On the road to the Cliffs of Moher, a former primary school now houses fossils, crystals and stones from around the world. At The Rock Shop, you might begin by admiring an ammonite in a display case and leave looking at the country’s paving slabs in a new light. Liscannor stone, whose patterns preserve traces of vanished animals, gives this stop its roots in Clare.
The building once served as a primary school near St Brigid’s Well. The school closed in the early 1990s. When a family opened The Rock Shop in 1996, the shop occupied two small classrooms. It expanded two years later. The former school now also houses a tea room overlooking Liscannor Bay.
The shop combines pieces for collectors with crafted objects, from raw minerals to jewellery. Among its offerings are ammonites, onyx and Connemara marble. When browsing the display cases with children, try comparing their shapes. The spiral of an ammonite retains the shape of a shell, while the faces of a crystal are formed by the mineral’s growth. Two objects that catch the eye for very different reasons.
Liscannor slabs are prized for their uneven surfaces, crossed by sinuous raised patterns. These markings are trace fossils. While an ammonite preserves the form of part of a body, a trace fossil preserves the result of a behaviour, such as the burrowing of a tunnel through sediment. Looking at these intersecting lines, then, reveals the marks of ancient animal activity.
An audiovisual presentation explores the quarries around Liscannor and Moher and the slabs once extracted from them. It provides a local counterpart to the shop’s display cases. The stone also evokes the village’s past, when its harbour was used to ship materials extracted in the surrounding area.
The tea room is another reason to stop, especially when wind or rain cuts short a coastal outing. Homemade scones and cakes can be enjoyed overlooking the bay, where the light changes quickly as showers pass through. If you are continuing towards the cliffs, keep the history of the quarries in mind. The landscape can then be read on two scales: the great cliffs above the Atlantic and the impressions visible on a slab.
Want to extend your visit without having to rush around? Here are a few well-located places to stay near the must-see attractions.
Essential information to help you plan your visit, including key landmarks, access information, and booking options.
Cliffs of Moher Road (R478), Derreen, V95 AH63, Liscannor, County Clare, Republic of Ireland, Tourist sites in Ireland
52.9437, -9.4235
Shop open daily from 10am to 5pm. Tea room from 10am to 4.30pm, according to the times displayed on the official website.
Check the opening hours and admission requirements before you leave, especially during peak season or on Irish public holidays.
Free entry to the shop. The audiovisual presentation is advertised as free. Purchases and refreshments are charged for.
