The Cliffs of Moher, From Both Sides of the Pond

By Paul Wintruba

SNEEM, Ireland — If there is one place on the Emerald Isle that never fails to draw  its over one million tourists rain or shine, then that would be the Cliffs of Moher.

Towering 120-meters above the at Hag’s Head, before reaching their impressive maximum height of  214-meters just north of O’Brien’s Tower, the Cliffs captured the attention of the RMU students earlier this week. The weather conditions were less than favorable at times, but there were enough breaks of sun to allow students to photograph the cliffs up close and personal.

Before making my way to Ireland, I took the time to look through the different locations we would be visiting. The Burren and the Cliffs of Moher were at the top of my list. The photographs I took from both areas were breathtaking, with elegant skies and crashing waves set against rocky coast lines. The pictures of Ireland painted on my computer screen and I was beyond excited to make it to make my way “over the pond” as they call it to photograph it myself.

Upon my arrival, calm weather accompanied the light spray from the sea and it seemed to be the perfect afternoon to photograph the cliffs. Shortly following my group’s trek up to O’Brien’s Tower, a storm began slowly making its way through the open water just off the cliffs.

Two Robert Morris University students scramble for cover as a storm blows in, as they visited the Cliffs of Moher, on Monday, May 13, 2013.

Before long the winds where howling with tremendous force, and rain was falling sideways to accompany it. Joining the tourist huddled within the doorway to the tower, I could see out across the vast countryside that lead out behind the cliffs, witch served as a segue from the seas out in to Ireland.

As our group traveled across the coast, circumventing Galway Bay, we found ourselves looking out at the great cliffs for the second time. Even without the macro like view of the geology, the sharp angled cliffs where still visible across the semi-clear waters, obscured only by the partly clouded skies.

The Cliffs of Moher, as seen on May 13, 2013.

The Cliffs of Moher proved to be as spectacular to view in person as they where to be seen from afar, both of which greatly exceeded what I had experienced on the screen of my laptop back in the states.