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Irish Examiner
6 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Staycations 2025: Walk the sea cliffs
Make this the year you discover just how heart-stopping and incredible our coastline actually is. There can be little to equal the thrill of walking along a breezy cliff, air as fresh and invigorating as wine, the dancing sea spread out below you, wild flowers waving in the grass, and the most spectacular scenery you can imagine there for the enjoying. There are many places to live such an experience to the full around our wonderfully indented and enchanting coast, but here are a few that you simply should not miss out on. The Gobbins Let's start with the perhaps unusually-named The Gobbins at Islandmagee in Co Antrim. This could in fact be better described as a 'cliff face walk' rather than a clifftop stroll, since it leads you down on to the sheer rocks themselves and along through tunnels and across bridges. The Gobbins (don't blame us, it is apparently the result of a public competition to name the attraction) has been known since the 19th century when naturalists, and later day-trippers, began to visit the Antrim coastline. It took its present form when a visionary engineer from Co Wexford, one Berkeley Deane Wise, saw the potential in this area of outstanding natural beauty, and decided to do something about it. Construction began in 1901, and the first section - a pathway from the nearby village of Ballystrudder to the base of the cliffs - opened in August 1902. Wise's vision of tunnels and bridges spanning the cliffs was more challenging to realise. The steel girder bridges were actually built in Belfast, brought to Whitehead on barges, and then manoeuvred up the coast on rafts. Workers winched them into place on lines dropped from the clifftop. The Gobbins at Islandmagee in Co Antrim, leads you down on to the sheer rocks themselves and along through tunnels and across bridges. Pretty challenging work, but Wise superintended it all with the zeal of a believer. And it worked. The path was an overnight success, attracting visitors from across Ireland and Britain, many coming specially on a steamer to Larne. 'There is, in short, nothing like The Gobbins anywhere else in the world,' wrote a correspondent in the Proceedings of the British Association in 1902. At the turn of the century, as many people walked the path as visited the Giant's Causeway each year. The dramatic suspension bridge spanning the mouths of the Seven Sisters caves opened in 1908, but it was the last extension to the path. Wise had fallen ill that year and passed away in 1909. The path welcomed visitors for another thirty years, but it was closed during the Second World War. The Ulster Transport Authority reopened it in 1950, but time had taken its toll. Landslips and maintenance problems forced it to close in 1954. Fifty years later, Larne Borough Council announced an ambitious plan to reopen The Gobbins. They constructed fifteen new bridges and six elevated paths using the latest materials (and, incidentally, working to modern health and safety standards, which was quite probably not the case in the early 1900s). Replicas of the original Tubular Bridge and the suspension bridge at the Seven Sisters were created, to ensure that the charm of its original, Edwardian design still remained. The path reopened just ten years ago, in 2015, and now attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year. So is it worth going? Yes. Emphatically yes. The layout is unique, Where else will you find yourself traversing narrow bridges just over the boisterous waves, or treading through dark tunnels in the cliff face? It is an experience like no other. A couple of facts though. Firstly, The Gobbins is a physically challenging walk, and a moderate standard of fitness is required (not to mention sensible footwear!). 5km (3 miles) long, quite narrow, with many hand-carved and uneven steps, the entire walk is the equivalent of climbing and descending 50 flights of stairs. If you are happy with that, then go for it! Secondly, there is quite a charge for this unique experience. Adults £21.50, children and seniors, £15.50, with group rates available. To be fair, with the amount of work they have put into its creation (would you call it 'improving on nature'?), it's probably reasonable. The Cliffs of Moher, near Liscannor, Co Clare Probably one of Ireland's most advertised and photographed visitor experiences, the Cliffs of Moher tower over the rugged west Clare coast. As befits a major tourist attraction, it is very well organised, with parking, virtual reality displays, the lot. You can walk safe, paved pathways, and drink in the spectacular vistas. Their natural beauty has inspired artists, musicians, and poets for generations. The sheer cliffs are genuinely dizzying, and it's not uncommon to feel a strange sense of being tilted forward, almost falling, as you stare down to the waves far below. O'Brien's Tower, built in 1835, is a great observation point, where on a clear day you can see down over Liscannor Bay or up to Galway Bay, as well as the Aran islands. But there is a charge for all this beauty, you can't get away from that (although it's not as costly as The Gobbins). The Cliffs of Moher's natural beauty has inspired artists, musicians, and poets for generations. Adults €15.00, students and seniors €12, children under 12 free, when accompanied by a parent or guardian. You are advised to book online for best rates, which gives you access to the exhibition and virtual reality tour as well as the cliffs themselves and the walks. For a less regimented experience though, why not go up to Doolin and take a boat trip instead, which will give you a real idea of the sheer height of the place? In fact, for many this proves to be the most awe-inspiring view of the cliffs, as they would have been seen by travellers coming across the sea from ancient times. And you would avoid the crowds which tend to build up at the tourist site itself. Slieve League in Donegal Although the cliffs of Moher get most of the marketing budget, and thus the tourist crowds, every decent Irish wanderer should know that they are nowhere near our highest and most dramatic. That honour is reserved for Sliabh Liag or Slieve League in Donegal which is in fact nearly three times higher. Rising almost 2,000 feet (598 meters) above the Atlantic Ocean, this is recognised as one of the highest sea cliffs in Europe. And it offers the most breathtaking views - Donegal Bay, stretching toward Leitrim, Sligo, and Mayo, the vast Atlantic Ocean unfolding endlessly to the west, Rathlin O'Byrne Island and Glencolmcille, while at the cliff's base, the famous Giant's Desk and Chair, a striking rock formation tied to local legend. It is a must-visit destination both for those seeking spectacular scenery and for anyone fascinated by our history and mythology. From here, you can see Benbulben, that dramatic table mountain linked to Finn McCool and Irish folklore. Nearby, Carrowmore is home to one of the largest Neolithic cemeteries in Europe. From Slieve League, Dongal, you can see Benbulben that dramatic table mountain linked to Finn McCool and Irish folklore. Offshore, Inishmurray Island holds the ruins of an early Celtic Christian monastery, while further along the coast in Mayo, Killala marks the landing site of the French forces during the 1798 Rebellion against British rule. Close by, Carrigan Head is home to one of the Napoleonic-era signal towers, built by the British to monitor potential French invasions. Atop Sliabh Liag itself you'll find the remains of an early Christian monastic site, including Aed Mac Bric's chapel and ancient beehive huts. For the adventurous, One Man's Path offers an exhilarating walk along the cliffs' edge. Revered as a sacred mountain, Sliabh Liag has been a site of Christian pilgrimage for over a thousand years. It's a wonderful place to experience, and once you've been there, you will find yourself yearning to return. It's a place like no other. Here's an interesting fact of recent history: During World War II, Ireland remained neutral but reached agreements with the Allies, one of which was the Donegal Corridor — a designated air route allowing Allied aircraft to fly over Irish territory from Enniskillen to the Atlantic. As a navigation aid, large stone ÉIRE markers were placed along the coastline. One such marker is still visible near the Sliabh Liag viewing point. Brow Head and the Mizen, in West Cork Well, we couldn't leave out West Cork, could we? And the most south-westerly point in Ireland, the last spot of the beloved land seen by emigrants sailing to the New World, combines at the same time a wonderful experience of cliffs and sea, with fascinating history. Most people believe Mizen to be the furthest point, but that honour is actually claimed by Brow Head (admittedly by only a metre or so). It was on Brow Head that Marconi set up his signal station, and here too that local fishermen would row out to collect barrels of mail dropped overboard by liners bound for England. In that way, the Cork Examiner often had the latest American news before London did - notably the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. When you climb up and shade your eyes to look out to sea, you will be emulating the gesture of thousands before you who sought a glimpse of an incoming sail, or watched to identify a passing ship so that they could send its details to Lloyds of London. And Mizen, dramatic, with turbulent waters tossing around it at all times and seasons, justly feared over the centuries by sailors who tried to give it a wide berth, but hugely welcoming today. You can go out across a bridge to the signal station here, and learn how the keepers of the signal lived and carried out their vital work. Earlier, the captains of the French fleet coming to the aid of Ireland in its fight against England, surely made a poor decision when they arranged to foregather near this point, since they were swept away by the opposing tides which meet at this headland. Looking down on Dunlough bay and Mizen head on a beautiful sunny afternoon in West Cork. Picture Eddie O'Hare In ancient legend, it is said that Balor of the Evil Eye, the demonic leader of the Fomorians, fled from battle here but was pursued and killed by Lugh of the Tuatha de Danaan. Lugh, the story holds, set Balor's head on a rock above the headland, but the rock shattered beneath the terrible load and that is why there is such an expanse of tumbled broken rocks below the cliffs today. Between the ancient stories and the modern maritime ones, this is a wonderful place to spend the day. Keep an eye out for the red-legged choughs which toss airily in the wind, swooping down over the cliffs and climbing again on the updraft, seeming to need nothing more than space in which to play. Make this the summer you walk the sea cliffs of Ireland and make memories for all time.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Yahoo
UK tourist attraction has been closed almost as much as it's been open since £7.5m refurbishment
A tourist attraction in Northern Ireland that has had millions of pounds invested into it has been closed nearly as many days as it has been open over the past decade, an analysis has found. The Gobbins Cliff Path in Islandmagee, County Antrim is a walk made up of a series of steel bridges and paths running past caves and through a tunnel, allowing for visitors to get up close to the crashing Irish Sea waves, providing unique coastal views. The first stretch of dramatic coastal walk opened in 1902, designed by Edwardian engineer Berkeley Deane Wise, but fell into disrepair by the 1950s. After several failed attempts to revive the structure, a £7.5m investment saw the path reopen in 2015, adding several new bridges and gallery structures to the cliff face. While the cliff path experience was saved, new analysis by the BBC has found that this tourist attraction has been shut for almost half of the time that it has been open over the past 10 years. Since 2015 the Gobbins Cliff Path has been shut for a combined 1,624 days, or about 46 per cent of the time, according to figures released to the BBC under the Freedom of Information Act. There are several reasons why the path has shut, the largest being 503 days of planned works, 461 days of rockfall and 322 days of storm damage. Other closures included 53 days of Covid-19 restrictions and 150 days of inspections. The longest closure was for over a year from 19 June 2016 until 30 June 2017. Despite the long closures, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council says that around £4.3m has been spent to maintain the tourist attraction since 2017 on repairs and planned works. While the council said they are not able to provide figures on spending on the path before 2017, the BBC estimates at least £5.6m has been spent to maintain the tourist attraction since it reopened in 2015. The Gobbins Cliff Path is currently going through another period of closures following a recent rockfall. 'We have a team working to reopen the attraction as soon as possible,' the tourist attraction says on its website. 'The Visitor Centre and café will remain open.' 'We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused and we will provide further information regarding the reopening of the Gobbins when available.' 'As this is a natural attraction built on rock faces in a difficult-to-access area, incidents such as rockfalls are beyond our control,' a council spokesperson added after its closure. Despite its unreliability, causing tour companies to leave it off their itineraries, some residents and tourists feel that the path is 'unique' and a 'brilliant idea', making it more of a shame when it is closed. Mother and daughter Isabella and Léa Petit Boyer, visiting Northern Ireland from France, told the BBC they had hoped to visit the path during a week-long trip. "It's a shame that we can't see this cliff," Léa said. "We first wanted to do the Gobbins Cliff Path because first of all the coast is really wonderful, [and] it's a great tourist attraction." Stephen Weir, an Islandmagee resident said the closure 'seems to be a regular occurrence'. "Hopefully it will be open and we'll get to do it later on in [the] year but you'd think coming into the summer season... now would be the time that it would be open." Other residents, however, such as Stephen Henry, said the cliff path is a 'waste of money.' Despite the closures, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is continuing to invest money into the Gobbins, with £13.5m in funding announced last year. The plan includes building a new 60m-high staircase, upgrades to the path and a new welcome hub. A council spokesperson told The Independent that the £13.6m investment will 'enhance the visitor experience by creating a new circular looped walk, which will significantly expand the attraction's capacity.' 'Once completed, the Phase II development is expected to deliver substantial economic and tourism benefits, including 245,000 cliff path visitor numbers annually, driving substantial growth in the local economy. 'The Gobbins will help disperse visitors more evenly along the iconic Causeway Coastal Route. This will not only enhance the experience for tourists but also ensure a more equitable distribution of tourism benefits throughout the region. 'The attraction is projected to break even within five years of the relaunch, marking an important milestone in its long-term sustainability,' the spokesperson continued. 'This Phase II development represents a significant step forward in enhancing The Gobbins' role as a key visitor destination in Northern Ireland, with lasting benefits for both the local economy and the tourism sector.'
The Independent
14-04-2025
- The Independent
UK tourist attraction has been closed almost as much as it's been open since £7.5m refurbishment
A tourist attraction in Northern Ireland that has had millions of pounds invested into it has been closed nearly as many days as it has been open over the past decade, an analysis has found. The Gobbins Cliff Path in Islandmagee, County Antrim is a walk made up of a series of steel bridges and paths running past caves and through a tunnel, allowing for visitors to get up close to the crashing Irish Sea waves, providing unique coastal views. The first stretch of dramatic coastal walk opened in 1902, designed by Edwardian engineer Berkeley Deane Wise, but fell into disrepair by the 1950s. After several failed attempts to revive the structure, a £7.5m investment saw the path reopen in 2015, adding several new bridges and gallery structures to the cliff face. While the cliff path experience was saved, new analysis by the BBC has found that this tourist attraction has been shut for almost half of the time that it has been open over the past 10 years. Since 2015 the Gobbins Cliff Path has been shut for a combined 1,624 days, or about 46 per cent of the time, according to figures released to the BBC under the Freedom of Information Act. There are several reasons why the path has shut, the largest being 503 days of planned works, 461 days of rockfall and 322 days of storm damage. Other closures included 53 days of Covid-19 restrictions and 150 days of inspections. The longest closure was for over a year from 19 June 2016 until 30 June 2017. Despite the long closures, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council says that around £4.3m has been spent to maintain the tourist attraction since 2017 on repairs and planned works. While the council said they are not able to provide figures on spending on the path before 2017, the BBC estimates at least £5.6m has been spent to maintain the tourist attraction since it reopened in 2015. The Gobbins Cliff Path is currently going through another period of closures following a recent rockfall. 'We have a team working to reopen the attraction as soon as possible,' the tourist attraction says on its website. 'The Visitor Centre and café will remain open.' 'We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused and we will provide further information regarding the reopening of the Gobbins when available.' 'As this is a natural attraction built on rock faces in a difficult-to-access area, incidents such as rockfalls are beyond our control,' a council spokesperson added after its closure. Despite its unreliability, causing tour companies to leave it off their itineraries, some residents and tourists feel that the path is 'unique' and a 'brilliant idea', making it more of a shame when it is closed. Mother and daughter Isabella and Léa Petit Boyer, visiting Northern Ireland from France, told the BBC they had hoped to visit the path during a week-long trip. "It's a shame that we can't see this cliff," Léa said. "We first wanted to do the Gobbins Cliff Path because first of all the coast is really wonderful, [and] it's a great tourist attraction." Stephen Weir, an Islandmagee resident said the closure 'seems to be a regular occurrence'. "Hopefully it will be open and we'll get to do it later on in [the] year but you'd think coming into the summer season... now would be the time that it would be open." Other residents, however, such as Stephen Henry, said the cliff path is a 'waste of money.' Despite the closures, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is continuing to invest money into the Gobbins, with £13.5m in funding announced last year. The plan includes building a new 60m-high staircase, upgrades to the path and a new welcome hub. A council spokesperson told The Independent that the £13.6m investment will 'enhance the visitor experience by creating a new circular looped walk, which will significantly expand the attraction's capacity.' 'Once completed, the Phase II development is expected to deliver substantial economic and tourism benefits, including 245,000 cliff path visitor numbers annually, driving substantial growth in the local economy. 'The Gobbins will help disperse visitors more evenly along the iconic Causeway Coastal Route. This will not only enhance the experience for tourists but also ensure a more equitable distribution of tourism benefits throughout the region. 'The attraction is projected to break even within five years of the relaunch, marking an important milestone in its long-term sustainability,' the spokesperson continued. 'This Phase II development represents a significant step forward in enhancing The Gobbins' role as a key visitor destination in Northern Ireland, with lasting benefits for both the local economy and the tourism sector.'
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tourist attraction shut nearly as often as open
A Northern Ireland tourist attraction which has received millions for repairs and maintenance has been closed nearly as many days as it has open in the past decade. The Gobbins Cliff Path in Islandmagee, County Antrim reopened to the public in 2015. Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has spent about £4.3m since 2017 on repairs to the path, which has faced prolonged closures due to rockfalls, storm damage, planned works and inspections. A council spokesperson said the attraction is "projected to beak even" within five years of of a planned major revamp, which will mark "an important milestone in its long-term sustainability". The Gobbins first opened in 1902, designed by the engineer Berkeley Deane Wise. The cliff walk, made up of a series of bridges, paths and tunnels, had fallen into disrepair by the 1950s but a £7.5m investment saw it open again in 2015. Since 2015 the attraction has been shut for a combined 1,624 days, or about 46% of the time, according to figures released to the BBC under the Freedom of Information Act. The longest closure was for over a year from 19 June 2016 until 30 June 2017. A Scottish based company that offers tours of Northern Ireland said while they promote the Gobbins on their website, they haven't included it on tours due to its "unreliable" opening. Heather Rennie-McGill, director of marketing and sales at Rabbie's, said the Gobbins has "real potential" as a "unique attraction". "If we're selling tours six to twelve months out for customers, and something like this would be a key highlight because the tour lasts two and half to three hours which is a big chunk of a day, we'd need reliability," she said. "We can't include things in our itineraries where it would be taken out at the last minute." The path is currently closed due to a recent rockfall, the cost of repairs for which is not known. Mid and East Antrim Council have said they are not able to provide figures on spending on the path before 2017. The BBC has previously reported that essential maintenance costing £400,000 was carried out to fix the access path after damage caused by Storm Frank in 2015, with an additional £1.6m allocated for scaling works ahead of the 2017 season. This suggests that at least £5.6m has been spent to maintain the tourist attraction since it reopened. Mother and daughter Isabella and Léa Petit Boyer had hoped to visit the path during a week-long trip to Northern Ireland but were disappointed. "It's a shame that we can't see this cliff," Léa said. "We first wanted to do the Gobbins Cliff Path because first of all the coast is really wonderful, [and] it's a great tourist attraction." Stephen Weir, an Islandmagee resident said he and his wife had hoped to visit the path for his 60th birthday but couldn't due to it being closed. "It seems to be a regular occurrence," he said. "Hopefully it will be open and we'll get to do it later on in year but you'd think coming in to the summer season... now would be the time that it would be open." Stephen also questioned the economic viability of the site. "In theory it's a brilliant idea to get round there and see the birds and all that in their natural habitat but I mean especially in the current economic climate, I mean do we really need to spend all that money if it's not working?" Stephen Henry, who also lives in the borough, said he thinks the path is a "waste of money". "The rates are paying for it and it's for a service that's never open." He said that he had been to do the tour on a previous occasion when it was open. "It's nice to look at, there's no doubt about it. "But is it value for money? Probably not." Last year, Mid and east Antrim Borough Council announced an investment in the Gobbins of £13.5m, with £12.6 million coming from the Belfast Region City Deal. The plans include a new 60m-high staircase, a rope bridge and new cliff-top welcome hub. The current visitor centre is located a five minute drive from the path, with tours accessing the path via a shuttle bus service from the centre. The spending also includes plans to create a new virtual reality offering at the existing visitor centre for those who cannot access the path. A council spokesperson said that once completed, "the Phase II development is expected to deliver substantial economic and tourism benefits, including 245,000 cliff path visitor numbers annually, driving substantial growth in the local economy". White-knuckle cliff walk reopens Aerial view of restored Gobbins path Gobbins coastal path closed again
