Daily Photo | OBrien Monument

01 March OBrien Monument | Liscannor

Cornelius O'Brien (1782-1857) represented the county of Clare in Parliament for over 20 years. He is regarded as a visionary who was way ahead of his time particularly when it came to tourism.......

Cornelius O'Brien Monument | Liscannor
Photo: county-clare-i.com

.........Cornelius was of the opinion that the people of the area would prosper economically if a serious effort was put in to promoting the natural resources and beauty of county Clare, places like the Burren, the Cliffs of Moher and the Loop Peninsula..... He had a point!

Apart from being a sitting M.P. (1832-1847) his other major claims to fame is the folly now referred to as O'Briens Tower which he constructed in 1835 and the wall of Liscannor flagstones he laid along the Cliffs indeed so prolific was he at construction that the locals say he built everything but the Cliffs themselves.

The monument, pictured above bears the inscription 'Erected by public subscription as a lasting record of his public conduct and private worth' and it goes on to praise his 'genorosity and foresight in accomodating strangers who were visiting this magnificent neighborhood', it was signed on behalf of the commitee by Colman M O'Lochlen Bart the chairman.

The pillar was erected in 1853 four years before his death, his remains were buried in the O'Brien vault in the Graveyard at St Bridget's Well which is located beside it on the Liscannor to Cliffs of Moher road.

Note, there are no apostrophies in 'O'Brien' in some places for SE formatting reasons