The Burren Tour!

The Burren, in county Clare, is a large area of limestone flatland, known as karst, and is steeped in the ancient history of the west of Ireland. Famed for its unique flowers, some found nowhere else in the world, it contains dozens of megalithic tombs and celtic crosses and a ruined Cistercian Abbey from the 12th century. It is crisscrossed by cracks known as grykes and beneath it there are huge caves and rivers that suddenly flood when it rains. You can find villages abandoned since famine times and green roads on which you can walk for miles without ever seeing a car. Let our professional guides take you through this wonderful countryside, showing you all the hidden secrets and quiet corners of the Burren!

Poulnabrone Dolmen
There are over seventy megalithic tombs in in The Burren, the most well known and most easily accessible being Poulnabrone. This stark and dramatic remnant of bronze age Ireland evokes feelings of wonder and awe at the ancient peoples who constructed it. Poulnabrone is generally considered to contain the remains of special dead and to have been a major center for ceremony and symbolism.

The Ailwee Caves
With its stalactites, stalagmites, relics of bears, and a subterranean waterfall, the marvelloue Ailwee caves are a must-see for anyone visiting Ireland. Only recently discovered, the many caves within-including the bear hall, mud haven, and cascade chamber- present visitors with a spectacle unlike any other.
Aillwee Cave was originally an underground river fed by the melting snows of the ice age. The river dried up as the ice retreated leaving the cave as it is to be seen today. Cave bears then moved in and used the cave to hibernate.

Cliffs of Moher
A must on any itinerary to the Shannon Region is the Cliffs of Moher and O'Briens tower. The cliffs are 8km long and 214m high. It is here that you can most easily get a feel for the wilderness of the terrain over which the celts wandered. Although they built imposing castles, very often they preferred the outdoor Nomadic life and the hunt

O'Briens tower was built by one of the descendants of Brian Boru, one of the High Kings of Ireland, as an observation point. Vast colonies of birds nestle along the cliff edges and an abundance of wild flowers and herbs permeate the landscape.

Corcomroe Abbey
The Abbey of Corcomroe was also known as Sancta Maria de Petra Fertilis, Saint Mary of the Fertile Rock, and as the Abbey of Burren. It was founded by Dónal O Brien, King of Limerick, in 1194 for the Cistercian Monks. Many battles were fought around here, between the O'Briens and their enemies.

It is one of the most peaceful places on earth, and lies surrounded by green fields and limestone hills. The graveyard is still in use by the local families, and the Mass said there on Easter morning at dawn attracts hundreds of people.

Kilfenora High Cross
It is believed that there were seven high crosses here in Kilfenora. The graveyard contains the remains of three high crosses. West of the graveyard and almost midway between the cathedral and the comparatively modern Catholic church dedicated to St. Fachtna is a splendid high cross, which stands in a field west of the lane.
In 1821 Dr. Mant took what was then considered the finest cross of all, the Kilfenora High Cross, to Killaloe where it is still on display in St. Flannan's Cathedral.