Galway 7: Life on the Edge, Cliffside at Moher - Preston

Having the opportunity to partake in a coastal biology study abroad trip has been a privilege after graduating from Saint Michael’s College just 2 weeks ago. Writing this blog post, I can still barely believe that I made it to Galway, but it has been such a surreal experience, which I will always be grateful for. After a morning at Aillwee Caves in the Burren in County Clare traveled south to the Cliffs of Moher in the southwestern region of the Burren region in the town of Lahinch. Friday, May 30th was the first day we had a full clear sky for the trip. After a cloudy, cool morning at Aillwee Caves, the skies began to clear as we approached the Cliffs of Moher, almost as if we were meant to be.

Going into the trip, my friend Will Giani had expressed his excitement about the Cliffs due to its appearance in the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince movie filmed in the ocean and caves at the site. Admittedly, I had only read up to the Prisoner of Azkaban and had watched bits and parts of the movies, so I had no general clue of what to expect going into the Cliffs of Moher. Driving through the rolling hills of the Burren countryside, my excitement began to grow as we got eyes on the ocean. Pulling in, I saw a glance at the vertical drop of the rocky ledges, along with the hundreds of tourists joining us that day at the park. We parked the van and began our ascent up the walking path, looking to my left as we climbed the stairs to the main lookout of O’Brien’s Tower. 

At its highest height of 700 ft., the Cliffs of
Moher are formations composed of sandstone and shale layers that date back to 300 million years ago during the Carboniferous period. During this period the area was submerged under a warm, shallow sea, causing vast amounts of mud and sand to be deposited, creating shale and sandstone. Erosion caused by wind, rain, and the powerful seacoast sculpted the rocks into the Moher Cliffs today.

Even on a beautiful, sunny day I could still feel the austerity of the cliffs, looking into the waters below thrashing against the sandstone below. Resilience is a word that comes to mind when looking at the base of these cliffs, especially the flora along these cliffs. With constant winds and waves thrashing environments, plants need to adapt to survive conditions with high salinity and limiting nutrients.

Seabirds were not seen from atop the cliffs, but I can guarantee these cliffs serve as a nesting ground for seabirds in Ireland, safely away from ground predators and away from human disturbance. According to quick research, there are over 30,000 seabirds that are seasonal residents at the cliffs. These birds include puffins during their breeding season, from late March to early August, along with the northern wheatear and murres, which breed on the cliff tops.

The group took plenty of pictures atop the cliffs, Professor McCabe and Jack Cappiello played a few tunes on the Irish whistle, O’Brien Castle was explored, and we made our way back down the hill towards the town of Liscannor. You could see miles out into the ocean waters with the clarity of the day, the sun reflecting off the shimmering ocean surface. Straight ahead was Liscannor; turning around 180° were the rolling hills of Clare County, filled with sheep and stone stonewalls. The lush green landscapes perfectly contrasted the bright blue skies, scattered trees, and expansive stone stonewalls faded in and out of the county valleys.

Even If our time spent at the Cliffs may have been short, the experience will continue to be embedded in my memory for the near future, even after leaving Galway. Experiences like these cannot be captured through any sort of camera lens, bringing our studies of coastal ecosystems to life. Having this week of studies outside of the classroom has left an appreciation for different ecosystems outside of the New England landscape. The Cliffs of Moher will always be a reminder of my appreciation of the awe of the coastal landscape and the urgent need to protect these environments the natural world has carved into our landscape. Thank you, professors McCabe and Constantino, along with the study abroad advisors at Saint Michael’s College, for providing this experience for me and the rest of my peers in Galway, Ireland. Without your efforts, none of this would be possible.

Preston Hewett