Cllr Talty stressed, “Our central motivation is to ensure a safe reopening ASAP, that is number one shared priority, there are a lot of sensitivities, we welcome the engagement from all parties”. Cllr Garrihy said, “We’re all of the same mind on this, we’re unanimous in our support for the best outcome”.
Hurdles remain according to Cllr Slattery, “To me it looks as if it is still the same, the CLDC are not wiling to leave the pitch and want to still be involved, we felt Clare County Council wanted to be the single body but according to the Chair of CLDC that will not take place now”.
Councillors still “have an open mind,” Killeen responded. “The CLDC, Clare County Council and other agencies are looking at maximising the benefit from the walk”. He continued, “We need to keep an open mind, the negotiations are ongoing because it is all for the benefit of the county, tourism is the bedrock of industry and communities in North Clare. It is the number one industry in North Clare”.
O’Malley told the meeting he has been in “daily discussions” with the CLDC are they are “going very well”. He said, “all key stakeholders have been brought to the table so we want to ensure the best outcome for everybody”.
