The Burren located in County Clare, Ireland, is a unique and rugged landscape renowned for its limestone pavements and remarkable geological features. This barren yet beautiful region is steeped in history, with ancient monoliths, Neolithic tombs, and captivating Celtic sites dotting the landscape, offering a glimpse into Ireland's rich heritage
We were able to take in some of the main sites via a scenic drive through The Burren and into County Galway, which wasn’t far from where we were staying in Lahinch.
The first site was the Poulnabrone Dolman, one of Ireland’s most iconic archaeological monuments. This portal tomb dates back to between 5,200 and 5,800 years ago. It was excavated in 1980 by archaeologist Anne Lynch who revealed the remains of 33 people.
Next we visited Caherconnell Fort which is a ruins of an ancient settlement that dates back one thousand years. (Click here to see what it looks life from above, a far more impressive view). Also there is a sheep dog demonstration at the Caherconnell property but we just stopped by for a coffee and snacks at the cafe and a quick look around the fort.
We then continued north to the town of Kinvara (which is technically in County Galway) and walked along the shoreline to Dunguaire Castle. This restored 16th century tower house was built in 1520 by the O’Hynes clan and sits on a rocky outcrop on the shores of Galway Bay. The castle is temporarily closed to tours however visitors can still walk around the outside perimeter of the castle and enjoy the view out over the bay back to Kinvara. The girls loved walking through the narrow, bushy track that hugged the castle walls but at this point Braino had to run back into town, in urgent search of a toilet.
The last stop of the day was at Kilmacduagh Monastery and Round Tower near the town of Gort. (also in County Galway). The site was founded by St Colman in the 7th Century and has a number of ruined churches, a graveyard and one of the most well-preserved Round Towers in Ireland.
We’ve visited a number of round towers in Ireland, including Glendalough, The Rock of Cashel, and Clonmacnoise. The girls, especially Hallie, get quite excited about round towers. I guess they do look like something straight out of a fairy tale. Round Towers were used by the ancient monks as a lookout tower and as a safe haven during times of attacks and raids. The doors are set about 8 feet up, the monks used a ladder to climb up and then they hoisted the ladder into the tower, so the attackers could not enter.
The round tower at Kilmacduagh, while on a slight lend, is the tallest of its kind in the world! Which is why I would have to say that the Kilmacduagh monastic ruins are incredibly underrated. It was totally free of charge to enter and there was hardly anyone else there while we visited.
