The Burren, County Clare, Ireland

Bloody Cranesbill on The Burren
Bloody Cranesbill (Geranium sanguineum)on The Burren

The Burren nestles against the Atlantic shores of southwest Ireland and covers most of northwest County Clare and just the southwest corner of County Galway. Rare flowers thrive there although none unique to The Burren; but what is unique, and unrivalled anywhere else in Europe, is the remarkable coexistence of warm-climate and cold-climate mountain and lowland species. Take, for example the lovely Spring Gentian (Gentiana verna) found high up in the Alps and the Pyrenees, and Mountain Avens (Dryas octopetala), a wildflower of the tundra: they both bloom on The Burren, alongside Dense-flowered Orchids (Neotinea maculata), also known as the Irish Orchid, more commonly associated with Madeira and the Canaries.

Narrow-leaved Marsh-orchid
Rare elsewhere, Narrow-leaved Marsh-orchid (Dactylorhiza traunsteineri) on The Burren

Also in The Burren you will find coastal cliffs and sand dunes, meadows and scrub, woodland and heath, bogs and small streams - some above ground and others in cave systems deep down beneath the limestone surface. And there are loughs, some permanent (although the water level drops dramatically in summer) and others seasonal and called turloughs. These turloughs are lowland areas that fill with rain water in the winter months, only to dry out again during the summer. They are home to fascinating plants that can survive total submersion for half the year and dry conditions for the other half - notable amonst these is the Marsh Helleborine (Epipactis pallustris).

The Burren is home to a fascinating range of rare orchids including the Fly Orchid (Ophrys insectifera), the Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera), Broad-leaved Helleborine (Epipactis helleborine) as well as the Dark-red Helleborine (Epipactis atrorubens) and, of course, O'kelly's Spotted-orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii ss. okellyi) many others unusual and beautiful plants.

We stayed at the bustling campsite in Corofin, run by the Neylon family. The campsite is ideally positioned for visiting many of the outstanding wildflower sites in the area, and Marie Neylon herself is quite an authority on where to find some of the rarest flowers. Tel: +353 (0)65 68 37683 Email link...

If B&B or self-catering accommodation is required we recommend Fergus View Guesthouse, or its adjacent self-catering cottage both run by Mary and Declan Kelleher. Mary is an excellent cook and there are some rather special dishes offered on the breakfast menu. The rooms in the guest house are lovely, and the self-catering cottage has been beautifully renovated - see pictures below. For a warm Irish welcome contact Mary and Declan on Tel: +353 (0) 65 68 37606 or Email link...

Fergus View self-catering cottage

The self-catering cottage at Fergus View Guesthouse

 

If you would like to eat out during your stay in The Burren we strongly recommend the Corofin Arms Restuarant for excellent local and seasonal dishes. Tel: +353 (0)65 68 37373 Email link...

 

Although many of the flowers are easy to find, some good places for information during your visit to The Burren are The Burren Centre in Kilfenora, which has a Burren exhibition and shop as well as a cafe Tel:+353(0) 65 7088030 - www.theburrencentre.ie - and the Burrenbeo Resource Centre in Main Street, Kinvara which also has a cafe - www.burrenbeo.com

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