"The Burren" a Galway Travel Page by Taistealai

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Burrren Landscape

The Burren stretches from northern Clare to western Galway. The name comes from the Irish "boireann", which means rocky country. This may help to understand the Cromwellian quote "neither water enough to drown a man, nor a tree to hang him, nor soil enough to bury him". There are many more places in this region -- the town of Doolin, Corcomroe Abbey, and the lovely coastline -- that I would love to explore on my next trip. For this one, though, I spent most of my time in the Central Burren, between Ballyvaughn and Corofin.

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Flora of the Burren

Although the Burren is a huge region of limestone with little soil, it supports an interesting mix of plants. I especially loved the wildflowers growing between the rocks.

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Aillwee Caves

The Ailwee caves were "discovered" back in the 1940s by a local farmer following his dog that had chased a rabbit into the caverns. Today you can tour the caves as part of a guided group (IEP4.50 for adults), and it's really worth it. The main cavern goes for about 600m, and there are several smaller caverns branching off -- some with very low ceilings, one with a waterfall, and one near the entrance with the bones from a brown bear, extinct in Ireland for 10,000 years.

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My cousin Sheelagh and I inside the Ailwee caves. The guide demonstrated complete darkness to the tour group at this point -- you never really know how dark it can be until you experience it in a cave.

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Poulnabrone Dolmen

The Poulnabrone Dolmen is a frequently-photographed monument and makes a great sunrise or sunset shot. It's a 3-legged tomb built over 5,000 years ago, but it wasn't excavated until the late 1980s. This was one of the best stops on my trip. You just drive along the road (R480) until you come to a hill where there are usually 10 - 15 cars parked along the side. Pull over behind the last car, and walk to the opening in the fence, then simply traipse through the field. You can walk right up to the ancient monument -- there are no entrance fees or tour guides.