The trail at the Cliffs on Moher in Co Clare, via Google Street View
Google Street View users can now explore picturesque trails in Co Clare from their phone, tablet or computer, thanks to a collaboration between the internet search giant and the Clare Local Development Company.
The organisation is the first to partner with Google on its Trekker Loan programme to bring these images to Google Street View.
The images of Co Clare include the famous Cliffs of Moher trail. The 12km Atlantic coastal walk links the towns of Liscannor and Doolin, using roadways and cliff-top pathways.
Now, armchair travellers can use Street View to view the route for themselves, even taking in the local flora and fauna, including a colony of seabirds, such as puffins and guillemots.
Other loop walks, farm tracks and sandy paths include the Lough Avalla Loop through a working farm of sheep, goats and cattle, the Ballycuggeran Loop overlooking Lough Derg, the O’Brien’s Bridge trail of canal towpaths and riverbanks, and the Carran Loop through the village of Carron and the Blackhead trail.
The Ballycuggeran Loop in Co Clare, via Google Street View
“Co Clare has arguably some the best, and most varied, trails on offer of any county in Ireland. Our motivation for getting involved in the Google Trekker Loan programme was to be able to showcase our stunning native landscape and inspire a wider audience to come and visit the county’s trail for themselves,” said Eoin Hogan, rural recreation officer for Clare Local Development Company and project leader.
The project collected 21 hours, or 1,260 minutes of footage from six trails over 46 km, all in three weeks.
Google’s Street View Trekker Loan is a programme that invites organisations to help collect imagery of hard to reach places worldwide.
Interested ‘Trekkers’ apply to borrow Google’s Trekker equipment so they can help capture images of amazing locations.
The pilot programme is currently available in certain countries only, including Ireland.
