The Burren and Beyond

Karst. The way that landscapes should be.

The Burren, in County Clare, is by far my favourite part of Ireland, which consists of one of the largest karst landscapes in Europe. While it is missing the dramatic gorges found elsewhere, it makes up for it with its other karst features. Most of them far surpass anything else in the British Isles. Being my favourite, there will be a lot of pictures, and there will also be some comments about the limestone geology that creates this spectacular landscape. If you find it too barren (completely unrelated word) for your tastes, I suggest you try a different gallery.

Ireland has depressingly few national parks, covering pathetically small amounts of the spectacular countryside. The burren is no exception. While there is a small Burren National Park, it's in one of the least impressive and least interesting parts of the Burren. In fact, their own Web site keeps talking about the parts that are not in the national park, since they are the more interesting parts. I will do the same. The majority of it is, however, designated as a special area of conservation. Removal of rocks or building of copycat monuments is prohibited.

The burren largely consists of limestone formed by coral reef and shell sediments (that's an unimaginable number of shells), and is of a similar age to most of that in Wales and England.

• Crossing the Shannon, Ireland's longest river, at Limerick. This river has its source all the way up in Northern Ireland, where it flows through Shannon Cave. Horrible picture through a car window, but what else can you expect. It's just a river, not worth stopping for.
• Leamaneh Castle, seen through a rain-soaked window. Like most Irish heritage, it is privately owned and very poorly maintained, and has been left to decay for the last 300 years, despite having survived for 250 years before that (even surviving Cromwell's campaign against Ireland). Visitors are not permitted. I wonder why they allow this sort of thing to happen to their heritage. Does it make it seem more magical and mysterious? Or does it just look like they don't care?
• Carron Church. Like many in Ireland, it has many graves adorned with Celtic crosses, and no roof. Now you know why churches are always begging for money to fix the church roof. It seems odd to have so many being left derelict in Ireland. Perhaps they just stopped caring about them. Or perhaps they deliberately build and maintain them this way to have somewhere tumbledown romantic to be buried. Doubt it though.
• Poulnabrone Dolmen, one of the most iconic pieces of Irish stone age heritage. When I last visited, there were literally thousands of copycat monuments built by tourists using slabs of the limestone pavement. I probably built one of them myself as a child. These have now been removed to prevent yet more copycats and more damage.
• To further prevent damage, there is now an ugly rope preventing people from getting too close. This, combined with the ridiculous number of visitors, makes it very difficult to get good pictures. Well, it is a 5000-6000 year old burial site, with around 25 bodies buried beneath it, so it makes sense to protect it.
• The slab is about 4 metres long and suspended nearly 2 metres up. It has been rebuilt after one of the supporting stones finally broke 24 years ago. At least it was deemed so important that they actually rebuilt it.
• Geology; Limestone pavement around the tomb. This is the first view of the classic Burren landscape.
• Pavement.
• Geology; Details of the beautifully sculpted clints (rock) and grikes (cracks), with solutional runnel features on the clints called karren, as well as scallops indicating water flow. This may be considered barren, but its more appropriate to say it is a specialist habitat for niche species - several uncommon types of plants flourish here, where more common ones fail completely.
• Geology; Edge of the dry valley. It's said that on The Burren, there is not enough water to drown a man, since most of it immediately disappears into solutional holes and caves beneath the surface.
• Geology; This dry valley is actually a turlough. While normally dry, wet weather causes the cave systems to overflow, and the water wells up, creating a lake in this valley (hence those marsh plants, that would not normally survive a dry landscape). Once a stable flood water table is reached, the lake stops rising. Once the flood level recedes, the lake is swallowed up again by the caves, and disappears. These are not unique to The Burren, but it is certainly a very good place to witness such an unusual feature.
• Poulnabrone sits on the edge of the exposed Burren, and the area has a lot more regular greenery than other parts of it. But it's still a nice introduction.
• Visitor mania at Pollnabrone. There are many more of these tombs in The Burren, but this is the only one that is well signed, and without having enough time to play here, we did not find any of the others. Neither, it would seem, does anyone else.
• The back of Moneen Mountain (305 metres). This nicely shows another two parts of the Burren saying; there is not enough wood to hang a man, nor enough soil to bury him. Even in places where there is soil, it is so thin that it cannot be cultivated. So how did those stone age people survive here? Originally, there would have been soil or weaker rock covering, but this would have been removed by glaciation, leaving some areas of glacial till cover. A lot of what remained is thought to have been removed (much like desertification) by those early farmers.
• The last part of the saying states that despite The Burren being inhospitable for humans, it is a good place for cows because the tiny patches of grass growing in the grikes are particularly well nourished. Of course, there are also patches such as this dry valley, where there is better soil, and more plants, but it still doesn't look like a great place for farming.
• The barren front of Moneen Mountain. Aillwee Cave is situated at the base of this, and is the only significant cave in this mountain.
• Dry stone (of course) walls on Moneen.
• Holy well at Black Head. Basically just a small cave resurgence that someone has decided is more important than a regular resurgence, typically associating it with a saint, and built a shrine around it.
• Black Head, where the impressive flanks of Gleninagh Mountain (317 metres) and its conjoined Carnsefin (292 metres) drop abruptly into the sea. Note that some maps incorrectly call this Gleninag Mountain (the pronunciation would be completely different, since Irish *h is pronounced as English h in most cases [leaving the g silent in Gleninagh], except Irish bh and mh, which are pronounced as English v - I'm probably missing some of the rules here, but that seems to work in most cases).
• Exposed rock on the flank of Carnsefin. Note the horse, which seems perfectly happy with this grass.
• Road and stone wall sympathetically winding around Carnsefin.
• Superb coastal pavement at the edge of Carnsefin.
• Erratics.
• Geology; pavements are dominated by long grikes which form along a joint for a considerable distance. (As cavers, we call these rifts.)
• Geology; Limestone and chalk are made of calcite (CaCO₃, calcium carbonate), which allows acids to dissolve them. Limestone is mixed with impurities which gives it enough strength to support long caves. Calcite crystals are typically hexagonal (made from three pairs of parallel lines), which produce weakness where a crystal lines up with other crystals or impurities. When the rock is forming, it dries, contracts and cracks along weaknesses, producing joints. (Acidic water can then make its way into the microscopic cracks, and dissolve the calcite to make the cracks larger, eventually becoming caves.) Typically these (on a larger scale) line up parallel to and perpendicular to the direction of most stress. Often with limestone, however, the cracks are seen to line up in three complimentary directions as shown here, apparently reflecting the planes of the crystals. What is impressive is just how long and well formed these cracks can get compared with the relative size of the crystals, and over how large an area the directionality of the cracks remains consistent. While this is probably just a coincidence, I would love to know if these joints actually manage to be influenced by the shape and orientation of the crystals in any way.
• Geology; As the edge of the mountain slopes down, it jumps in steps, creating cliffs called scars. Typically, it remains relatively flat in between scars, where the flat pavement surfaces match up with the cracks between the horizontal beds in which the limestone was laid down, where an upper bed has been sheared off. In this case, the beds typically contain a small layer of shale mud-rock. Caves can also wash out and form along these cracks, which then become known as bedding planes. That will do for now with the geology, but you can expect some more later - if you consider that a bad thing, just look at the pictures :P
• Distant herd of wild donkeys (and a couple of sheep) grazing on The Burren. Note the foal feeding.
• Fanore Church with Celtic crosses. With pebble dash.
• Coast at Ailladie, a popular climbing spot for its sea cliffs (the ones near the camera) and limestone scar cliffs (starting on the left).
• Scar at Ailladie.
• Etched rocks at Ailladie - they almost look like pumice. Close to here is Pol-an-Ionain, a short cave and now a useless showcave, containing the longest stalactite in the British Isles; the 6.7 metre Soggy Dishcloth.
• Crab island, just off the coast from Doolin Harbour.
• Crashing waves at Doolin Harbour.
• Jellyfish washed up on the tiny harbour beach by the rough seas.
• Crashing waves at Doolin Point. Underneath this are the Reef Caves and The Hell Complex, an extensive set of marine caves only a little under a kilometre long, making them the second longest in the British Isles. They were initially formed during a time when sea levels were lower, and have since been flooded as sea levels rose.
• Limestone benches at the point.
• Solutional features of corroded limestone.
• Thrift in the grikes.
• Geology; The beginnings of a solutional channel that if covered would eventually grow into a cave passage. These are known as anastomosis.
• Geology; Though often represented in geological diagrams as brickworks, this clearly shows the parallel cracks along three directions of weakness, lining up perfectly to produce a hexagon, representing the crystalline structure.
• Coastal pavement. Only the plants are different. The salt has little effect, since it's not acidic.
• Apparently Angie left an impression on someone here.
• Impressive waves crashing on Boodaun Bay. A short dry cave called Poll Ballaghaline exists where the distant wave is about to land. Under the near coast directly in front of it are the entrances to Mermaid's Hole, the longest marine cave in the British Isles at around 1.5 km.
• Passenger ferry sailing against the evening light to the Aran Islands.
• Evening sunlight on the coastal rocks.
• She apologised to me for getting in my picture. I thanked her for the silhouette. It was a thing we had. There is not a single part of this photo that I do not like. Even the lens flares make it look completely dreamy.
• Sunset with streamers over the Aran Islands, and a nicely timed spout from a blowhole.
• Well placed signs at the camp site at Doolin Harbour.
• A group with a guitar start a spontaneous sing-along with a number of traditional (and silly) songs, at McDermotts pub in Doolin.
• Followed by the traditional music. This is one of the many places where traditional music holds a strong influence, not just for tourists. On the left is a Bodhran (sounds like "borahn") - a versatile handheld drum, characteristic of Irish music. In the middle is the fiddle, which would often be replaced by a tin whistle, either of which are used to play fast and complex tunes. On the right is the stringed instrument, which would typically be a banjo (guitars are almost never used as they do not have the right sound), but in this case is a variant of the mandolin which may be an Irish bouzouki. Occasionally, an accordion is also used, but not here. Some pubs also feature dancing squares for jig dancing (like Lord of the Dance, only without the idiot waving his arms around, since that's forbidden in traditional jig dancing), or set dancing.
• First time I have ever seen one of these used ...
• Mouth of the Aille River at Fisherstreet, where the Cliffs of Moher start. This is also the end of the popular and impressive Doolin Cave system (not to be confused with Pol-an-Ionain, whose showcave name is also Doolin Cave).
• Huge waves leaping over the tops of the cliffs. At this point, the cliffs are only about 20-25 metres high (see the horses for scale), but that means that the wave reaches as much as 30 metres.
• View animation.
• Early part of the Cliffs of Moher, seen from Doolin. This section is around 100 metres high.
• The main view of the Cliffs of Moher with Hag's Head 8 km away in the distance, where the cliffs are around 120 metres tall. At the tallest rise at the left of the picture, the cliff is about 200 metres high. The name comes from the ruined stone fort that once lay on Hag's Head, now replaced with that Napoleonic tower. Incidentally, the name sounds like a shortened version of "mow her" (almost like "mower"), not "mow hair", as is sometimes used.
• Splashing wave at the base of the cliff. That enormous sea cave is about 100 metres high, and the seemingly small splash actually reaches about 30 metres up the cliff.
• O'Brien's Tower, situated over a 200 metre section of the cliff, built in 1835 as a way to impress Women. Cornelius O' Brien must have been over-compensating for something.
• Previously you could walk up to the edge, but there is now a wall preventing that (while simultaneously blocking the view for shorter visitors). Wonder how I got this shot at the edge, nearly 200 metres up ...
• Perhaps that's why the wall is there. A pity though, since it would be nice to be allowed to enjoy standing on the edge, even if it does overhang.
• Tallest part of the Cliffs of Moher, at 214 metres high. This is the tallest vertical sea cliff in Ireland - there are some far taller cliffs in various other places of Ireland, but they are not vertical. There are also far taller cliffs, both vertical and sloping, in other parts of the British Isles. That does not, however, detract from how impressive these ones feel.
• Collection of teeth-like stacks at the base of the cliff. The tallest is around 30 metres high.
• The 70 metre Breanan Mór stack, showing the beds of sandstone and shale that make up the cliffs.
• The black lines on the stack and cliffs are thousands of birds. Note the one that is coming into land near the top of the picture, and is trying to find its spot on the cliff.
• A closeup shows that they are mostly common guillemots, and a few gulls. There also appeared to be a couple of razorbills. Elsewhere on the cliffs there are supposed to be puffins, but you're more likely to see a picture of them than the real thing.
• It's impossible. Bumblebee and Scottish thistle at the top of the cliffs.
• Aran Islands.
• Surreal rainbow in a shower.
• Moher mania. And wall.
• As with many Celtic countries (including Wales), Irish folk music also has strong ties to the harp, though I'd have to say this is a strange place to show it. But I suppose, wherever there are tourists, there is money. And cameras.
• Very confused flags at the visitor centre. Hint; Ireland and the EU are not in the USA. (Perhaps they are just trying as hard as possible not to fly a UK flag - I guess you'll have to wait for the Northern Introduction gallery for that to make sense.)
• Kilmoon Church. Take a guess as to whether or not it has a roof.
• Stile.
• Faunarooska, with the Knockaun Mountains on the left. This is part of the heart of the caving area, home to caves like Coolagh River Cave, Poulnagree, the deep Poll na gCeim and Faunarooska Cave.
• Mouth of the Caher River valley, about the only thing that could be called a gorge here.
• Carnsefin and Gleninagh, over the Caher valley.
• Slieve Elva (343 metres). This is the tallest point in the Burren, which really seems quite small, but its enough for impressive cave systems, and spectacular scenery, no matter how little relief there is.
• Geology; Beautiful example of the pavement, scar, scree, pavement, scar, scree, pediment topography of karst landscapes, shown by Carnsefin and Gleninagh.
• Shades of green and grey.
• Ruin at Derrynavahagh.
• Now in the Caher nature reserve, this is the most important part of Slieve Elva; at the right edge of the picture is the entrange to Poulnagollum, the longest cave in Ireland, currently at about 16 km, and passing under most of this picture. The Burren is by far the most important site for caves in Ireland, containing more cave than all of the rest of Ireland put together.
• Geology; On the other side is the entrance to Poulelva (another part of the same system) with Poulnacapple Hill behind it. This also has many caves, including the Cullaun systems. However, there are still relatively few caves considering how much visible limestone there is, partly because caves need acid to form, and there is a distinct lack of acidic soil. Partly though, it appears to be because there is so much exposed limestone that the water goes absolutely everywhere, rarely concentrating in one place long enough to produce a big enough access point into the systems. What systems do exist are well washed vadose caves, with rapid responses to rainfall.
• If I am not mistaken, this is the Cragreagh farmhouse, where several of the smaller caves are, including Pollcragreagh, which I think is in the field and depression on the left.
• Winding road on Corkscrew Hill, with Poulnacapple Hill on the near left, Capanawalla on the distant left, and Moneen Mountain on the right.
• Some great road surface on the N67. Just so you understand, this is a fairly major road (equivalent to a UK lesser A road), a highway. This is normal for Irish major road, which may randomly have a load of potholes, broken or blistered road surface, or missing lines. This particular road had the worst point earlier where the entire surface became obliterated by all the potholes such that it was not a choice of how to avoid the holes, but which holes were safest to drive into. On a major road. No pictures because I couldn't hold the camera steady enough.
• Moneen Mountain.
• Shanmuckinish Castle, gateway to a small peninsula in Muckinish Bay. Like so many castles, it is half missing. No idea why so many have this bizzare remnant.
• View over Poulnaclogh Bay of the small Abbey Hill, an unnamed bump, Turlough Hill (285 metres) and Gortaclare Mountain (288 metres).
• Moneen Mountain over Poulnaclogh Bay.
• What happens when you drive on Irish roads.
• The end of the Burren. On the right is Abbey hill, then that unnamed bump, then Turlough Hill, and the slopes of Slievecarran (324 metres).
• Dunguaire Castle at Kinvara.
• Beautiful colours and ruin at Kinvara Bay. Note also the large resurgence which serves the flooded river caves in the Gort-Kinvara area.
• Pothole large enough to take out a wheel. This example is on the N18, a major N road (equivalent to a major UK A road). This is about as important a road as you will get in most of the country.
• Ireland has relatively few motorways and dual-carriageways. This is a fairly typical major N road (equivalent to a major A road in the UK), with two lanes (occasionally three). To make up for this, the special dashed lane that sometimes appears on the left is used as a lane for slow vehicles to use to allow overtaking, as a hard shoulder, a cycle lane, a parking area, a slip road, an overtaking lane when the person in front is about to turn right, and pretty much anything else you could think to use it for. They are fairly common on N roads, but become far less common on R roads (UK B roads).
• Haystack. Without an overtaking lane.
• The Maumturk Mountains. The tallest is Barrslievenaroy at 702 metres, but right behind it are the Twelve Pins, where Benbaun reaches 729 metres.
• Cong Abbey.
• This tiny town was the setting for The Quiet Man film. If you don't recognise the name, suffice to say that it starred John Wayne. So ... yeah, that's why.
• Ashford Castle, an 800 year old mansion castle, that has - shock - been looked after. Mainly because it is a hotel - a private business. It sits on the end of Lough Corrib, the second largest lake in the British Isles by area (181 km²), longest in extended length at about 50 km (it turns a corner part way along its length), and longest in linear length at 43 km.
• Swans demonstrating the normal Irish approach to their heritage. You may think I am being a little cruel, but I'm really not. So much of the important stuff is just left to decay; ruins are one thing, but they make no attempts to preserve most of their heritage sites in any state at all, which is really quite sad.
• The remains of a canal lock, converted into a boathouse.
• Remains of a canal. How can it be a canal when it clearly has not got enough water? You may well ask.
• Towpath heading into a lock. This is the site of the 6 km Cong Canal. It was envisaged as a boating route between Lough Corrib and Lough Mask, as a way to bring in money during the desperate famine years between 1845 and 1850. It was built at great expense over those 5 years, painstakingly planned.
• Lock gate - a substantial and very impressive piece of engineering. If only it were not left to be broken up by those trees. It is not signposted anywhere in the town, even though there are signs for just about every single other thing they have there (probably even a sign for the stone where Jimmy Whocares stubbed his toe). To find it, go to the car park just outside the eastern edge of the town, and look for the towpath at the end of the car park that is furthest from the road into the town.
• Notches for the doors that make up the lock gate.
• You see, they forgot something; this is limestone. Limestone does not hold water. It needs to be sealed with cement for that to happen, and sealing this much limestone is expensive. When the canal was opened, it promptly failed to hold the water, and was a major loss of money (though it had at least provided some jobs for a few years). The governing body (that would be the British Empire, right?) refused to pay to seal it, since railways were supposedly becoming more popular - not that they provided one of those either.
• There's a canal under these trees. (As a nice example of the separation between the Irish counties, the karst historians and tourist office in Co. Clare had no knowledge at all of this canal, because it was "all the way up in Co. Galway" - note that the two counties are right next to each other.)
• A nicely preserved section of the canal, privately owned. Other parts have been filled in. Sure, it was a failure, but it's the most interesting thing in this town, and it's really such a shame that so much is allowed to deteriorate. This part is how the rest should look. Apparently it is preserved by occasionally becoming a flood overflow channel in winter. Some parts upstream of this also retain this appearance, with Carrownagower Bridge being a popular place to see it.
• Since this is private, I never got here, and I never took this picture. Just in case a dry canal does not look stupid enough, note the depth guage on the side, sitting stupidly clear of any water.
• Perhaps you may be inclined to forgive the original planners - they may not have known the properties of limestone at the time. But then there's this; the river between the lakes does not maintain a surface drainage. Sometimes it's on the surface ...
• Sometimes it's not.
• In fact, it sinks and rises repeatedly on its way between the lakes, creating a network of springs, sinks, and loops of displaced surface river. It was screaming at them to pay attention to the limestone, but unfortunately they did not see what was right under their noses, or their feet.

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