Burren County Clare Ireland |
Nature
lovers and foodies will fall in love with the Burren in County Clare. The Burren
is a noted tourist stop on the ‘Wild Atlantic Way’- “Ireland’s first long
distance touring route”. The region is surrounded
by the villages of Kinvara, Ballyvaughan,Tubber, Corofin, Kilfenora and
Lisdoonvarna - famous for its dramatic
beauty, Karst landscape and unique flora and fauna (www.burrengeopark.ie).
However nature is not the only unusual
ingredient in the Burren. When visitors
touring this part of the “Wild Atlantic Way” feel peckish there are speciality bagels fresh from the oven, ice-cream
made using milk from cows grazing on the peninsula and ‘bean to bar’ chocolate
of the sort hard to find in the most sophisticated of cities.
Meadow of the Fairies
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Roy & Mary Bermingham with 'Frisky' their pet goat |
An essential
stop for anyone interested in learning more about the Burren and its unique
wildlife is ‘Cloonasee’ the ‘meadow of the fairies’ and home to the Burren
Nature Sanctuary – an enchanting place just 1km outside of Kinvara village where
the visitor could be forgiven for expecting fairies to pop out at any moment
from under a rock or behind a flower.
The Burren
Nature Sanctuary is on a 50 acre farm run by Mary and Roy Bermingham. It has wonderful nature walks including a
popular ‘fairy wood’, ‘disappearing lake’ and nature exhibitions showcasing the
flora and fauna of the Burren. Farm
pets include ‘frisky’ a feral goat who loves going for a walk with
visitors. The nature sanctuary also has
an indoor and outdoor play area with lots of fun activities such as a double
zip wire.
There is a
farm café with a great selection of healthy homemade fare and treats for hungry
visitors including crepes, Wild Atlantic fish cakes and a children’s menu. The
cafe has a healthy food ethos – “we don’t sell chips or fry ups and we use
produce from our garden as much as possible.”
For
directions to the nature sanctuary and information on opening hours and entry
charges check www.bns.ie.
A Mecca for cyclists
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Mike Cahill at DIY Pursuits |
Cycling is
in Mike’s blood – he grew up helping his father in the family bike shop in
cork. Mikes father was “heavily steeped
in cycling and represented Ireland” as a young man. Mike recalls “from an early age I was drafted
in as an apprentice and spent most of my life around bikes.”
For visitors
who want to explore the Burren by bike or on foot or engage in other outdoor pursuits
in the Burren such as fishing or kayaking ‘DIY Pursuits’ is definitely worth a
visit and Mike is always on hand to give advice.
Galway Bay Bagels
![Galway Bay Bakery Galway Bay Bakery](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglILZzPJPg0bl634lPqRMaw3ONj3Lr3YAsT7tf89CsVCvbPEmXkQekno57aDlT5936JeB7LrsJIy5voI3Op7KjiK1D2vMxI_qpQ_4Pkho-o4JQ-NosjBI_47B5Xs8BYoMBB-X00bI6zSg/s320/Bakery_08_2.jpg)
Carl & Martina Fahy
![Galway Bay Bakery Galway Bay Bakery](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglILZzPJPg0bl634lPqRMaw3ONj3Lr3YAsT7tf89CsVCvbPEmXkQekno57aDlT5936JeB7LrsJIy5voI3Op7KjiK1D2vMxI_qpQ_4Pkho-o4JQ-NosjBI_47B5Xs8BYoMBB-X00bI6zSg/s320/Bakery_08_2.jpg)
After working up an appetite on your bicycle a ‘bagel sandwich’ from the Galway Bay Bakery at the Kinvara Farmers Market is a welcome treat. The Galway Bay Bakery produces Bagels and Pretzels – all made from natural ingredients.
These days the owner Carl Fahy is taking the Bagel one step further with
his- Bagel Sandwiches, Salt Beef Bagels and Pizza Melts. These are Carl’s “signature Bagels.”
The Bakery is
based on the Burren peninsula in Newquay and sells its produce in the local
market in Kinvara from April to October- -For information on markets see the ‘Galway
Bay Bakery’ Facebook page.
Local Ice-Cream Treats
Brid & Roger Fahy |
Linalla
Ice-Cream is sold in their shop and café on the flaggy shore as well as other outlets across the country - check www.linnallaicecream.ie for directions.
Bean to bar chocolate
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Kasha Connolly |
Hazel
Mountain Chocolate manufactures its chocolate from scratch using cacao beans
bought directly from a small farmer in Madagascar. They opened to the public in 2014 -
manufacturing and selling chocolates on site as well as having a quant Café
where visitors can enjoy the rich ‘melt in your mouth’ chocolate
experience.
For more
information on Hazel Mountain Chocolate and directions visit www.hazelmountainchocolates.com
Accommodation
There is a
wide choice of accommodation in the Burren to suit all budgets. Establishments worth checking include FallonsBed and Breakfast and Kinvara Guesthouse in Kinvara and Logues Lodge and
Hylands Hotel in Ballyvaughan. For tourists
looking for a more upmarket experience Gregans Castle on Corkscrew Hill in
Ballyvaughan is worth investigating.
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ReplyDeleteThis looks great
ReplyDeleteThanks - the Burren is a beautiful place with lots to do and see.
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