The most prominent cliffs in Ireland are the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare. The featured view is one of Ireland’s most popular tourist attractions and has many accolades to its name, as well as being voted the most productive cliff view in the world.
But Ireland is an island, which means there are many more cliffs to explore, and if there’s one sight you shouldn’t miss, it’s the Slieve League Cliffs in County Donegal.
The cliffs of Slieve League (or Sliabh Liag in Irish) are located on the southwest coast of County Donegal, where the Slieve League mountain meets the water. These are the tallest cliffs available in Europe: nearly twice as tall as the Eiffel Tower and nearly three times as high as the Cliffs of Moher, rising 1,972 feet from the Atlantic. Visitors described the experience as the feeling of being at the end of the world.
As Belfast naturalist Robert Lloyd Praeger wrote in 1939:
“The summit of a mountain of about 2000 feet, steep on its north face, made its way through the sea until the south face also formed a precipice, descending that face directly into the Atlantic from the long rim that formed the summit. Crossing this ridge, the “One Man’s Path” is one of Ireland’s most remarkable walks; It’s not exactly dangerous, but it does require a smart head and careful progress on a stormy day. the alpine facilities of the Slieve League, the most varied alpine organisation to be found in Donegal.
The town of Teelin will be the starting point for most of the Slieve League’s adventures. To fully appreciate the majesty of the cliffs, guides recommend leaving your car in the parking lot, where the Slieve League Cliffs Center is located. and drive a few miles to the cliffs. Guided tours and hikes are also available.
Only experienced walkers venture beyond the One Man’s Pass viewpoint, which surrounds the pilgrims’ trail. You’ll get stunning perspectives of the Atlantic Ocean, the Sligo Mountains, and Donegal Bay as you hike to the terrifying summit of Slieve League, where the cliff of Bunglas is located. It rises about 2,000 feet above the raging waters.
As well as offering stunning views, Slieve League is also steeped in history. It was a sacred place before Christianity came to Ireland and then served as a Christian pilgrimage site for over 1000 years.
A tower with Napoleonic posters built in the 19th century to keep an eye on French invaders is still standing.
There is also a stone marker of Éire, a relic of World War II, or “The Emergency” as it was called in Ireland, which indicated to planes flying overhead that they were over Ireland, which remained impartial during the war.
If you want to have another view of the cliffs, boat trips to the waters of Slieve League are also available, providing the chance to see seals, whales, dolphins, basking sharks and seabirds, as well as the chance to swim in the coves. at the base of the cliffs.
You can find out more about the Slieve League cliffs in Co Donegal here.
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