Walk Ireland Now

The Burren is one of the most unusual landscapes to be seen.  The striated rock formations and smooth limestone are indications of an ancient land mass formed beneath the prehistoric ocean and then forced up to sea level by the gigantic might of continents colliding.  Exploring The Burren is like participating in the geology book we hid from in high school.  In 530 square kilometers the geology of Earth and its slow and persistant change is described.  With evidence of all the important geoligic events that formed the Earth as we know it today The Burren tells the story of geologic evolution. The Ice Age, the volcanoes that shaped new land masses, earthquakes that changed the physical boundaries, waves and currents from extinct oceans and rivers that molded and supplied our topography, and the flora and fauna that struggled to survive during these incedible changes are all represented. This is the moon side of Ireland with its cold beauty and shadows standing in stark contrast to the sunny and lush green of our expectation of Irish landscape. We walk in amazement on the broken puzzle pieces of limestone and in the spring find the orchids and wildflowers hiding in their protection.  The Cliffs of Moher define the Western boundery of The Burren; the land mass abruptly drops into the sea.  This is an area where we can see how the Earth continues to change as the Cliffs are a dynamic site with constant change of the rock formations and cliff edges. 

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