Burren Agriculture Farming's Legacy

Ever since man first settled in the Burren, he has impacted upon the vegetation of the region in many ways, direct and indirect, particularly through his role as farmer. The story of farming in the region - how it helped to create, how it adapted to, evolved with, and deeply influenced this unique environment - has largely escaped the attention of the many students and visitors to the area, with some exceptions.

However, the evolution of the Burren's unique farming traditions, developed over generations to optimise exploitation of a very challenging agricultural environment, is one of the most fascinating aspects of the region. The story of this relationship between man and the flora of the Burren is one that is seldom told, but one well worthy of the telling.

An excellent and unique example of the multidimensional and often symbiotic relationship between agriculture and the natural environment of the Burren is found in the long-standing practice of 'winterage'. This practice owes its origins to the fact that much of the limestone uplands are relatively inhospitable to grazing animals in summertime due to the lack of water and lush vegetation, but in contrast provide a relatively warm, dry, source of calcium-rich fodder, water, and shelter for animals in winter months.

As a result of these and other factors, many of these grasslands are grazed only during winter, facilitating the removal of potentially dominant grasses and decaying vegetation with little damage to the dormant herb species, which subsequently thrive in the low-nutrient, low-disturbance environment.

Thus agriculture, in the form of winter grazing, is in fact a key contributory factor to the high floral diversity of the various grassland communities of the Burren uplands: according to O'Donovan (2001) cattle grazing 'undoubtedly engendered these communities and is deemed essential for their survival'. From a farmer's perspective, winterages provide a low cost, healthy alternative method of winter housing and feeding, representing a resource of enormous importance, particularly in the era before silage harvesting became common.

In the advent of diminished levels of winter grazing, or in the replacement of the winter grazing regime by a more common summer-based system, the species richness and character of the Burren flora are severely affected, according to recent research (Dunford, 2002). Unfortunately this is precisely what is happening on many Burren grasslands today, as the winterage system is losing relevance for a rapidly changing farming sector. Though the impact of these changes may be gradual, they are nonetheless of great concern to the future security of the Burren's rich natural and cultural heritage.

The Burren clearly is a semi-natural environment, and the plagioclimatic grasslands it supports are largely anthropogenic. However, details of the many facets of the relationship between agriculture and these species-rich grasslands have not yet been fully elucidated, at least not to a degree sufficient to inform sustainable management and use of the area. burrenbeo hopes to address this information deficit, and to recount this fascinating story.

Though the rich legacy of farming in the Burren context is unique, most other parts of Ireland have also been profoundly shaped by agriculture, and this is reflected in the natural and cultural heritage of these areas. To read more about the archaeological legacy of farming in Ireland, download the pdf below (courtesy of www.heritagecouncil.ie) :