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The Burren is much more than the most famous sight of the Cliffs of Moher. This is an area of about 500 sq.kms of lunar-like landscape. It is home to arctic, mediteranean and alpine flowers a one off combination in the world and therefore attracts botanists to study this unique flora. Where even an inch of soil remains on the seemingly bare limestone there is an abundant diversity of flowers and plants, never planted by man. Among the most exotic and unexpected is the Mountain Aven, whose main habitat is northern Scandinavia and the Spring Gentian, whose natural home is in the slopes of the Alps. A near neighbour is the Maidenhair Fern, a stranger from the Mediterranean cosily nurtured in the sparse damp soil in the warm shelter of the fissures. |
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Cliffs of Moher
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The Burren was also one of the first areas of Ireland that man settled in, and they left a mass of evidence of having lived on the Burren for thousands of years. Material remains abound, including megalithic tombs, stone and earth ring forts, round towers, medieval churches, monasteries and scores of castles from the 14th to 17th century. One of the most reknowned is the Poulnabrone Dolmen, which over a period of 600 years from 5200 to 5800 years ago was a burial place (or so it is believed). It still stands sturdily today where Stone age farmers erected it and can be easily visited from the nearby road. |
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