Field Trip #4: The Burren and Co. Clare!
Dear fellow world travelers!
(I know I'm a dork, I just had a "Where's Waldo!?" moment. Bear with me here...!)
I would have to say that this field trip was probably my favourite out of all of them. We saw so many amazing sites and the weather held through for the entire weekend - bright, sunny skies with a light breeze -- PERFECT! Also, the Burren and Co. Clare as so beautiful and so peaceful, there's really no way that you can ruin your trip there. So much open space with a unique but similar landscape that's just so captivating that you never want to leave it! Some of Ireland's most photographed sites/landscapes are in this area and its definitely a spot you wouldn't want to miss on your next trip to Ireland!
Alright so...
Like I said, this field trip focused on the exploration of the Burren in North Clare: a unique limestone landscape, remarkably rich in above-ground archaeological remains. Oh yeah, and this was an over night trip so we stayed in Falls Hotel, in the twon of Ennistimon. AMAZING hotel with beautiful views. Go there. Yo know you want to...!!
We also visited on the way back Bunratty Castle and Quinn Abbey. Love it!
THE BURREN!
A little history:
Ok so, like i said, the Burren is an area of north County Clare (west coast) that is world-renowened for its unique geological and archaeological charcater. Burren comes from the Irish boireann or 'place of rocks.' Over much of the area the limestone bedrock has been exposed and joints in the rock have often been eroded into wide, regularly spaced fissures known as grykes (they look so cool up close!!-- i took pictures =] ). This exposed surface is appropriately termed limestone pavement. The reason its like this is because most of the streams entering the area run underground into swallow holes, helping to formt he largest complex of caves in the country, some of which are over ten kilometres long!
So... just to reference. I always get confused with the kilometer thing because I'm just not that good at conversion in my head. So... ten kilometres equals 6.21 miles! haha
So, the last Ice Age left a huge layer of boulder clay over the Burren and this was soon stabilised by the returning places and such as the ice left. Pollen diagrams indicate there use to be a forest of hazel, yew and pine covering the whole area during the Mesolithic Period(8000-4000BC). Clearance of the forest (they were using it for fires to make iron and such) cause the soil to erode and large areas of limestone pavement were already exposed by the end of the prehistoric period.
Up till recently, it wasn't a national park yet and cattle use to graze in the area. To preserve the natural landscape, it was made into a national park and the cattle was removed. But, what they didn't realise is that without the cattle the vegetation would start to grow back because they weren't eating it. So, every now and then they let the cattle come back through to eat away some of the weeds so the limestone still shows through..
Kilfenora
History:
An Early medieval monsastery founded by St. Fachnan who died in 560. The annals(historical documents of Ireland) record that the stone church (damliac) there was burnt down in 1055, but some fabric from this building may be preserved in the ways of the later cathedral. The main attraction of this site is a collection of twelfth-century high crosses that were put up as a part of the site's successful campaign to be recognised as a cathedral church. It became head of Irealnd's smallest diocese at the Snod of Kells in 1153 and held its postion of masons active in Gaelic parts of Ireland in the late twelfth and early theirteenth century. They did not belong to a formal architectural school but their work is distinctive and the term "School of the West" has been coined to describe it.
Our Stop:
We didn't stay there long, but we didn't exactly have to. The site held a very small chapel still standing with a side room off to the right. The high crosses were certainly amazing and in order to preserve the church and the cross inside they put a glass roof over it, which made it look rather interesting!
Picturesss:
The Glass Roof
Doorway into the chapel
High Cross on the inside showing animals intertwining (what looks like the knot-work) and a Bishop/Saint at the top spreading his arms in a welcoming manor
Another (partially remaining) high cross
Saint at top of cross with his crosier damning the people below him on the cross (evil...wrong doer...types.. )
There are the people below them. He's actually poking them with his crosier (staff) if you can see that
Alter/Window. I love it, very cool
Latin wall slab
Laemaneh Tower House and Semi-Fortified House
History:
One of the most important O'Brien strongholds in the Burren, Laemaneh has a fifteenth-century tower house to wchih a semi-fortified house was added in the early seventeeth century. This addition was the work of Conor O'Brien and his wife Maire Rua. Compared to the tower house the seventeeth cent. build is very symmetrical and the windows are much larger being divided by mullions (vertical divisions) and transoms (horizontal divisions) (had to look those terms up!). Originally the mansion was surrounded by a large bawn within which were formal gardens and a number of fish ponds.
Our Stop:
The current owner (he has a house a couple meters away) doesnt allow people to go look at the house so we had to look at it and discuss its features on the street.
Pictures:
Front view of the House
House again
Blackberries growning outside! I don't know why, but I got so excited by them!
Poulnabrone Portal Tomb: (one of my favourites)
History:
Though Portal tombs are mostly distributed in the northern third of the country, a substantial outlying group occurs in the Burren. Anne Lynch excavated this example between 1986 and 1988. Part of the cairn (mound of smaller stones that go over the larger stones) material was identified and the remains of at least 22 people were recovered. Most of these were disarticulated but had not beed cremated, and it appears they were buried here over several hundred years in the fourth millenium BV. At lesat one of the adult males suffered a violent death for a flint arrow tip was recovered from an unhealed wond in his thigh bone. Artefacts found at the site include a polished stone axe and mushroom-headed bone pin.
Our Stop:
It was the first stop of the day and everyoene was excited to get off the bus because Tomas said there would be a prize for this specific correctly answered question. I don't remember what the question was, I think it might have been the original place of the keep (now in ruins) and we had to go find it and stand there and say we were standing there and whoever did it first got a free pint. I'm happy to say that I was the first person to find it and managed to get myself a free pint for the pub later that evening!
He then took us inside of the remaining church to look at grave stone slabes and the decoration (lily of the valley) on the arches inside. It was a pretty impressive place, if you ask me! With a lot of mini doorways... they were fun. =)
Picuturessss:
(will continue later)
(I know I'm a dork, I just had a "Where's Waldo!?" moment. Bear with me here...!)
I would have to say that this field trip was probably my favourite out of all of them. We saw so many amazing sites and the weather held through for the entire weekend - bright, sunny skies with a light breeze -- PERFECT! Also, the Burren and Co. Clare as so beautiful and so peaceful, there's really no way that you can ruin your trip there. So much open space with a unique but similar landscape that's just so captivating that you never want to leave it! Some of Ireland's most photographed sites/landscapes are in this area and its definitely a spot you wouldn't want to miss on your next trip to Ireland!
Alright so...
Like I said, this field trip focused on the exploration of the Burren in North Clare: a unique limestone landscape, remarkably rich in above-ground archaeological remains. Oh yeah, and this was an over night trip so we stayed in Falls Hotel, in the twon of Ennistimon. AMAZING hotel with beautiful views. Go there. Yo know you want to...!!
We also visited on the way back Bunratty Castle and Quinn Abbey. Love it!
THE BURREN!
A little history:
Ok so, like i said, the Burren is an area of north County Clare (west coast) that is world-renowened for its unique geological and archaeological charcater. Burren comes from the Irish boireann or 'place of rocks.' Over much of the area the limestone bedrock has been exposed and joints in the rock have often been eroded into wide, regularly spaced fissures known as grykes (they look so cool up close!!-- i took pictures =] ). This exposed surface is appropriately termed limestone pavement. The reason its like this is because most of the streams entering the area run underground into swallow holes, helping to formt he largest complex of caves in the country, some of which are over ten kilometres long!
So... just to reference. I always get confused with the kilometer thing because I'm just not that good at conversion in my head. So... ten kilometres equals 6.21 miles! haha
So, the last Ice Age left a huge layer of boulder clay over the Burren and this was soon stabilised by the returning places and such as the ice left. Pollen diagrams indicate there use to be a forest of hazel, yew and pine covering the whole area during the Mesolithic Period(8000-4000BC). Clearance of the forest (they were using it for fires to make iron and such) cause the soil to erode and large areas of limestone pavement were already exposed by the end of the prehistoric period.
Up till recently, it wasn't a national park yet and cattle use to graze in the area. To preserve the natural landscape, it was made into a national park and the cattle was removed. But, what they didn't realise is that without the cattle the vegetation would start to grow back because they weren't eating it. So, every now and then they let the cattle come back through to eat away some of the weeds so the limestone still shows through..
Kilfenora
History:
An Early medieval monsastery founded by St. Fachnan who died in 560. The annals(historical documents of Ireland) record that the stone church (damliac) there was burnt down in 1055, but some fabric from this building may be preserved in the ways of the later cathedral. The main attraction of this site is a collection of twelfth-century high crosses that were put up as a part of the site's successful campaign to be recognised as a cathedral church. It became head of Irealnd's smallest diocese at the Snod of Kells in 1153 and held its postion of masons active in Gaelic parts of Ireland in the late twelfth and early theirteenth century. They did not belong to a formal architectural school but their work is distinctive and the term "School of the West" has been coined to describe it.
Our Stop:
We didn't stay there long, but we didn't exactly have to. The site held a very small chapel still standing with a side room off to the right. The high crosses were certainly amazing and in order to preserve the church and the cross inside they put a glass roof over it, which made it look rather interesting!
Picturesss:
The Glass Roof
Doorway into the chapel
High Cross on the inside showing animals intertwining (what looks like the knot-work) and a Bishop/Saint at the top spreading his arms in a welcoming manor
Another (partially remaining) high cross
Saint at top of cross with his crosier damning the people below him on the cross (evil...wrong doer...types.. )
There are the people below them. He's actually poking them with his crosier (staff) if you can see that
Alter/Window. I love it, very cool
Latin wall slab
Laemaneh Tower House and Semi-Fortified House
History:
One of the most important O'Brien strongholds in the Burren, Laemaneh has a fifteenth-century tower house to wchih a semi-fortified house was added in the early seventeeth century. This addition was the work of Conor O'Brien and his wife Maire Rua. Compared to the tower house the seventeeth cent. build is very symmetrical and the windows are much larger being divided by mullions (vertical divisions) and transoms (horizontal divisions) (had to look those terms up!). Originally the mansion was surrounded by a large bawn within which were formal gardens and a number of fish ponds.
Our Stop:
The current owner (he has a house a couple meters away) doesnt allow people to go look at the house so we had to look at it and discuss its features on the street.
Pictures:
Front view of the House
House again
Blackberries growning outside! I don't know why, but I got so excited by them!
Poulnabrone Portal Tomb: (one of my favourites)
History:
Though Portal tombs are mostly distributed in the northern third of the country, a substantial outlying group occurs in the Burren. Anne Lynch excavated this example between 1986 and 1988. Part of the cairn (mound of smaller stones that go over the larger stones) material was identified and the remains of at least 22 people were recovered. Most of these were disarticulated but had not beed cremated, and it appears they were buried here over several hundred years in the fourth millenium BV. At lesat one of the adult males suffered a violent death for a flint arrow tip was recovered from an unhealed wond in his thigh bone. Artefacts found at the site include a polished stone axe and mushroom-headed bone pin.
Our Stop:
It was the first stop of the day and everyoene was excited to get off the bus because Tomas said there would be a prize for this specific correctly answered question. I don't remember what the question was, I think it might have been the original place of the keep (now in ruins) and we had to go find it and stand there and say we were standing there and whoever did it first got a free pint. I'm happy to say that I was the first person to find it and managed to get myself a free pint for the pub later that evening!
He then took us inside of the remaining church to look at grave stone slabes and the decoration (lily of the valley) on the arches inside. It was a pretty impressive place, if you ask me! With a lot of mini doorways... they were fun. =)
Picuturessss:
(will continue later)