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All Ireland Corofin The Burren

The Burren

A hugely vast Irish landscape of barren rock that stretches for miles.

Corofin, Ireland

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David Doochin
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The Burren   Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
The Burren   Archimedes / Atlas Obscura User
The Burren   Archimedes / Atlas Obscura User
The Burren   Archimedes / Atlas Obscura User
The Burren   Babs81 / Atlas Obscura User
The Burren   Babs81 / Atlas Obscura User
The portal tomb   Karen B / Atlas Obscura User
  Karen B / Atlas Obscura User
December 4, 2023   Jordan Duffy / Atlas Obscura User
December 4, 2023   Jordan Duffy / Atlas Obscura User
Burren landscape   Elise Vale / Atlas Obscura User
Burren landscape   Elise Vale / Atlas Obscura User
The vastness of the Burren landscape.   Fish Cop
Crumbling rocks in the Burren. (Photo:   Ben Rudiak-Gould
A Burren landscape featuring a view of Galway Bay.   Ingo Mehling
Rocks dispersed among greenery.   HEireann
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About

Located in southwest Ireland in County Clare, this vast geological flatland seems like a rocky surface from outer space.

The name “Burren” comes from the Irish word meaning “Big Rock,” and appropriately so; the almost 100 square miles the region encompasses are covered in crags, cracks known as “grikes” and stand-alone rocks called “clints,” and sheets of stone that stretch into the horizon.

The Burren is a karst landscape, meaning it was formed when soluble rocks like limestone, gypsum, and dolomite dissolved. It’s also characterized by underground sinkholes and caves that combine to give it a unique and ever-changing topography.

The Burren National Park is the smallest of six national parks in Ireland. The region is surrounded by villages such as Kinvara, Tubber, and Kilfenora and reflects a rich archaelogical history, containing almost 100 megalithic tombs and portal dolmens like the Poulnabrone dolmen. 

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Ireland Rocks Rock Formations Geology

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Added By

daviddoochin

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Molly McBride Jacobson, Collector of Experiences, Elise Vale, Babs81...

  • Molly McBride Jacobson
  • Collector of Experiences
  • Elise Vale
  • Babs81
  • Archimedes
  • Karen B
  • Jordan Duffy
  • Sheabae

Published

July 29, 2016

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The Burren
Burren National Park
Corofin
Ireland
53.007791, -9.002142
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