The Burren

The Burren [ bʌɹən ] (Irish At Bhoireann [ ən ʲ ən ˠ wɛɾ ˠ ], " rocky place ") is a karst landscape in the northwest of County Clare in Ireland. Similar landscapes can be found in County Cavan and in the UK at the following locations: Durness, the Isle of Skye and in Perthshire, Yorkshire, Cumbria, and South Wales.

Other areas are the Alvars on the Swedish island Öland, the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario ( Canada ) and various territories south of the Great Lakes. One may term the " Burren " a regional title, and as a synonym for " Limestone pavements ' respectively, a name which has become the world now for karst phenomena of this kind.

The Burren and the area around the Abbey Corcomroe were historically originally own baronies, which were subject to the clan of O'Connor and O'Loughlin. In 1991, the Burren National Park was established on 1150 ha.

Description

The limestone area is approximately 250 square kilometers and is, strictly speaking, of the places in the north of Ballyvaughan and Kilfenora in the south. In about Related is a larger area that limit the Doorus Peninsula in the north and the villages of Corofin and Lisdoonvarna in the south and Kinvara in the Northeast. The Aran Islands are the geological continuation of the Burren across Galway Bay.

The surface of the Burren is - apart from the Caher Valley - divided by knee- deep carts in rectangular fields. They were formed by surface water, which even today is collected in so-called turloughs even after heavy rains. Also have the horizontal plates by fracturing, the " Clint " separated. If you walk across the plateau, so clacks about every 25 plate because it has become detached from its support. The loose limestone plates have thicknesses ranging from 15 to 25 cm and were used in the construction of the older stone monuments. Oliver Cromwell characterized the Burren for a military campaign in the area as: " No tree, where you hang a man, not a pond, where you drown him, no earth in which you could bury him."

To the south of Ballyvaughan, you can visit the cave " Aillwee Cave " ( Bear Cave ). The visitor center is integrated into the landscape.

The Burren is a bizarre hiking landscape and a rich archaeological area with about 500 plants of different types. It is home to a number of monastery ruins and a variety of caves ( Aillwee Cave, Pollnagollum with the largest stalactites ) the island as well as sacred springs ( Tobercornan ) and turloughs. Concentrated here many Duns or ring forts, including Ballyallaban, Ballykinvarga, Caheranardurrish, Cahermore, the restored Caherconnell, Cahermacnaughten where the Irish Brehon Laws ( judge laws) were recorded, Caherminnaun, Fanygalvan and Cahermackirilla and the triple mounded Promontory Fort Cahercommaun. One can find ruins of Castles ( Leamaneh, Newtown Castle), ancient churches and monasteries ( Carran Church, Churches of Oughtmama, Corcomroe Abbey, Church of Drumcreehy, Temple Cronan ) and Celtic crosses. The cathedral of Kilfenora is also within the Burren as the dolmens and stone boxes and wedge tombs of Baur, Coolnatullagh, Cairn of Poulawack, Gleninsheen, Parknabinnia and Poulaphuca. The Dolmen, including 120 Wedge tombs alone, lying on the articulated by sinkholes and carts bare stone surface. Is world famous Poulnabrone Dolmen.

History

The history of the Burren was determined by the kings, the clans and from the 12th century and the Church. King Donal Mor O'Brien founded 1182 Corcomroe Abbey or " Saint Mary of the Fertile Rock", also called "Abbey of Burren ". Several battles from the year 1000, mostly on one side of the O'Briens ( the descendants of Brian Boru ), were defeated at Corcomroe. However, it begins according to the Annals of the Four Masters already with a battle in the year 703 AD, in the Ceiloichair the son Comans fell. In the years 1027, 1055 and 1088, the O'Briens and the O'Conners raided the Burren. In 1267, then report the Annals of Innisfallen Abbey, fell here Conor na Siudaine O'Brien and was buried in Corcomroe. Despite the support of the O'Dea and O'Hehir was defeated Conor Carrach O'Loghlin and its allies. 1317 was the last battle of O'Brien held in The Burren. Donogh and most of his clan fell against the Normans, who, largely conquered the Kingdom of Thomond, which had established itself in the rest of County Clare and County Kerry parts of Limerick, Offaly and Tipperary.

Burren Life Project

The BurrenLife Project is committed to sustainable agriculture, as agriculture is an important part of the ecosystem in the Burren. The project is planning different paths that serve primarily as hiking trails, but can also be used as agricultural ways to manage especially the high altitudes of the Burren.

Flora

Limestones and dolomites are at the surface. There are hardly any trees, the sparse vegetation consists mainly of grasses, herbs, mosses and lichens. In the Burren, there are many Mediterranean, Alpine and even Arctic plants that are otherwise rarely socialized and otherwise not be found anywhere in Ireland. Examples are:

• Spring Gentian ( Gentiana verna)
• White Mountain Avens ( Dryas octopetala )
• Bloody Cranesbill (Geranium sanguineum )
• Maidenhair fern ( Adiantum capillus - veneris )
• Grey Rockrose ( Helianthemum canum )
• Holly

And the types of orchids:

• Pyramids Dog Wurz ( Anacamptis pyramidalis )
• Brown-red helleborine ( Epipactis atroubens )
• Male orchid (Orchis mascula )
• Heath Spotted Orchid ( Dactylorhiza maculata )
• Bee Orchid ( Ophrys apifera )
• Mosquito Händelwurz ( Gymnadenia conopsea )
• Lesser Butterfly-orchid ( Platanthera bifolia )
• Keuschorchis ( Neotinea maculata )

Fauna

In addition to a rich variety of flora there are also many species of animals in the Burren. Only 28 species of butterflies, including Fritillary were counted. Birds, too, are well represented. Besides lark, cuckoo and hooded crow nest in the coastal regions, especially seabirds such as auks, guillemots and puffins. Rarely, however, are in the Burren area of ​​mammals - most often you can still see wild goats and Irish hare, rare badger, fox and weasel.

Mineral extraction

The region has a long mining tradition. The recovery of phosphate stands out, which was dismantled in Doolin and Noughaval. The mine in Doolin was by far the largest. During the Second World War, when an embargo prevented the import of fertilizers, about 115,000 tons were promoted.

Old maps show the areas of lead and silver mining on the west side of the Slieve Carron and north of Doolin. Copper ore was promoted at Glenvaan. The decorative amethyst was mined during the 1960s under the place Kilweelran. Fluorspar is found throughout the Burren. Calcite for the production of cement and colors can be found in different areas of the Burren. Many years were mined at Moher flagstones and used for paving or fireplace stones.