Flowers blooming in Burren National Park, Ireland.
Many thanks to my friend Marianne Wallace, for sharing her beautiful photos of spring wildflowers in Burren National Park, taken on her trip to Ireland earlier this year.
Ferns poking up among the rocks of the Burren.
My favorite place in Ireland is The Burren in County Clare, a 2-hour drive west of Dublin. It is a unique place of exposed rocky pavement--its name means “rocky place”. Deep fissures in the rocks support microclimates where ferns and orchids flourish.
Drystone wall. Trail head to Parknabinnia.
Parknabinnia.
On a recent visit, after my usual stop to climb through the drystone wall and check out Parknabinnia, a Paleolithic tomb, I lingered and took photos of the many tiny wildflowers growing among the surface grassy clumps at the site.
It’s amazing they survive the grazing of the ubiquitous cows and sheep.
For more about Burren National Park, check out Marianne’s earlier post at The Intrepid Tourist about her visit there in May 2013.
The Burren, County Clare, Ireland.
