Living The Irish Dream - Part 6

     County Clare may be famous for the majestic Cliffs of Moher, but it's also home to the Burren. Though lesser known, the Burren is just as imposing, especially in geological terms. 
     Covering an area of 160 square kilometres, the Burren (which means stoney place in Gaelic) is unique and is like no other place in Ireland. After seeing greenery all around, suddenly you will find very few pastures here. You will now be surrounded by huge pavements of karst limestone called 'clints' with vertical fissures called 'grikes'. The area is remarkably similar to the moonscape, but amazingly, it has abundant foliage and wildlife.

Driving around the Burren offered sights of landscape like this

     The Burren may look like a bleak, uninviting place to set up a home but in truth, man has settled here since the stone age. There is plenty of evidence of this as massive dolmens, wedge tombs and stone forts are all around. A dolmen, which some people call the Irish Stonehenge, is a megalithic tomb with a large flat stone laid on upright ones. The most famous and most photographed dolmen in the Burren is the Poulnabrone. Excavations in the 1980s revealed the remains of 21 people in the main room chamber! 

The Poulnabrone Dolmen at the Burren

Ireland's Stonehenge?

Poulnabrone Dolmen at sunset

     

Marvel at this megalithic tomb

Driving around County Clare, we also stumbled upon Dysert O'Dea Castle, built between 1470 and 1490. It was there that we saw the St. Tola's High Cross, a magnificent example of a Celtic cross. Celtic crosses abound in Ireland and Scotland, and they are so pretty.

Quiet all around at Dysert O'Dea

St. Tola's High Cross

Mama Cow checks us out

while Baby Cow is caught in the act!

Celtic cross at sunset

     The Emerald Isle is truly amazing. As you explore slowly, you will drive from green meadows to serene lakes, then on to  stark landscape and onwards to imposing cliffs. It is a treasure trove indeed!