The Burren County Clare
Unique, Beautiful, Strange!

The Burren County Clare Ireland (see map below).

The Burren, a unique and strangly surreal area of the world is situated primarily in the northern part of county Clare and includes an area reserved as a National Park.

It is a mainly limestone landscape that looks remarkably like melting snow in places and is home to many rare and wonderful plants that grow in the fertile soil between the cracks in the rock.

Pine Martens, foxes, birds and butterflies are just some of the many beautiful creatures that inhabit the Burren and you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of one or more as you pass on through.

Stretching from the coast to many miles inland it is also populated by grazing sheep and cattle and isolated trees that have been bent over by the prevailing winds from the Atlantic that are testimony to the power of Nature.

Hill and coastal vistas roll seamlessly into one and the visitor can only marvel at the panoramas that present themselves at every turn.

Ancient Grave Stone Poulnabrone Dolmen The Burren

Leamaneh Castle

The famous Poulnabrone Dolmen a neolithic tomb dating back to before the great Egyptian pyramids which can be seen standing near Ballyvaughan is a must see and it makes you wonder just how did they manage to place the cap stone which is over 2 tonnes in weight on to the top.

There are numerous small towns and villages nesting within the rocky landscape too and a walk known as the Green Road which is a favourite trail for trekkers of all ages cuts a swathe through the heart of the region.

This area is also littered with the ruins of numerous castles, churches and very old graveyards which once were the cornerstones of small long gone communities.

And then there are the stone walls that run for miles in this seemingly desolate place that give a sense of the surreal to the first time visitor and you find yourself thinking of the people who built them and the time it must have taken them to complete each section.

Some seemingly almost vertical stretches of these walls disappear over high ridges, running straight as an arrow in to the distance yet still standing as timeless monuments to their creators while bringing a strange sense of symmetry and organization to an otherwise chaotic terrain.

Cracker: Limestone Landscape

Cuckoo Flower

Getting Here
This is such a large area to explore that it will pay you to pick a convenient base from which to work from. After all, when the sightseeing is done for the day it is nice to know that you can get home pretty quickly for some much needed R and R.

Bus Services
Lisdoonvarna, Lahinch, Liscannor, Ennistymon and Ballyvaughan are all either on the doorstep of the Burren or are bang in the middle of it and these towns are on the Bus Eireann schedule as are a few smaller villages within the area but be aware that some services may be seasonal while others may only run on specific days.

Bus Timetable Download From Bus Eireann

• From Galway to Lisdoonvarna via Ballyvaughan route.
• From Limerick to Ennis to Corofin and Ennistymon route.
• From Limerick-Ennis to Corofin, Ennistymon, Lahinch, Lisdoonvarna, Doolin Campsite route.

• See All Bus Eireann's County Clare Routes and Timetables.

Accommodation
There is a wide choice of accommodation of different grades to suit all budgets available and you can choose from hotels, cottages, hostels, guest houses (B+Bs) and camping sites. Why not have a browse through our recommended booking service Hotels Combined.com to get a flavour of things first. Who knows you just might hit on a great place to stay at a low rate.

Craggagh Cemetery The Burren Co Clare

Transport
Depending on what you want to achieve and how you want to see the area there are several possibilities open to you but having a car would be a huge plus but not essential. The major car hire firms operate out of all of the country's major airports or log on to to book your car quickly and easily online.

Walking is popular as is cycling and cycle hire is available in Ennis and other places and is a great way to explore the Burren if you don't mind the odd shower of rain.

Places Of Interest
This page is in the process of being compiled and a fuller version will be uploaded very soon Thank you for your patience.