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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
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