The Burren, County Clare, Ireland. May 2010

[Paddy Tobin]

Great location, fabulous weather, magnificent flowers, good company, great guide, an excellent hotel - it was a brilliant weekend.

The Burren is a limestone area in the west of Ireland. There are great stretches of bare limestone, karst landscape. The area has the most peculiar plant population as it hosts plants more associated with mountain top, arctic areas and Mediterranean area all in the same location. Of special interest last weekend were the Spring Gentians (Gentiana verna), Mountain Avens (Dryas octopetala) and Early Purple Orchids (Orchis mascula) though there were many, many other plants of interest also.

We arrived on Friday and pottered about on our own, visiting a garden and walking the coastline as we knew neither were to be included in the following two days of guided walking. The following photographs are posted in the order in which they were taken and show both scenery and flowers as they occurred.

There are a LOT of photographs but I think this is a very special area and one which would be of great interest to forum members.

Paddy


1 Starting out on the walk
2 Orchis mascula Early Purple Orchid
3 Dryas octopetala Mountain Avens
4 Geranium sanguineum Bloody Cranesbill
5 Dryas octopetala Mountain Avens
6 View near Ballyvaughan

[Paddy Tobin]

Continuing.
7 Gentiana verna Spring Gentian
8 Gentiana verna Spring Gentian
9 Polygala vulgaris Common Milkwort
10 Polygala vulgaris Common Milkwort
11 Orchis mascula Early Purple Orchid - a pale flower
12 The way ahead

[Paddy Tobin]

Continuing
13 Limestone formation
14 Limestone layers
15 Alchemilla vulgaris Lady's Mantle
16 Lathyrus linifolius Bitter Vetch
17 Nature's trough
18 Orchis mascula Early Purple Orchid

[Paddy Tobin]

Continuing
19 Remains of prehistoric homestead
20 Lathyrus linifolius Bitter Vetch
21 Gentiana verna and Dryas octapetela
22 Anemone nemerosa and Viola riviniana
23 Burren view to Galway Bay
24 Geranium robertianum in a scailp

Presently, The Burren is a sparsely populated area but apparently this was not always the case as the density of remnants of previous occupations is quite amazing. There are innumerable examples of remains of homesteads and several very significant burial sites. Flowers are only one aspect of The Burren.

[Maggi Young]

The Burren is surely one of the most important plant areas in Europe, Paddy, so don't hesitate to post as many photos as you like!

[Paddy Tobin]

25 Gentiana verna
26 Scailps in the limestone
27 Gentiana verna group
28 Taraxacum officinale, Dandelion in a sheltered spot
30 Medicago lupulina Black Medick
29 Orchis mascula group

You might wonder why I should post a photograph of a dandelion, a most resented weed for most of us in our gardens with its deep taproot making it very difficult to eradicate. However, it does indicate the richness of soil which is present in the scailps between the limestone pavements. How else could dandelion not only survive but thrive? It also indicates the amount of shelter which these scailps provide as this dandelion is growing on an exposed hilltop position, not where it would normally be found.

[Paddy Tobin]

Continuing
31 Fragraria vesca Wild Strawberry
32 Crataegus monogyna Hawthorn stunted in growth
33 Oxalis acetosella Wood sorrel
34 Geum Rivale Water Avens
35 Geum Rivale Water Avens
36 View to Ballyvaughan Bay

The view to Ballyvaughan Bay shows the amazing difference in soil conditions within a very short space. I was standing on a rocky hillside when taking the photograph and between the hillside and the shore there is rich pasture land. Also, it is amazing that gentians and avens are growing this close to the shoreline.

[Paddy Tobin]

Continuing

37 Lathyrus linifolius Bitter Vetch
38 Time for lunch and to enjoy the view
39 Pinguicula sp. Butterwort
40 Pinguicula sp. Butterwort
41 Allium ursinum Wild garlic
42 Heading to the sea

The Butterwort is most likely Pinguicula vulgaris. Although P. grandiflora and P. lusitanica both occur in The Burren they are uncommon and it is better to presume the common than assume the rare.

[Paddy Tobin]

Continuing...

43 View to hillside
44 View to shore
45 Limestone layers and stone wall
46 Gentiana verna
47 Gentiana verna with Dryas octapetela in background
48 Dryas octopetala on ledge

In this area, above the coast and approaching Fanore, the gentians and the mountain avens were simply in sheets along the side of the green road, as common and as widespread as daisies in a weedy lawn.

[Paddy Tobin]

Rushing on...

49 Dryas octopetala
50 Limestone rock formation
51 View of Green Road
52 Wall with ivy
53 Typical Burren wall construction
54 Limestone boulder

I think this limestone boulder is like one of the Easter Island heads. Can you see a face in it?

"Green Roads" were used move cattle along The Burren. They were simply two walls which prevented the cattle from rambling in all directions, unsurfaced. I suppose the original "bóthairín", boreen.

[Carlo]

The Burren has been on my "must see" list for many years. Thanks for introducing me to its flora.

[Paddy Tobin]

Maggi and Carlo, Many thanks for your comments.

Posting interrupted to collect son from school.

Continuing...

55 Primula vulgaris Primrose
56 Primula vulgaris
57 Primula veris Cowslip
58 Primula x polyantha False Oxlip
59 Limestone boulder with rooftop garden
60 Ajuga reptans Common Bugle

I would have liked to have seen the Pyramidal bugle but was not lucky to do so. The Primula X polyantha was one I was delighted to find.

[Gail]

Fantastic pictures Paddy, thank you for posting.  I definitely need a trip to Ireland!

[Paddy Tobin]

The end of Day 1.

The walk covered about 15 Km but was at a pleasant pace and there was always something of interest whether the view of the many flowers which abounded. Photography and being part of a walking group are not incompatible but are not entirely easy bedfellows. I covered most of the 14 Km in short sprints as a stop for a photograph meant I needed to walk very quickly to catch up with the group once again and I have several photographs of the walker in front of me disappearing over a hill.

It is a walk I would heartily recommend. The numbers of spring gentians, mountain avens and early purple orchids were simple amazing.

61 Lotus corniculatus Bird's Foot Trefoil
62 Veronica chamaedrys Germander Speedwell
63 Veronica chamaedrys Germander Speedwell
64 Vicia cracca Tufted Vetch

This final photograph was of a special flower, one which occurs nowhere else in Ireland.
65 Helianthemum oelandicum Hoary Rockrose

[Carlo]

I've pretty much decided that it is folly to take these walks in a group--especially one that is not similarly engaged to what I am doing. It's not fair to them and downright criminal to me!

You seem to have managed quite nicely....