Discover Nature in the Burren
The Burren, with its mosaic of landscapes, is the most biodiverse place in Ireland.
Burren Nature Sanctuary is a wonderful introduction to this magical landscape with its unique flora and fauna. Set on a 50-acre organic farm featuring Burren habitats which showcase the flora in its natural setting: shattered limestone pavement, calcareous orchid-rich grassland, ash and hazel woodland and a unique tidal, freshwater turlough.
Our staff have a program of ongoing training on sustainability, the natural history of the Burren and our environmental policy.
Visit the National Collection of Burren Flora in Season in the Burren Botany Bubble
Brief History of the Burren…
350 million years ago this land mass was a tropical sea around where Brazil is now. Limestone rocks in the Burren are made from the bones of ancient sea creatures.
Deforestation, glacial erosion and farming practices stripped the Burren of most of the soil exposing the limestone visible today. Rainwater is slightly acidic and over time dissolves the stone creating underground drainage channels and small pockets of acid soil next to areas of alkaline calcareous grassland.
Plants from all over the planet flourish side by side on the warm limestone hills. The Burren is a special place for Botany, rare and unusual plants and wild orchids draw botanists from around the world, for example:
- Mediterranean plants – exotic Orchids – possibly air born from the seeds, enjoying the warmth of the heat absorbing limestone. Learn about the exotic Fly Orchid, Butterfly Orchid, Bee Orchid and Ladies Tresses
- Alpine plants – the surprisingly stunning Spring Gentian
- Arctic plants – the hardy Mountain Avens – a relic of the Ice age and glacial movement
- Subtropical plants – the delicate Maidenhair fern – a throwback to the Burren’s tropical heritage.
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