An Branán Mór sea stack collapses at Cliffs of Moher

The collapse of An Branán Mór occurred last Thursday and was filmed by a US tourist.
The Doolin Ferry Company confirmed the collapse is the most substantial in 20 years.
Geologists confirm the rockfall is a natural result of ongoing coastal erosion processes.
The event happened after the nesting season, so local seabird populations were not affected.
Authorities have reiterated safety warnings for visitors to remain behind barriers.

A substantial section of the 67-metre sea stack An Branán Mór at the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare has collapsed into the Atlantic Ocean, an event captured on camera by a visiting US tourist. The collapse, which occurred Thursday August 13 2026, has prompted geologists to reassess the rate of coastal erosion affecting this major Irish tourist landmark. The Doolin Ferry Company later confirmed the newly eroded profile of the stack represents the most significant such event observed in the local area for 20 years.

The collapse unfolded when Melissa Blackman, a tourist from Texas, was hiking along the coastal path and recorded the precise moment of the rockfall. Witnesses near the cliff face reported hearing a loud, cannon-like boom as a large cloud of dust and rock smoke enveloped the base of the sea stack. Captain Jim Griffin of the Doolin Ferry Company, who has navigated the waters beneath the cliffs for over 20 years, later documented the altered formation and noted the missing chunk of rock was immediately apparent. The footage recorded by the tourist and the ferry captain has since circulated widely on social media platforms.

Local authorities and geologists have confirmed the event is a natural process of coastal erosion, with the Cliffs of Moher composed of 320-million-year-old layers of siltstone, sandstone, and shale that are continuously shaped by Atlantic waves. The rockfall occurred after the main seabird nesting season had ended, ensuring the thousands of seabirds that breed on the stack were not affected. Tour guides and safety officials have used the viral footage to reinforce safety warnings, urging visitors to remain behind the protective barriers as cliff edges and sea stacks can give way without warning.

Melissa Blackman shared that the footage she recorded was entirely accidental.