“And some time make the time to drive out west
Into County Clare, along the Flaggy Shore,
In September or October, when the wind
And the light are working off each other
So that the ocean on one side is wild
With foam and glitter, and inland among stones
The surface of a slate-grey lake is lit
By the earthed lightning of a flock of swans,
Their feathers roughed and ruffling, white on white,
Their fully grown headstrong-looking heads
Tucked or cresting or busy underwater.
Useless to think you’ll park and capture it
More thoroughly. You are neither here nor there,
A hurry through which known and strange things pass
As big soft buffetings come at the car sideways
And catch the heart off guard and blow it open.” — Postscript by Seamus Heaney
The words most often used to describe the Burren are less than pleasant. Harsh, stark, craggy, unforgiving, bleak. There are parts of the Burren that appear to be all of these things. The iconic limestone reaches far up into seemingly endless hillsides, a dark gray when wet and the white of bleached bone when dry. An abundance of stone also means the region is dotted with crumbling ring forts and sprawling walls curling through the countryside like a trail of discarded crumbs. The weather is often cold, often rainy, often cloudy, foggy, or windy. The Burren can appear desolate. A land of stone capped by a coast of steel-gray seas, churning endlessly against yet more rock.
Then, the sun peaks out. The Burren is green, and fresh. Gloriously alive, abundantly rich in flora and fauna. Sheep graze lazily, cows gladly hunker down on dewy grass. Limestone glitters, cracks and splits now reflecting the sun in ways reminiscent of jewels. The Wild Atlantic Way calls, and coastal Ireland boasts of a shore bluer than the Bahamas. New melds with old as eager tourists pass at lightning speed through all the sites the Burren has to offer. The Burren is nothing less than beautiful.
This blog is dedicated to the sights, sounds, and experiences of the Burren. To the ancient structures and the whiskey bars, to the multiple species of orchids and the kitschy tourist shops. To the local Burren College of Art, the farmers, the convenience stores, and the holy wells. To everyone that makes the Burren, the Burren.
We hope you enjoy your stay.
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"Catch the heart off guard and blow it open" 