February/March 2010
“In a winter that has seen seemingly unprecedented flooding and icey conditions, it is good to know that County Clare has seen it all before, and more. Warm tropical seas, deep dark oceans, mighty deltas, and vast ice sheets all contributed to the present day landscape of north Clare. And this is just some of what is on offer at the new short evening course, Understanding the Burren Landscape, being run at the Burren Outdoor Education Centre. Commencing on February 15th, Understanding the Burren Landscape covers five evenings and one outdoor field trip. The course will provide an insight into the ancient history of the Burren, and its evolution through time until the most recent ice sheets retreated some 12000 years ago. This is a story about the journey of a landscape once south of the equator, across the face of the planet, to its present day location on the edge of a vast and growing ocean. The evening course is aimed at an audience with no prior knowledge of earth history or the Burren, as well as appealing to those who are always eager to understand more about the Burren landscape. This event is being coordinated by the Burren Connect Project and the Burren Outdoor Education Centre. For more information contact Burren Connect (065 7072295) or email Dr. Ronán Hennessy (rhennessy@burren.ie)”

Title: Understanding the Burren Landscape

Venue: Burren Outdoor Education Centre, Turlough, Bell Harbour, Co. Clare

Duration: Five classes and one field trip

Date: Monday Evenings 7pm – 9pm [February 15th, 22nd; March 1st, 8th, 15th]

Cost: 50 euro

Contact: Burren Connect 065 707 2295 or rhennessy@burren.ie

As part of a proposed traffic management strategy to alleviate increasing traffic congestion on the coastal road in the Burren, it has been suggested that there should be a voluntary, self regulated, one-way traffic system for coaches and camper vans operating from South to North between Ballinlackan junction (R477 & R479) and Ballyvaughan. See map for details.
We would appreciate your support on this. Please post your views on the website or contact us by email, phone or post (see About Us)

To View map on proposed one way traffic system, please click here.

We have added a new section to the website called ‘Town and Places’ which gives a little more info on where to eat, where to stay etc in the Burren. If you are not represented on the site plase submit the necessary info to me at info@burren.ie with the subject marked ‘Towns and Places’ and I will add your information accordingly. If you are already there, but you have some more or better information and/or images, please feel free to contact me also. Your feedback on our site is always welcome.

During summer 2007, the Burren Connect Project commissioned and carried out an extensive survey which canvassed the views of visitors, accommodation providers and the managers of visitor centres in the Burren region. The objective of the visitor survey was to assess the visitor experience of the Burren, to allow information be targeted more effectively, and to develop sustainable services and activities based on real visitor demand.

This year Burren Connect contacted a range of agencies and research institutions and invited businesses represented on a number of the committees currently working with the project to participate in the development of a research programme to follow up on the initial work of the survey. Representatives from Teagasc, Shannon Development, Clare County Council, the University of Limerick’s Tourism Policy Unit and a number of Burren businesses met in UL in June 08 to discuss the development of a research programme to allow us to collect up to date socio-economic information on the impact of tourism in the Burren and capture information useful to local business.To assess the current situation and to identify weaknesses and opportunities in tourism provision, Burren Connect are currently compiling a comprehensive database of all tourism related businesses in the Burren and are carrying out an analysis of research into tourism in the region in recent years. The committee will use the results of this assessment exercise to further develop the research strategy.

Clare County Council has submitted an application to the European Geoparks Network (November 2010) for the European and Global Geoparks status for the Burren and Cliffs of Moher region of north Clare. The European Geoparks Network (EGN) was founded in 2000 to help protect geodiversity, to promote geological heritage among citizens, and to support sustainable economic development of regions through the development of geotourism. The network currently consists of 37 territories on 15 European countries, two of which are in Ireland – the Copper Coast Geopark in Waterford, and the Marble Arc Cave Geopark in Cavan and Fermanagh.

If successful, the Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark project will provide the region with an identity as a region for sustainable ecotourism that is recognised across Europe. European Geopark status is a fundamentally non-legislative designation, and as such it holds no influence on planning issues or land management practices. The proposed European Geopark in north Clare will comprise of a network of managed publicly accessible sites, an established network of education and visitor centres, and the newly accredited Burren Ecotourism Network, as well as the existing Shannon Region Trails and National Walking routes.