Tormentil, or néalfheartach, (image above) is one of the most common flowers of the Burren with its simple, four-petalled yellow blooms.  The Latin tormentil means ‘torment’ or the ‘pains of colic’ and, according to MacCoitir (2015), its roots were once boiled in milk and fed to children and calves as a cure for colic. Badgers are said to enjoy tormentil roots, which are rich in tannins and so were also once used a lot for tanning hides and for making a red dye.

Thank you as ever for your continued interest in and support of our work. For those who do not yet, we invite you to Support Us by becoming a member or donating.

Communities for Heritage

Burrenbeo’s first ever event specifically celebrating community action for local heritage took place on 20th August in Corofin, Co. Clare and was hugely successful.
Attendees included community groups from as close as Corofin, Co. Clare to as far away as Ardcath, Co. Meath.
With workshops, fieldtrips and discussions on a range of themes including, planting for pollinators, protecting and enhancing local waterways, recording local history and archaeology, digging ponds, planting trees, managing community groups and keeping the momentum going – insights were gained and shared on a lot of areas relevant to community groups across the country.
 A community feast prepared with local produce and heritage ingredients and led by William McElhinney of Wildstrands was a much appreciated conclusion to the day.
The Stories of Change exhibition featured some of the leading and inspiring changemakers of Co. Clare.
We hope to make this an annual event – if you have any ideas and suggestions for such an event next year do send it on to us at info@burrenbeo.com

Burren Grassland Habitats with Maria Long

8pm, Wednesday, 14th September

A Burrenbeo Members’ Webinar

This talk with grassland ecologist Maria Long will give an overview of various grassland types in the Burren and focus on some of of the plants, flowers and invertebrates that make up the wonderful and valuable grassland habitats that the Burren is known for.   Maria Long is an ecologist with NPWS with special expertise in field botany, rare plant surveying, habitat mapping, data analysis, long-term change studies, land management effects, and in science communication. She is a national expert on land molluscs, and has worked extensively on Vertigo and other rare species.  Registration link is emailed to members.  You can become a member at burrenbeo.com .  Recordings will be made available on our Youtube channel afterwards.

Burrenbeo Members’ Walks

Our big thanks goes to archaeologists Dick Cronin and Elaine Lynch who led walks for us in August.  Dick Cronin led a walk for members at the authentically restored 15th century Dysert O’Dea Castle in Corofin and Elaine Lynch led a Heritage Week walk to  the 12th century church at Templecronan in Carran.  A historical walk taking in the pre-famine landscape of the Burren with Tony Kirby and a seaweed and coastal plants walk with Oonagh O’Dwyer has been planned for September.
Registration links and details for monthly Members’ Walks are emailed to members.  To become a member please visit https://burrenbeo.com/support-us/become-a-member/ 

Yellow Rattle seed

Limited quantity fundraising sale

shop link

Harvested from a beautiful meadow in the Burren by Burrenbeo Conservation Volunteers, these seeds of the valuable yellow rattle wildflowers are now available to buy in limited quantities and for a limited time only.  Yellow rattle/ Rhinanthus minor / gliográn is a wonderful plant, a hemi-parasite which is also sometimes known as ‘the meadow maker’ for its famous ability to suppress the growth of grass and encourage a greater diversity of wildflowers to thrive. It is one of the most important plants you need for creating a natural wildflower meadow in your garden. Priority has been given to Burrenbeo Members to buy the seeds but we still have a small amount of seed left for non-members.

We are hiring!

Burrenbeo Trust is looking for a part time Admin Officer for The Hare’s Corner project.  As part of the Burrenbeo team, the Hare’s Corner Officer would work collaboratively on the organisation and administration of the Hare’s Corner project.  The position is based at our office in Kinvara, Co. Galway and will also include intermittent outdoor work.  Working from home arrangements can be discussed.  Full details on the position can be found on our webiste here.  If you have the qualities and skills we are looking for, please send a CV and cover letter outlining your suitability to info@burrenbeo.com by 5pm on 5th of September, 2022.  It is hoped that interviews will be held, in person, in the week of 19th September.

BCVs

Burrenbeo Conservation Volunteers are planning to join the National Big Beach Clean on Saturday 17th September in the Fanore area.  We’re hoping to get into a hard to reach area where a lot of marine litter has collected so many bodies will be needed to make this a success.

Now that scrub clearing season is opening up again a monument scrub clearing day is being planned for the south Burren region on Sunday 25th September.

Email volunteer@burrenbeo.com for more information or to request to be added to our volunteer emailing list..

Staff News

Our colleague Karen van Dorp has moved on to another employment and we wish her the very best in her future.  She has been a fantastic asset to Burrenbeo and we want to thank her for all her hard work and dedication to the Trust.  Karen will continue to be on the Burrenbeo conservation volunteers committee.

Save the Dates in 2022!

28th – 30th October: The Burren Winterage Weekend

For information on ongoing community initiatives and events, please scroll down on the

Community News and Events page

Burrenbeo Business Members’ News in brief:

Aillwee Cave – explore Aillwee and unlock many secrets of the Burren through unique underground and overground experiences.  September opening times:  11am to 5pm.

Burren Farm Experience are open for the camping season. Bespoke tours available. Burren Premium Beef available at Kinvara Farmers market and online.

Burren Perfumery is now open from 10am to 6pm daily.   Perfumery tours will take place everyday at 2.30pm during September and their Tea Rooms will be open daily from 10.30am to 5pm.

Burren Smokehouse launched their new website recently, were featured on John Torrode’s Ireland and some of their products won Gold Medals at the America Food Awards.

Feel the Burren is hosting ‘Samhain challenge’, a 10km walk or run on Sat 29th of October.   Group discounts are available.

Hanna T.Fisker has new Nordic accommodation surrounded by breathtaking scenery of the Caher Valley in the Burren.

For full information on our Business Members’ News and Events, please click here.

Support Burrenbeo’s Business Friends

We encourage you to support those who support us! Find the full list of our Business Friends or check them out in the image below.

Burrenbeo Trust is a landscape charity that does not receive any core funding.  We work hard to sustain our 25 plus programmes each year, connecting people with place and their role in caring for them.   There are many ways you can support us.