The Burren

The Burren, region in County Clare, Republic of Ireland. The Burren is a desolate limestone wilderness covering 518 sq km (200 sq mi). It represents typical karst scenery, with numerous caves and unusual rock formations that developed when bare carbonate rocks were exposed to extreme weathering during the last Ice Age.

Plentiful plants, particularly flowers and heather, make the Burren a habitat unique in Western Europe. There are pre-Christian burial mounds, chamber tombs, and ruins of early abbeys scattered across the region.