burrenbeotrust BURRENISSUE 4 INSIGHTMembers FREE/Non-members €8.00 Painting Orchids In The Burren SUSAN SEX A New Archaeological Site In The Burren MARION DOWD A Very Peculiar Place JAN MORRIS Miniature Limestone Landforms DAVID DREW Twelfth-Century Pilgrims. The Burren’s First Tourists? PETER HARBISON Feeling Peckish? Foraging In The Burren. VIVIENNE CAMPBELL and much more.... book reviews art Burren map CONTENTS Editorial The Archaeology Of The Famine In The Burren Maggie Ronayne 4 This is a significant time for the future of that the future of the Council is being reviewed. Painting Orchids In The Burren Susan Sex 5 Ireland’s biodiversity and heritage. Two plans Taking its functions back into Government A Very Peculiar Place Jan Morris 8 have been published in recent months: Actions would be a huge step backwards and this Trust Attracting Wildlife Visitors To A Burren Garden Carl Wright 10 for Biodiversity 2011-2016 and the Heritage has written to the Minister to say so. Actions Miniature Limestone Landforms 12 David Drew Council’s Strategic Plan for 2012-2016. The first proposed in the Plan include helping heritage Defining The Heritage Value Of A Cultural Landscape Leanne Howard 14 accepts that we all have a moral duty to look groups such as this Trust to grow and develop; Twelfth-Century Pilgrims. The Burren’s First Tourists? Peter Harbison 16 after habitats and species for our own benefit supporting the development and implementation Maire Rua - Wholehearted Heroine Or Menacing Madwoman? Frank O’Grady 18 and that of future generations. Reassuringly for of conservation and management initiatives Burren Farmers Lead The Way Brendan Dunford 20 Ireland Reaching Out Sr. DeLourdes Fahy 21 the Burren, one of the Actions is to continue the in high-nature value areas such as the Burren A New Archaeological Site In The Burren Marion Dowd 22 Burren Farming for Conservation Programme. and maintaining the Grants Programme which A Photographer’s Journey Through The Burren Carsten Krieger 24 The second is preceded by a Ministerial has been so beneficial throughout Ireland and Connecting Children With Nature Sarah O’Malley 26 Statement in which Jimmy Deenihan TD, from which this Trust has gained considerable Looking Back. Change Ain’t What It Used To Be! Michael O’Donoghue 28 Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht support. It is to be hoped that wisdom will prevail Clare’s Field Monument Adviser Scheme 2011 Michael Lynch 31 acknowledges the significant contribution made and that the Heritage Council which has done X-PO, A Public Art Project Deirdre O’Mahony 32 by the Heritage Council “to vastly improving our so much to promote world-class standards of Feeling Peckish? Foraging In The Burren 34 Vivienne Campbell collective appreciation and understanding of heritage care is enabled to fulfil its Strategy Standing The Test Of Time Rory O’ Shaughnessy 38 our rich national heritage”, but goes on to say through to 2016 and beyond. A Walk Through Sheshymore Paul Clements 41 Never Judge A Field By Its Cover Eophan Robson 42 Stephen Ward The Burren’s Marine Playground Peter Hynes 43 Mermaids’ Purses, Mermaids’ Tears And Sea Hearts Sabine Springer 44 Burren Ecotourism Network Is Spreading Its Net Tina O’Dwyer 45 Lough Bunny And The Forgotten East Burren Lowlands, Rediscovered Linda Tough 46 Under The Burren Into The Unknown Colin Bunce 48 The Increasing Interest In The Burren As A Tourist Region Carol Gleeson 49 A Community Charter For The Burren Richard Morrison 50 The Burren’s Medicine Cabinet Ingrid Hook 51 A Shore Thing John Murphy 54 Learning From Our Elders Shane Mc Donagh 56 How do we do it ... ? Clare Farm Heritage Tours Michael Killeen 57 A Shell Midden. The First Mesolithic Site In Co. Clare Identified Michael Lynch 58 When we launched Burren Insight 2011, amongst We held our first ever Burrenbeo Gala at Dublin’s A Year As A Burrenbeo Conservation Volunteer Karla Breen Rickerby 64 the communications we received was one which Ely Restaurant in the Irish Financial Centre. read ‘May I congratulate you all on another How on earth could the Trust afford such a Burrenbeo Trust pages fantastic Burren Insight publication. The quality, lavish gesture? We could not – it was a gift to Burrenbeo Conservation Volunteers 64 feel and content is superb and really reflects the Trust by restaurateur Eric Robson and it Burrenbeo Trust Walks And Talks 66 well on the excellence of the organisation. Quite enabled us to promote the Burren in Dublin. The The Burren As A Learning Landscape 67 extraordinary also that you can produce such a reception was visually stunning with new Trust Trust Memories 68 quality publication with such limited resources. banners around the room. How could we afford Membership Pages 70 How do you do it?’ these? We couldn’t – an anonymous benefactor Trust Achievements 71 stepped forward at the last minute and paid for How do we do it, indeed!? The answer is that them to be made. Also includes we must be grateful to numerous benefactors Burren Insight Gallery - Fergus A Ryan 19 who, when the occasion has demanded, have And it doesn’t stop there. Over the last year, Burren Map 36 come to our aid, determined that the Burrenbeo skilled individuals have donated their time to Book Reviews 60 Trust will succeed. Like the benefactor who a top standard heritage course, a botanical supplied a laptop when our computer died last workshop, the Ecobeo course, Burren in year, or the one who stepped forward with the Bloom and the heritage monthly series, regular Patrons Directors Fundraiser/New Media Editor Magazine Editors costs of design when the third Issue of Burren conservation volunteers action days, editing Tom Arnold Risteard Crimmins Ann O’Connor Brigid Barry Insight looked unlikely to be printed. Ecobeo, the of websites, grant writing, e-newsletters and David Bellamy Martin Hawkes Stephen Ward Trust’s highly acclaimed education programme Burren Insight. It is calculated that up to €75,000 Olive Braiden Mary Howard Field Monument Adviser aimed mainly at children – some 700 have now worth of professional time was donated in 2011! Gordon D’Arcy Richard Morrison Design by benefitted - was sponsored at the last moment That is how we do it! Michael Lynch Michael Davoren Stephen Ward www.truesign.ie by a parent and the Ballyvaughan Fanore Mary Hawkes Greene Walking Club enabling this fantastic course to We are extremely grateful for the time, energy Seamus Heaney Treasurer Volunteers Coordinator Photographs by continue. and financial assistance of these benefactors. Michael Houlihan Tom Kelly Kate Lavender Duncan Brendan Dunford With your help, the Trust can build upon these Carleton Jones unless otherwise stated In 2012, corporate sponsorship has allowed formative years and go from strength to strength. Mary Angela Keane Trust Secretary Ecobeo to be developed even further. Michael Longley Cover sketch by Ann Madden le Brocquy Brendan Dunford Brigid Barry and Stephen Ward Editors Patrick McCormack Susan Sex Ann O’Connor Trust Coordinator Michael Viney Brigid Barry William Walsh 2 BURRENINSIGHT 2012 BURRENINSIGHT 2012 3 Disclaimer: All the articles in this magazine represent views of the author and not necessarily those of the Burrenbeo Trust. The Archaeology of the Famine in the Burren For the last two years the communities of and work of women, children and men such and education work including with the children Ballyvaughan and Fanore, together with as cultivation ridges (‘lazy beds’), mass paths, and teachers of Ballyvaughan primary school. archaeologists from NUI Galway, have been wells and water sources, agricultural structures It also involves providing independent expert Painting investigating the lives of tenant villagers, like goat cros (in which kid goats were reared advice which is requested by the community, for labourers and others around the time of the Great for meat) and turf thuiles (within which turf and example, in relation to the impact of proposed Famine. We have looked at the relationship dung was wind-dried for fuel), famine roads, developments. orchids with landlords and others in authority and the famine graves, children’s burial grounds, soup devastation and other changes brought by the kitchens and more. Historical sources and in the Burren Famine. Despite all the books and maps, there’s maps are being consulted. At some sites we Conclusion Scrambling up Blackhead (definitely a bit much more to be said about Famine times. undertake more detailed surveys. Two deserted The work so far has been achieved with younger then) in late May, the sun melting us, The history has been passed down through villages have been mapped so far: the intriguing little or no funding and with great community sky and sea endless deepest blue, a cuckoo generations; traces remain on the landscape moss and scrub-covered Lissaroo in Newtown assistance. To develop it to the extent that calling, scarcely able to put a foot down without or lying in the ground. Combining archaeology and the evocative village of Caherbannagh in everyone wants over the coming years will standing on yet another early purple orchid with the community’s concerns and knowledge the Caher valley. To produce images of what require a more substantive funding base; the (Orchis mascula), in yet another shade of pink, is a powerful way to find out more about this may lie hidden beneath the ground children and search is underway. We also see that others rose, magenta or white, was my introduction to significant time. adults also took part in a geophysical survey at are beginning to take up some of the methods the glorious Burren. Lissaroo. we are using. Our aim is that the approach we are all working out in the Burren will be useful to I think it was about 16 years ago that Brendan Community Archaeology This Burren landscape was clearly very busy other communities.