The Cliffs of Moher are dangerous, and that's why so many people are drawn to them. There's something elemental about standing near the edge, nearly 700 feet (212 metres) above sea level, watching the jagged geology of "this great wall of Thomond", as George Cunningham called it, being lashed by the Atlantic waves. Now the Cliffs have a startling new feature - the grass-domed subterranean visitor centre with its Darth Vader mask windows. It is set in a re-ordered landscape of Liscannor-flagged pathways, stone walls and elevated viewing platforms as well as parking bays for 15 coaches concealed behind earthen embankments. The vast surface car park that once scarred the site has been temporarily relocated across the road, pending provision of privately-run "park-and-ride" bus services from Doolin and Liscannor - which are probably a long shot. The old visitor centre, housed in a traditional-style stable block, has been demolished. According to Michael Regan, of Reddy O'Riordan Staehli Architects, this was "woefully inadequate" for the number of people visiting the Cliffs - a staggering 900,000 last year.
