Burren to be wild
This botanical wonder is on our doorstep so what are we waiting for?
LOOKING out across the rugged, windswept terrain of the Burren at a double rainbow coming to an end in some distant lakes, wild horses grazing on the sparse, smattering of green tufts between the rocks my recent visit to this stunning landscape couldn’t have been any more different to the last time I was here. Then the mist was so dense you could hardly see your hand in front of your face.
We’re with Tony Kirby, founder of ‘Heart of Burren Walks’ who is our guide for the afternoon. Now I never used to be a fan of guided tours preferring to discover things on my own. But over the years I’ve come to appreciate the benefits of getting an insider’s knowledge and Tony certainly has that in bucketloads.
His passion for the Burren is infectious and to add to this further he even stops at certain points along our walk to recite small poems inspired by this otherworldly terrain which really helps to take your appreciation of its beauty to another level.
With Arctic, Alpine and Mediterranean species of flowers and plants as well as 23 of the 27 different varieties of wild orchid found on the island of Ireland, should you visit during the height of summer Tony assures us that most of the 140 square miles that the area covers will be blanketed in colour. It’s no wonder so that the Burren has been designated one of the top 50 botanical sites on earth.
EVEN during our visit in the depths of winter we were still lucky enough to find traces of this phenomenon that draws tourists and wildlife photographers from all over the world each year. Little pops of colour could be seen taking shelter in rocky crevices while others defiantly bared their petals against the elements.
Glaciers, and the rather rock’n’roll sounding ‘agri-vandalism’, have scarred the landscape over the ages and left behind what visitors see in front of them today.
Essayist and mapmaker Tim Robinson once said: ‘The Burren’s austere beauty is due to millennia of abuse,’ Whatever is to blame this natural wonder is breathtaking.
The infamous west of Ireland storytelling doesn’t stop there. Our driver, also Tony, picks us up from the tiny village of Corofin after we’ve enjoyed some welldeserved pints of course.
This Tony ferries tourists from mostly overseas between some of the best sites and hotels in the area. Hollwood actor John C Reilly, American news anchor Tom Kopple and, eh, Katie Price are just a few of the illustrious companions he has shown around this beautiful part of the country. Ever the professional and like a true gentleman, he refuses to include them in any of his humorous anecdotes. And speaking of the best hotels in the area the 4-star Old Ground in nearby Ennis is definitely up there Offering amongst the them. very warmest of welcomes to guests since around 1895 this magnificently restored 18th century manor house in the centre of the town is perfectly located for exploring not only the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher but it is also a great base for visitors hoping to take in more of the Wild Atlantic Way. The recently refurbished rooms and suites maintain the traditional feel found throughout the hotel but with the added luxury of modern, plush furnishings and Orla Kiely toiletries in the bathrooms. Back downstairs the Old Ground has exceptional food on offer in both the Town Hall bistro and their Poet’s Corner bar.
We opted for the Town Hall on our first night and the roasted fillet of pork with pistachio nuts and herb mousse, sweet potato purée and cider gravy was exceptional.
As too was the value for money for such quality food.
But the really exceptional thing on offer here has to be the service. You get the impression that everyone who works in the hotel loves doing so which results in the kind of service that just can’t be faked.
Overall a couple of nights in Ennis were quite the revelation. With so much of our country’s famed natural beauty right on its doorstep and accommodation befitting of any major destination I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend a visit when looking for the perfect gateway to the West and all it has to offer.