Burren

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The Burren [ ˈbʌɹən ] ( Irish An Bhoireann [ ən̪ˠ ˈwɛɾʲən̪ˠ ], German  "stony place" ) is a karst landscape in the northwest of County Clare in Ireland . Similar landscapes can be found in Counties Cavan , Down in Northern Ireland and in Great Britain in the following locations: Durness in Sutherland , on the Isle of Skye as well as in Cumbria , Perthshire , Yorkshire and in the south of Wales . Other areas are the Alvars on the Swedish island of Öland , the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario ( Canada ) and various areas south of the Great Lakes . The term “Burren” can be understood as a regional name and as a synonym for “Limestone pavements”, a name that has meanwhile established itself worldwide for karst phenomena of this kind.

Historically, the Burren and the area around Corcomroe Abbey were originally their own baronies, which were under the clans of the O'Conners and O'Loughlins. In 1991 the Burren National Park was established on 1150 hectares .

Burren panorama

description

The limestone area is approximately 250 km² and is strictly limited by the places Ballyvaughan in the north and Kilfenora in the south. Approximately part of it is a larger area bounded by the Doorus Peninsula in the north and the places Corofin and Lisdoonvarna in the south and Kinvara in the northeast. The Aran Islands are the geological continuation of the Burren in Galway Bay .

The surface of the Burren - apart from the Caher Valley - is divided into rectangular fields by knee-deep carts . They were formed by surface water that still collects in Turloughs after heavy rains . Also, the horizontal plates by have fracturing , the Clint , separated from each other. When running over the plateau, about every 25th plate cracks because it has come loose from its support. The loose limestone slabs are between 15 and 25  cm thick and were used in the construction of the older stone monuments. Oliver Cromwell characterized the Burren after a campaign in the area as follows: "No tree to hang a man from, no pond to drown him in, no earth to bury him in."

  • Karst landscape of the Burren

  • Burren landscape

  • Poulnabrone dolmen in the Karst of the Burren

  • Early Christian shrine at Temple Cronan

  • Mountain landscape

  • Look into the Burren

  • Atlantic coast of the Burren

  • Typical Burren

  • Plate formation

  • Parknabinnia Wedge Tomb

  • Wall

  • Cappanawalla Plateau

South of Ballyvaughan can cave Aillwee Cave (Bear Cave) be visited. The associated visitor center is integrated into the landscape.

The Burren is a bizarre hiking landscape and an archaeologically rich area with around 500 systems of different types. It houses a number of monastery ruins and a large number of caves (Aillwee Cave, Pollnagollum with the largest stalactite ) on the island as well as holy springs ( Tobercornan ) and Turloughs . Here concentrate many Duns or ring forts, including Ballyallaban , Ballykinvarga , Caheranardurrish , Cahermore , the restored Caherconnell , Cahermacnaughten where the Irish Brehon Laws (Judges laws) were recorded Caherminnaun , Fanygalvan and Cahermackirilla and triple mounded Promontory Fort Cahercommaun . Ruins of castles (Leamaneh, Newtown Castle ), old churches and monasteries (Carran Church, Churches of Oughtmama , Corcomroe Abbey , Church of Drumcreehy , Temple Cronan ) and Celtic crosses can be seen. Kilfenora Cathedral is located in the Burren, as are the dolmen or stone boxes and wedge tombs from Baur , Coolnatullagh , Creevagh , Gleninsheen , Parknabinnia , Poulaphuca , Tullycommon and the Cairn from Poulawack . 120 Wedge Tombs alone lie on the bare stone surface, which is divided by sinkholes and carts . The Poulnabrone dolmen is world famous .

history

The Burren has been largely shaped by human land use since the Neolithic . Remnants of soil under archaeological structures and loose sediments washed up at lower altitudes, as well as features in the channels of the limestone slabs that were used for the construction of megalithic systems, indicate that the limestone surfaces of the Burren, which are now bare, were probably covered by a layer of soil until the Middle or Late Bronze Age were. Pine, yew and birch trees were common. Clearance and intensive agriculture since the Neolithic have made a decisive contribution to the erosion of the soil, so that a tipping point has been exceeded and reforestation of the exposed stone surfaces has become impossible.

The history of the Burren was determined by kings, clans and from the 12th century also by the church. King Donal Mor O'Brien founded Corcomroe Abbey or Saint Mary of the Fertile Rock , also known as the Abbey of Burren , in 1182 . Several battles from the year 1000, mostly on one side the O'Briens (the descendants of Brian Borus ), were fought at Corcomroe. However, according to the Annals of the Four Masters, the clashes began with a battle in AD 703 in which Ceiloichair, the son of Coman, fell. In 1027, 1055 and 1088 the O'Briens and the O'Conners raided the Burren. In 1267, according to the annals of Innisfallen Abbey , Conor na Siudaine O'Brien fell here and was buried in Corcomroe. Despite the support of the O'Dea and the O'Hehir, he was defeated by Conor Carrach O'Loghlin and his allies. In 1317 the last battle of an O'Brien took place in the Burren. Donogh and most of his clan were killed fighting the Normans , who largely conquered the kingdom of Thomond , which had established itself in the rest of County Clare and parts of Counties Kerry , Limerick , Offaly and Tipperary .

The necklace found in the Burren in Glencurran Cave dates from that time.

Landscaping

Herd of feral goats in the karst landscape; They also play a role in pushing back bushes and have been promoted since the 2000s

The Burren is a cultural landscape that was created by agriculture around 5500 years ago . Appropriate grazing is essential to maintain it. Economic pressure prompted farmers to intensify their cultivation as well as to neglect and abandon marginal areas, which led to damage and encroachment . In the BurrenLife Project (2005–2009), 20 farms were evaluated as to how sustainable agriculture in the region should be designed to preserve threatened habitats and enable farmers to make a living. As a result, extensive winter grazing combined with a change in feeding from silage to specially adapted, concentrated feed and an improved water supply was introduced. Stone walls were restored and bushes removed. The Burren Farming for Conservation Program (BFCP, 2010–2016) expanded the support to 160 farms with 15,000 hectares, after which the Burren Program (planned until 2022) supports 200 farms.

flora

Limes and dolomites are on the surface. There are hardly any trees, the sparse vegetation consists mainly of grass, herbs, moss and lichen. The Burren is home to many Mediterranean, Alpine and even Arctic plants that are rarely found in Ireland. Examples are:

and the orchid species:

fauna

In addition to a species-rich flora, there are also many animal species in the Burren. 28 butterfly species alone , including mother-of-pearl butterflies, were counted. Birds are also well represented. Besides Lark , Cuckoo and hooded crows nest in the coastal regions, especially seabirds such as razorbills , guillemots and puffins . However, mammals are rare in the Burren area - the most common are feral goats ( Old Irish Goat , a rare British land breed ) and Irish hares . Badgers , foxes and weasels are less common .

Mineral extraction

The region has a long mining tradition . The extraction of phosphate , which was mined at Doolin and Noughaval , stands out. The Doolin mine was by far the largest. During the Second World War, when an embargo prevented the import of fertilizers, around 115,000 tons were extracted.

Historical maps show the lead and silver mining areas on the west side of the Slieve Carron and north of Doolin. Copper ore was mined at Glenvaan. The decorative amethyst was mined under Kilweelran during the 1960s . Fluorspar is found throughout the Burren. Calcite for making cement and paints can be found in various areas of the Burren. For many years, stone slabs were dismantled at Moher and used for paving or as chimney stones.

literature

  • Archaeological Survey of Ireland 1996: Record of Monuments and Places, County Clare.
  • Archaeological Survey of Ireland 2010: Sites and Monuments Record www.archaeology.ie
  • D. Drew: The Burren, County Clare, In: Aalen, FHA, Whelan, K. & Stout, M. (eds): Atlas of the Irish Rural Landscape 1997, pp. 287-298. Cork University Press

Web links

Wiktionary: Burren  - explanations of meanings, origins of words, synonyms, translations
Commons : Burren  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Neil Roberts, The Holocene - An Environmental History . Wiley-Blackwell, 2014, ISBN 978-1-4051-5521-2 , pp. 260, 341-342 .
  2. ↑ Ingo Feeser, Michael O'Connell: Fresh insights into long-term changes in flora, vegetation, land use and soil erosion in the karstic environment of the Burren, western Ireland . In: Journal of Ecology . tape 97 , no. 3 , August 11, 2009, doi : 10.1111 / j.1365-2745.2009.01533.x .
  3. ↑ BurrenLIFE - Farming for Conservation in the Burren: Technical Final Report . Covering the project activities from 09/01/2004 to 01/31/2010. LIFE04NAT / IE / 000125, April 30, 2010 ( burrenprogramme.com [PDF; 1,2 MB ]).
  4. ^ The Burren Life Project - Farming for Conservation in the Burren . Final Report 2010. 2010 ( burrenprogramme.com [PDF; 3.8 MB ]).
  5. ↑ Welcome to the Burren and to the Burren Program! Retrieved February 26, 2019 .

Coordinates: 53 ° 3 ′ 0 ″  N , 9 ° 6 ′ 0 ″  W.