Where do I even start to describe the long weekend I spent in beautiful County Clare? I don’t think I’m going too far if I say that the Burren is one of my favourite places in Ireland. I had wanted to visit this unique landscape for ages but Covid, and then pregnancy morning sickness, meant I had to put this trip on the back burner for a couple of years. You can imagine my delight when, one sunny May morning, I squeezed into the backseat of our blue Toyota with my family. We were finally going to see the Burren in bloom.
Even though I had high expectations, the experience did not dissapoint. Here are 5 reasons why you should visit the Burren. And why I will go again!
1. Experience a Different Side of the Emerald Isle
What do you think about when you think of Ireland? Rainy days and rolling green hills, sheep frolicking in the fields? You will find all of these things if you visit Ireland and, to be fair, there are summer days when everything is so green it makes your head spin with giddy happiness. But that’s not all. The Irish landscape has a few surprises.
The Burren is a karst landscape. Karst landscapes are formed when the underlying rock is soluble, like the Burren’s limestone. These landscapes have some distinctive features like depressions, sinkholes, sinking streams and springs… in other words, not your typical Irish landscape. It’s absolutely amazing, though.
2. History Etched into the Landscape
The karst landscape is not only scenic but it has history written all over it. It tells the story of forgotten seas, epic collisions, and the passage of deep time…
This unique landscape holds the largest limestone pavement in the world! The Burren’s limestone was formed under an ancient tropical sea and contains fossil corals, crinoids and brachiopods. It took around 20 million years for the limestone deposits to form and much of its composition is bits of broken fossils. During the previous ice age, about 2 million years ago, large masses of ice scoured the surface, stripping soil and shattering rocks. As the ice melted, these rocks were scattered across the Burren. Ever since the last ice age ended, around 15 000 years ago, rain has been dissolving the limestone, creating caves and fissures.
3. Unique Flora
The burren is an incredibly species rich area, containing over 70% of the 900 native flora species found in Ireland! If that’s not enough to make you excited, the landscape hosts a curious mix of lime-loving and lime-adverse plants, artic-alpine and Mediterranean species! The cherry on top? 23 species of orchid species can be found in this diverse habitat. This is why many people come to the Burren. This is why I wanted to go to the Burren. It’s any amateur botanist/ naturalist’s dream. I was very lucky to see some very unique flowers during our vist in May and I’d love to return at some point, perhaps later in the season, to find some more.
4. Spectacular Views and Walking Trails
Even if you’re not into flowers, there are some fabulous hiking trails in the Burren. Ocean, mountains, orchards, historic sites, and wildflowers of course – the Burren is a magical place to discover on foot. But be prepared, like most of Ireland, the weather can be changeable. Here are some great recommendations for walking trails: https://www.theirishroadtrip.com/burren-walks-guide/
5. Hospitality and Good Food
The great hospitality, friendly locals, and fabulous restaurants in the area made our weekend even more wonderful. We stayed near Ballyvaughn and found the old-school charm and warm welcome at Cappabhail House delightful. I can recommend Monk’s restaurant for dinner, the Tea and Garden Rooms for lunch, and the Hylands Burren Hotel for an after-walk pint. The Burren Perfumery is another great outing for food, scenic drives and some local products.
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Thank you for visiting the Wild Library blog. I write about books, walking, gardening, and wildflowers.
Happy walking,
Chantelle
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Sources and for more information:
https://www.discoverireland.ie/the-burren
https://burrenbotanist.ie/wildflowers/
https://burrenbeo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Burren-flowers-FG.pdf
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