A WOMAN HAS been airlifted to hospital after she was rescued from a narrow ledge 182m above the sea in Co Clare this afternoon.

The South African tourist in her 20s was walking along a trail at the Cliffs of Moher with a friend at around 4.30pm when she lost her footing and fell onto a ledge below. The woman’s friend quickly raised the alarm.

The injured woman was left lying on a ledge just feet from the edge of the cliff at Aill Na Searrach north of the main viewing area at the popular Cliffs of Moher.

The Irish Coast Guard was alerted and watch officers at the service’s marine rescue sub centre on Valentia Island mounted and coordinated a rescue operation.

Members of the Doolin unit of the Coast Guard responded to the scene along with National Ambulance Service paramedics.

Coast Guard volunteers set up specialist climbing equipment so that members could abseil down to secure and treat the casualty.

A Coast Guard member and the helicopter’s winchman/paramedics climbed down to the woman and administered first aid before securing her to a stretcher.

Once this part of the rescue operation had been carried out, Rescue 115 was then able to move into position and airlift the woman from the ledge.

She was then flown to University Hospital Galway for treatment.