County Council Rip Off? Tourists charged €99 for 'watching the sunset' atop Cliffs of Moher

Francis McM

I thought I heard it all. A family recent charged nearly €600 to watch the sunset, and not only did the sun not shine, they got mist and a few euro worth of trash.

Quote" A LOCAL AUTHORITY has been accused of blatantly “ripping off” tourists by charging €99 to allow people to watch the sunset with a box of craft items from atop the country’s most popular natural tourist attraction.

The Cliffs of Moher Experience, a visitors centre run by Clare County Council, has priced its “enchanting evening experience” as such, while providing customers several locally made goods in a ‘Crafted in Clare’ box. 

The “bespoke” box includes a photograph of the landscape, chocolates, lip balm and two types of soap."

It is being discussed on newstalk now, and google " cliffs of moher €99 " if you do not believe me.

magicbastarder

they must have big windows on that place.

Eoinbmw

More fool anyone who bought the "experience "

nachouser

Seems steep.

SoapMcTavish

How do they ensure payment ? Catch you at the car park ? Can you arrive on a bike in the evening and watch the sunset ? Or are they cordoning off the area ? Madness.

Calahonda52

https://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/evenings-at-the-cliffs/

heading down there now

Strumms

More fool indeed but for 99 euros, I’d be expecting a nice picnic basket, a couple of drinks, canapés, a couple of sambos, small boxes of chocolates…

lip balm and soap and a reproduced photo ? Get the fûck outta here with that rip off job 🤪. 99 euros ?!

it’s a rip off.

Kermit.de.frog

I suppose it beats being assaulted in Dublin but not by much.

Gregor Samsa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121076059#Comment_121076059

They're not actually charging you to view the sunset at all. You can view the sunset at the cliffs for free.

You have to pay at the carpark (or book online). Entry to the cliffs themselves is actually free - you can do the cliff walk from Doolin or the Liscannor side without paying anything at all (a farmer has a carpark on the Liscannor side that only costs a few euro if you can't find parking on the road). The issue is that all around the road entrance to the cliff centre, there's double yellow lines, and parking fines are enforced. So if you don't want to do the cliff walk and you want your car left nearby, the only place to to park is the official carpark. Entry to that is €7/10 per adult (depending on time of day), and that covers you for parking and the exhibition in the centre.

This €99 euro charge is for a specific package that includes a promotional gift box. They don't have to "ensure payment" really - if you don't pay the money, you don't get the box. Anyone with a regular 7/10 euro ticket can watch the sunset just as well. In fact, they stop charging at the carpark at 7pm in September (9pm in July/August) and you can park for free out of hours.

So sunset tonight over there is 20:15. So you could drive up there this evening after 7, park in the carpark, stroll across the road to the cliffs and hang around for the sunset, and you wouldn't be charged a cent.

The €99 euro package is a case of fools and their money...

Francis McM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121076094#Comment_121076094

Will you report back on the comments of disgusted foreign tourists who feel extremely ripped off by purchasing in advance tickets for the "attraction", but who "mist" the view?

Even the locals there are ashamed at the name the place is getting now.

TedBundysDriver

I've no sympathy for people who fall for this guff, none.

castletownman

Was just thinking of that today that any Irish tourist attraction that has the word 'experience' or 'interpretive centre' in their title is usually over-rated and a rip-off.

I was at the Cliffs of Moher during the summer, and while the cliffs themselves are definitely worth seeing (we were blessed to have a sunny day), the centre adds no value at all to the visit. Was at Birr Castle last year, and for what you pay to get in, it's a rip-off.

The Titanic Experience is probably the only modern tourist amenity worth the fancy building its placed in.

I know its a slight tangent from the OP, but too many places go down the 'let's have a few touchscreens to entertain kids that have no historic relevance to the attraction at all' route, and charge an arm and a leg for the privledge.

Calahonda52

Well I think this experience is a tad better for our tourists than getting robbed and assaulted in Dublin, in between interpretive-free drug dealing and drug taking, while keeping clear of all the puke in Temple bar and environs.

Former Former Former

What a ridiculous thread.

It costs between 14 and 20 euro for a family to park at the official car park, go into the visitor centre and see the cliffs. That is not expensive, by anyone's definition.

Just because someone complains about something, does not automatically make it a bad thing.

SoapMcTavish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121076155#Comment_121076155

"the only place to to park is the official carpark. Entry to that is €7/10 per adult"

I've always laughed at that one - just drop off everyone at the pedestrian crossing - then park the car on your own ?

Gregor Samsa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121076357#Comment_121076357

They're on to that...

Grant said there has been further frustration over plans for the nearby Cliffs of Moher, where the council has stepped up efforts to charge people who take in the sights of the Cliffs of Moher by walking along the coast.

This has been done by hiring ‘wardens’ to check the incoming road for people dropping off visitors instead of using the onsite car park.

There is a charge of €12.50 for anyone using the car park or entering the council’s visitors centre – but this charge is now being applied to people who are dropped off by car outside the site.

https://www.thejournal.ie/clare-doolin-cliffs-6131215-Jul2023/

(P.S. The Journal article is wrong - they're not trying to charge people for "walking along the coast" - that's a different route entirely to the road at the carpark.)

Francis McM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121076342#Comment_121076342

It costs €99 per person to watch the sun setting. Might cost you extra to park the car. Ah, but its an enchanting experience, "As the sun sets on the Wild Atlantic Ocean, enjoy the play of light and the sounds of the sea, the birds, and the skies"

https://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/evenings-at-the-cliffs/

No refund if you book and its cloudy or misty or raining, as it often is. Imagine how you would feel about "Rip off Ireland" if you were a tourist and paid that, and how let down you would feel?

waterwelly

I looked on their website thinking maybe it included private access to a balcony or something but alas it's a box of bullsh1t of seaweed soap or such sh1te.

I've working in this scene before and seen items from supermarkets merely repackaged and fools buying it.

This one really takes the biscuit.

Strumms

For context it costs it’s about twice the price of the Eiffel Tower champagne package.

Francis McM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121076788#Comment_121076788

Ticket prices for the Eiffel tower range from €11 to €28. I suppose with the champagne package at the Eiffel Tower, at least you get champagne etc. And there is only one E. tower, and they have lifts to maintain / power, painting and maintenance etc.

To pay €99 to see the sun setting is surely a rip off, when there are countless equally beautiful places along the Wild Atlantic Way?

N.B. Talking about giving tourists views of a capital city, pity Nelson's column is still not standing in Dublin, hundreds of thousands of euro could have been made ( and donated to homeless or some other charity if so desired ). Be better than the needle representing druggies anyway.

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121076654#Comment_121076654

You are completely wrong here.

An evening visit to the Cliffs of Moher today, including parking, will set you back €16 for a family of four.

It is very, very clear and obvious here: Choose Tickets - Cliffs of Moher Experience

The €99 package is only if you want the gift box.

Furze99

Often visited the Cliffs in the 1980s and 90s, when you just parked in the car park. No charge and a few lads busking etc.

Never went back to that car park since, following Clare county council turning it into a cash machine. It's scandalous that they can rip off the plain people of Ireland in order to park and view the landscape there. Of course, you can park either end and walk along freely.

What's needed there is a good old boycott.

elfy4eva

The way the cliffs are managed is completely predatory (particularly the per person car park situation). Trying to squeeze every cent out of tourists particularly for sh1te tacked on experiences serves only to leave them with a bad taste in their mouth about Ireland.

Francis McM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121076844#Comment_121076844

For the €99 per person you get "Enchanting Evening Experience" 

Quote "As the sun sets on the Wild Atlantic Ocean, enjoy the play of light and the sounds of the sea, the birds, and the skies

With fewer visitors and fewer queues, immerse yourself in the magical atmosphere as the sun paints the sky with vibrant hues.

The carefully curated Crafted in Clare gift box adds an extra touch of luxury to your visit while supporting local artisans and businesses in the community."

https://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/evenings-at-the-cliffs/

By all accounts, the gift box is just repackaged trash like you can get from a supermarket for a few euro.

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121076891#Comment_121076891

For the €99 per person you get "Enchanting Evening Experience" 

Yes, and for €8 per adult, you can do all of the above and forego the gift box.

Francis McM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121077080#Comment_121077080

Hence why so many tourists are feeling very severely badly ripped off. AFTER they booked the €99 "experience". Even the local B+B owners are embarrassed about it all.

Strumms

What are the local politicians saying ? Any fightback from them ?

nachouser

Ah yeah, but the boxes were lovingly packed by the hands of comely maidens when they were on their break from dancing at the crossroads.

whisky_galore

I'd at least want the ride off one of the maidens at that price.

zell12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121077244#Comment_121077244

Violet-Anne Wynne TD is thinking of something, we think

whisky_galore

Money grabbing Ireland. Everything has to be "interpreted" now. You could "interpret" cliffs with a display board, a car park and toilets.

I hate these mass market attractions, esp in Ireland where they offer very little value for money.