Biking in the Burren

Riding Toward the Clare Coast

View of the Atlantic

Riding in The Burren

Sue and Bev

Galway Bay



Getting Ready for Shane's Lecture on the Burren



Shane Talking About the Fences



Lunch Break at Tea and Garden Rooms



Poulnabrone Megalithic Tomb



The Burren Terrain



September 23, 2010

After a full Irish breakfast (eggs, ham, white pudding, black pudding, sausage, roasted tomato), we gathered for our trip review at 9 AM and shortly thereafter hit the road.  The temperature was in the 40’s with a brisk wind and a threat of rain.  We left Lisdoonvarna and headed toward the Clare coast.  Within a short time we had a view of the Atlantic at a point just above the Cliffs of Moher.  Because there was some blue sky, the Atlantic looked blue against the bright green of the countryside.  The road we were on turned into the scenic coastal road after 3.1 miles for great views of the rugged coastline, Aran Islands, the weathered limestone of The Burren, and the waters of Galway Bay .  This rugged area is dominated by several mountains, castle ruins, and rocky cliffs.  Along the way we had intermittent rain showers and the continual wind, but beautiful scenery of farm houses, grazing cattle, and rock walls that covered the landscape wherever you looked.  Many of these walls (3 foot in height) have been dated back to over 1,000 years ago. 

Around noon and after passing Black Head, we arrived at Pinnacle Well and met Shane Connelly who gave us a 1-1/2 hr long walking tour of the Burren and discussed the geological features, archeological finds, historical highlights, and the floral/fauna of the Burren.  We were really impressed with the ruggedness of the area and amazed how people survived over the thousands of years of its inhabitance.  Today, very little farming occurs here and mainly cattle are grazed in the area, with the mountains being used in the winter and the valleys in the summer due to the unique features of the limestone.  Although located far to the north, the average daily temperatures only vary about 20 degrees between summer and winter – 60 in the summer and 40 in the winter – but there is a constant wind and lots of showers.   This accounts for the lush greenness of the area.  Originally the area was forested with fir and oak, which were completed cut over time.  Because the land has been abandoned except for cattle grazing, the natural process of reforestation is beginning to occur. 

We then biked the short distance to the village of Ballyvaughan where we stopped for lunch at the Tea and Garden Rooms.  Being inside in the cozy inn, felt great with a fire burning in the fireplace.  After this break, we started the return to Lisdoonvarna through the backroads.  After a 3.1 mile ascent with many switchbacks, we arrived at the Poulnabrone Megalithic Tomb that dates to 3200-3500 BCE.  The tomb is prominent on the barren landscape of the Burren.  It was excavated in the 1980s and found to contain the remains of 33 people.  The capstone is estimated to weigh 5 tons.  After leaving the tomb area, we had 9 miles of biking through the countryside on very narrow roads that several times appeared to less than one lane wide.  The scenery was great and we arrived back at the hotel around 5:30 pm.  After showering, we relaxed in the lobby with a glass of wine before another outstanding dinner.  Our entrée was Hake, a local Atlantic Ocean white fish with a goat cheese tart over caramelized onions and greens  or a pea soup starter.