Overview
O’Brien’s Tower is the round stone lookout at the highest point of the Cliffs of Moher, 188 metres above the Atlantic, put up in 1835 so that visitors would have somewhere built to admire the view from. It does not compete with the cliffs; it frames them. The tower is a short, mostly level walk from the main visitor centre, and daytime entry is covered by your visitor centre ticket, so there is no reason to skip it.
One honest note before you climb: the rooftop platform is only a few metres higher than the free viewing points either side of it, so the panorama is not dramatically different. What you are paying for is the classic vantage and the iron spiral stair up to it – and since it is already in your ticket, you may as well.
Who built it, and why
The tower dates to 1835, when Cornelius O’Brien had it built. A descendant of the High King Brian Boru and the local landlord and MP for Clare, O’Brien was ahead of his time on tourism: British visitors were already making the trip to the cliffs, and he built them a proper observation point. There is a good chance it started life as a teahouse for those touring parties, fitted out with a large round table and ironwork seats.
It is built of local limestone, three storeys of it, and has stood through nearly two centuries of Atlantic weather. The building marked its 190th year on 21 June 2025. One newer wrinkle to the story: since 2022, barrels of JJ Corry whiskey have been quietly maturing inside the tower, seasoned by the sea air.
What you can see
From the platform the coast opens out in both directions, and on a clear day the list is long:
- The Aran Islands – Inis Mór, Inis Meáin and Inis Oírr sit as three distinct shapes out in the bay.
- South to Loop Head – the coastline runs down past Liscannor Bay and the surf beach at Lahinch toward Loop Head at the mouth of the Shannon.
- The Kerry mountains – on the clearest days the higher peaks of Kerry show across the water to the south.
- North to Galway Bay and the Twelve Bens – looking the other way, the bay broadens out with the Connemara mountains rising beyond it.
Late afternoon is the best of it, when the sun drops and the light softens across the cliffs. Bring binoculars for the seabird colonies on the cliff faces below, and keep an eye on the water – whales and dolphins turn up off the platform now and again.
Planning your visit
The path from the main car park is short and largely level, with a set of steps on the final approach and the iron spiral stair inside the tower itself, so wheelchair access to the rooftop is limited; contact the visitor centre ahead if you need alternative viewing. Numbers on the platform are capped, so at peak times you may queue.
The tower stands at the start of the Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk. Note that the walk is currently open for about a kilometre in each direction from the visitor centre rather than the full route, but even that short stretch gives you the scale of the place away from the crowds. It is fully exposed, so bring a windproof layer and proper footwear whatever the forecast.
Practical information
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Opening hours | Daily, seasonal: 09.00–17.00 in winter, up to 08.00–21.00 in high summer. Closed 24–26 December. |
| Admission | Daytime entry included with the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre ticket; separate evening rates apply (adults around €8) |
| Parking | Visitor centre car park, roughly €4 a day, which also covers tower entry |
| Accessibility | Paved path to the tower; steps and a spiral stair at the tower, so limited rooftop access |
| Best time to visit | Late afternoon for softer light and thinner crowds |
| Weather note | The platform closes temporarily in high wind or lightning |
Book your visitor centre ticket online before you travel and check the official Cliffs of Moher site for that month’s hours, which shift a lot across the year.
Exploring further
O’Brien’s Tower fits into a wider west Clare day out:
- Doolin – a traditional-music village just north of the cliffs, with pubs, cave tours and the ferry to the Aran Islands.
- Aillwee Cave – a limestone show cave and birds-of-prey centre inland in the Burren.
- Ballinalacken Castle – a 15th-century tower house on a hilltop over the Atlantic.
- Burren Way – a long-distance route through limestone pavement, stone forts and coast.
- Clare Abbey – the ruins of a 12th-century Augustinian abbey near Ennis.
Allow a couple of hours for the tower, a stretch of the coastal walk and the visitor centre, pack for wind whatever the season, and time the climb for the late-afternoon light.