Burren Life Report

Farmers and their livestock have shaped the landscape of the Burren in a very profound way since they first arrived here over 5,500 years ago, during the Stone Age. Farmers were responsible for removing much of the original woodland cover thereby exposing the water worn limestone that defines the Burren landscape. They built stone dolmens to bury their dead and ring forts to secure their livestock, structures that are today prized archaeological sites. Even the Burren’s rich biodiversity depends on farming, in particular the ancient tradition of winter grazing which allows the summer flowers to thrive. Today the farmers of the Burren are pioneering a whole new approach to landscape protection through the Burren Farming for Conservation Programme.