Two days ago we arrived in The Burren, Co Clare. It is overwhelmingly desolate, barren and beautiful. It’s a magic place - rock and more rock as far as the eye can see! The Burren borders on Galway Bay which, as legend would have it, was once the site of one of the three largest loughs in Ireland. Sea levels rose and the Atlantic broke through - all that remains on the seaward side are the Aran islands.
The limestone rock of the Burren is 100s of millions of years old eroded over time by the huge ice sheet that once covered it and then by rainwater which filters down dissolving the rock to form fissures and karsts (like we saw in Tassie last year).
The limestone pavement of The Burren is listed as a Priority Habitat and is protected by law (listed on the European Habitats directory - I didn’t know there was one!)
I love the desolation of this place. The hills are awesome and the shoreline, where not towering cliffs, is a crazy smattering of lumpy, clumping low rocks rusted with a thick, slippery coat of seaweed. One tiny village offered seaweed baths; they’re supposed to be good for what ails you.
In amongst all that rock are gorgeous flowers. We found over a dozen different species in one roadside stop at Murrooghtoohy. This is within The Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark. More to come on that ......
Standing out starkly against the flat pavement of limestone are erratics - the boulders - of varying sizes formed by glacial activity wearing down rock.
A bus load of people arrived and swarmed over the rocks. Plenty of places still to explore on your own. It’s a big place! And the rocks extend way inland.
We saw this jumble of huge rocks where the roof of one cave had collapsed
It’s a rugged coast
Patches of flowers and grass grow in the most unlikely places. In days of old at the onset of winter the cattle farmers would drive their cattle down onto the limestone pavement to graze on the tender grasses which continued to grow around the rocks. The rock retained its heat well after the surrounding soil had cooled.
Gorgeous little sea campion
This pretty flower advertises to the world with these tiny insect-like banners.
To date a nameless beauty - for me.
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