Weekend trip to The Burren 2010

Met Éireann forecast showers for the weekend but that didn’t

dampen the spirits of club members as they left Wexford, on the

morning of Friday 30th April, for the eagerly awaited trip to The

Burren, Co. Clare.

First stop was Cahir, Co. Tipperary and lunch in the River House

Restaurant from where, for those dining upstairs, good views could

be had of a Mute Swan on its nest and the antics of a Grey Heron as it

searched for food in the River Suir. Following a quick after lunch stroll around the area of the castle and

river, during which a juvenile Blackbird being fed by its mother was observed, everybody was ready to

board the bus once more.

Heading North West along the N24 towards Limerick and Clare and it looked as though we were leaving

the showers behind in the Sunny South East as the sun shone brightly over the Galtee Mountains. There

were many comments about the abundance of Dandelions in the fields and on roadside verges. Cuckoo

Flower was also very noticeable and a particularly brilliant display in a field to our left as we approached

Ennis caught people’s attention.

Turning left in Ennistymon and crossing the River Inagh we travelled to Lisdoonvarna via the coast road.

We stopped briefly in Liscannor to view a statue of its famous son John Holland, the father of the

modern submarine, who, Brian Matthews informed us, had taught in Enniscorthy CBS prior to

emigrating to the USA. We continued our journey to the Imperial Hotel in Lisdoonvarna where we had

time to freshen up and go for a short walk before dinner.

After dinner a small group headed down the street to the bridge overlooking the Spa Wells Health

Centre with it’s Victorian Pumphouse to check for moths and bats. The night was cold but despite this a

bat was observed and detected briefly. One lonely unidentified moth was spotted.

Day 2, 9.15am and the early morning rain had cleared to showers as the group headed along the coast

road to Ballyvaughan . First stop was in the Poulsallagh/Ballyregan area and on looking around the

limestone pavement it wasn’t long before the first of The Burren’s iconic flower-the Spring Gentian- was

spotted as well as others such as Bloody Cranesbill and Cat’s-foot.

Our second stop was at

Murroghtoohy which owes its

placename to Muirineach,

marram grass. This turned out to

be one of the highlights of the

weekend. Binoculars and scopes,

cameras and identification books

were quickly out and time stood

still as we investigated and

marvelled at the natural beauty of

this area beside Galway Bay. A

singing Wheatear was seen and

when a Cuckoo was heard and

spotted the photographers were

soon scrambling over limestone in

the hope of getting a picture.

Lunch, some sightseeing and

birdwatching in Ballyvaughan

were followed by a visit to Ailwee Cave where as some visited the cave itself others went for a walk in

the woodland. In the sheltered openings in the woods butterflies flew and basked in the warm sunshine

and we were soon rewarded with a glimpse of another Burren speciality- Brimstone. On our journey

back to Lisdoonvarna we stopped at Poulnabrone Dolmen where a suspected Dingy Skipper evaded all

attempts to capture it in order to make a positive identification.

It was back to the hotel then for dinner and time to relax but, having seen an old photo in the hotel

reception area, curiosity got the better of some people who set out west of the town to find the

Spectacle Bridge. This bridge, built in 1875, was designed with a circular opening above the arch. It was

an ingenious way of building a bridge light enough to support itself for the 25 metre height needed to

span the gorge over the River Aille. Later the majority of the group enjoyed music and some dancing and

a lady from a group of German visitors was “persuaded” to join in the Céilí Dancing.

A slight change was made to the itinerary on Sunday morning to allow closer inspection and photos to

be taken of the Spectacle Bridge. Once the explorers and photographers were happy we travelled via

Corkscrew Hill and Ballyvaughan to Bishopsquarter beach. Whimbrel, Rock Pipit and Oystercatcher were

among the birds seen here. A diver was observed in the bay but was too far away to be identified.

Last stop of the morning was in an area of limestone pavement east of Bealaclugga near Corcomroe

Abbey. Some of the plants seen here included Creeping Juniper, Bloody Cranesbill and Spring Gentian.

Lunch was enjoyed in the peaceful tearooms of the Burren Perfumery situated near Carron. This was

followed by a slideshow on the landscape and flowers of the Burren, a visit to the soap making and still

room and, before departure, a walk around the award winning native herb garden where, finally, a

Dingy Skipper was netted and photographed before being released.

It was back to the bus then and, as we headed off on the long journey home, there was time to reflect

on a weekend enjoyed and ideas for future trips.

Thanks to the staff of the River House Restaurant in Cahir, the Imperial Hotel in Lisdoonvarna and the

Burren Perfumery .Thanks also to Joe O’Brien Coaches, Ardcavan who arranged the accommodation and

supplied the bus and to all who made suggestions when planning the trip. A special thank you to club

members Zoë Devlin, Roy Watson and Chris Wilson for their ideas on places to visit, to our driver, Jim

Sheils, whose driving skills ensured we had a smooth and safe journey and to all the group for making it

such a relaxing and enjoyable weekend.

The following were recorded over the weekend:

BIRDS: Mute Swan, Mallard, Red-breasted Merganser , Pheasant, Great Northern Diver, Cormorant,

Shag, Grey Heron, Kestrel, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Whimbrel, Black-headed Gull, Lesser

Black–backed Gull, Herring Gull, Sandwich Tern, Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Cuckoo,

Swift, Skylark, Sand Martin, Swallow, House Martin, Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Pied

Wagtail, Dipper, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Wheatear, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush,

Grasshopper Warbler, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Great

Tit, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Hooded Crow, Raven, Starling, House Sparrow, Greenfinch, Goldfinch,

Linnet, Bullfinch, Yellowhammer.

BUTTERFLIES: Green-veined White, Wood White, Orange Tip, Brimstone, Dingy Skipper, Speckled

Wood.

PLANTS:

Barren Strawberry Potentilla sterilis,

Bitter Vetch Lathyrus linifolius,

Bloody Cranesbill Geranium sanguineum

Buck’s-horn Plantain Plantago maritima

Burnet Rose Rosa pimpinellifolia

Carline Thistle Carlina vulgaris

Cat’s foot (Mountain Everlasting) Antennaria dioica

Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil Lotus corniculatus

Common Cottongrass Eriophorum augustifolium

Common Dog-violet Viola riviniana

Common Field-speedwell Veronica persica

Common Milkwort Polygala vulgaris

Common Scurvygrass Cochlearia officinalis

Cowslip, Primula veris

Creeping Juniper Juniperus communis

Cross-leaved Heath Erica tetralix

Cuckooflower Cardamine pratenis

Dandelion Taraxacum

Early Purple Orchid Orchis mascula

Enchanter’s-nightshade Circaea lutetiana

Germander Speedwell Veronica chamaedrys

Greater Stichwort Stellaria holostea

Hemp-agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum

Herb Robert Geranium robertianum

Honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum

Lords-and-ladies Arum maculatum

Maidenhair Spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes

Marsh Violet Viola palustris

Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria

Mountain Avens Dryas octopetala

Mouse-ear Hawkweed Pilosella officinarum

Primrose Primula vulgaris

Pyramidal Bugle Ajuga pyramidalis

Rusty Back Fern Ceterach officinarum

Sea Campion Silene uniflora

Shining Crane’s-bill Geranium lucidum

Spring Gentian Gentiana verna

Thrift Armeria maritima

Tutsan Hypericum androsaemum

White Stonecrop Sedum album

Wild Strawberry Fragaria vesca

Wild Thyme Thymus polytrichus

Wood Sage Teucrium scorodonia

Woodruff Galium odoratum

Wood-sorrel Oxalis acetosella

Yellow Pimpernal Lysimachia nemorum