As richly fascinating as the Burren so patently is
in terms of its landscape and ecology, the wealth and diversity of its
archaeological landscape is no less remarkable, and well worthy of the
international reputation that it enjoys. Burren uplands, and allow us
to trace the evolution of agricultural society from its
'hunter-gatherer' origins over six millennia ago to the present day.
The
Burren has been aptly described as one 'vast memorial to bygone
cultures'. For instance, some 75 wedge tombs of Neolithic origin have
been found in the region, from an estimated national total of just over
500. Hundreds of ancient cooking sites or fulachta fiadh and ancient
cist graves are found throughout the hills. Some 500 ring forts are
found in the Burren, including the magnificent triumvallate (three
walled) Cahercummaun and the chevaux-de-frise (an ancient defensive
structure composed of upright stones) ringed Ballykingvarga.
Tower houses and Early Christian church sites are also very common,
many in an excellent state of preservation. The magnificent portal tomb
at Poulnabrone in the rocky heart of the Burren is one of the most
easily recognised monuments in Ireland, but is only one very small
piece of an extradorinary wealth of heritage to be found in the Burren.
That
these assorted layers of built heritage have remained relatively
profuse and intact in the Burren uplands is attributable to three main
factors. Firstly, the easy availability of building stone in the area
which meant that existing built structures did not have to be exploited
to provide new building material. Secondly, the relative durability of
stone structures, compared with those made of earth and/or wood.
Thirdly, the rugged rocky nature and thin soils of the uplands which
makes them inherently unsuitable for tillage or reclamation for
grassland, largely saving them from a fate that befell many such
structures elsewhere.
For all these reasons, and the historical attraction of the Burren
for farming communities, the Burren uplands must surely represent one
of the best-preserved and broadly representative agricultural
landscapes in Europe. For the Burren visitor this rich built heritage
provides a wonderful attraction, particularly in the off-peak season
when the legions of avid botanists and other visitors have departed.
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