The Burren is 530 square kilometres of bare limestone in north Clare — the name comes f…

The Burren is 530 square kilometres of bare limestone in north Clare — the name comes from the Irish boíreann, meaning “rocky place.” The rock formed 350 million years ago on the floor of a tropical sea near the equator, then the last Ice Age scraped all the soil off and left what looks like a lunar surface. The Aran Islands were originally part of it before rising seas cut them off. What makes it strange is the botany — Arctic, Alpine and Mediterranean plants grow side by side in the cracks between the rocks, something that shouldn’t really happen. 23 of Ireland’s 27 orchid species are here. Cromwell’s surveyor reportedly dismissed it as a place with not enough water to drown a man, not enough wood to hang him, and not enough earth to bury him. It’s also full of archaeology — over 90 megalithic tombs including Poulnabrone dolmen, one of the most photographed monuments in Ireland. UNESCO Global Geopark since 2011.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​