The Burren

The Burren (Great Rock) is a plateau occupying a vast area of North Clare. It rises in the south from the foothills near Killanoboy and Kilfenora, is bounded in the east by the Gortaclare mountains and is contained in the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Its highest peak, Slieve Elva, overlooks Galway Bay and the Aran Islands. It is an area of scenic attractions - wild and lonely but picturesque - where the clear light, reflected from the stone-grey hills, seems to radiate an air of timelessness, made more realistic by the many pre-historic remains that dot the fields and the valleys beneath. The Burren is of particular interest to archeologists, botanists, speleologists, zoologists, ornithologists, etc.