The name Burren comes from the Irish word boireann. It means “a place of rocks.”
And that’s what the Burren is, a vast limestone deposit. The Burren is an enormous glaciated karst in northwestern County Clare, Ireland. Depending on whose measurements you use, the Burren is between 97 and 500 square miles. Either way, that is vast.
The Burren is a huge porous limestone deposit. The limestone pavements are separated by clints, deep fissures. Water drains into these cracks and creates caves, forming an extensive network. More than 31 miles have been mapped.
More about the Burren & Ireland >

Photo by Sometimes Incoherent
The limestone of the Burren is honeycombed with caves.

Photo by Robert Linsdell
Poll an Ionain is a limestone cave near Doolin in County Clare.

Photo by Rene Scaunce
The longest free-hanging stalactite in Europe can be seen there. Depending on what you read, it may be over 30 feet long.

The Caher is the only permanent overground stream in the Burren. It is usually just a trickle. At the Kyber Pass it cuts through a moraine.
Photo by Dr Charles Nelson
These caves are still active. Streams, rivers, even waterfalls run under the Burren. The Caher River runs mostly under the Burren and flows into the sea at Fanore. Aillwee Cave may be the oldest cave in the Burren.

Photo by Ardfern
Aillwee Cave
Aillwee Cave was discovered in 1944 by a local farmer. He didn’t tell anyone about the caves until 1973.

Photo by Nils E.
Cavers found a much older cave than others in the area. They have explored up to 3,379 feet.

Photo by Ardfern
As soon as they saw Aillwee Cave, they could see the potential for a show cave. By 1976, it had opened to the public. The public tour has 980 feet of cave passage, nearly a third of the cave. The tour includes extraordinary stalactites, stalagmites, and other rock formations.

Photo by Topika26

Photo by Topika26
Cave explorers also found traces of brown bears, which has been extinct in Ireland for more than a thousand years. Brown bears hibernated in Aillwee Cave, where the temperature stays at 50 degrees Fahrenheit all year.
There is also a café and gift shop.

Photo by Ardfern

Photo by Charles W Glynn

Photo by Marvin Vells

Photo by Marvin Vells

Photo by Nils E.

Photo by Nils E.

Photo by Nils E.

Photo by Nils E.
You must be logged in to post a comment.