Local landlord and MP Sir Cornellius O’Brien erected the tower on the cliffs in 1835 as an observation tower for the English visitors who frequented the cliffs at the time: “strangers seeing the Magnificent Scenery of this Neighborhood.” It is claimed to have started out as a teahouse, with a big circular table and ironwork chairs.
According to another story, O’Brien built the tower to impress the women he was dating. On a clear day, the vista may stretch all the way to Loop Head on Clare’s southern point, and beyond to the Kerry highlands. On clear days, the Twelve Bens in Connemara (also known as the Twelve Pins) across Galway Bay, as well as the Aran Islands to the west, maybe seen from O’Brien’s Tower.
