An inspection of the Cliffs of Moher The walking trail encountered visitors ill-equipped for the conditions, people ignoring warning signs and a humanist wedding in which participants stood near the cliff, with their backs to the edge.

The review was carried out by Sport Ireland in mid-August after two boys, aged 12 and 17, died after falling in separate incidents on Co Clare cliffs in July.

The inspection report said many walkers simply ignored warning signs, climbed slab barriers and headed straight for the edge of the cliff.

The report said: “In summary, it was observed that walkers were unprepared for this degree of walking (and) did not heed warning signs.

“The volume of walkers was too high for some sections of the trail and unofficial events were taking place near the edge of the cliff.”

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He said the facilitation of wedding ceremonies near the cliff’s edge gives “the impression that these are officially sanctioned events.” This, in turn, led people to believe that it was “safe and acceptable” to go off the official trail and get closer to the edge of the cliff.

The review found that in some parts of the trail it was not obvious which was the “official” or “unofficial” route and people could easily stray onto the wrong route. It said: “In some places the official trail was too narrow to handle the volume of walkers traveling in both directions, making the often wider unofficial path more attractive.”

The inspection highlighted several locations where people were more likely to veer off course, sometimes deliberately and while “conducting risks”.

He said the trail was not suitable for the type of people it attracted and that the inspector saw multiple examples of “dangerous (or) risky behavior.”

The inspector’s opinion was that the trail should be “closed immediately” to make it safe, according to a copy of the report released under Freedom of Information laws.

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The report said: “Sport Ireland Outdoors recognizes the seriousness of the safety issues identified and notes the previous inspector’s comment.” However, they said the high volume of visitors and the high quality of some sections made it possible for operators to keep part of the trail open.

A detailed analysis also highlighted safety signs that were easy to miss and specific areas where people were most likely to head toward the edge.

In another area, the trail flooded just past a “pinch point” where visitors found it difficult to pass each other. “(This) is causing walkers to circle around the puddle, putting them dangerously close to the edge of the cliff,” the report says.

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Notes about another location near Nag’s Head said: “This is an extremely dangerous point on the trail where an unofficial path leads to a point right on the edge of the cliff that is not visible to walkers approaching from the south.” .

When asked about the report, Sport Ireland said “several safety issues” had been identified and some sections of the trail remained open while others were closed for renovations. They said all issues on the road that remained open had been successfully resolved and that other sections would remain closed until unresolved safety issues were rectified.