The Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark

Doolin is situated within The Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark. Rich in heritage and culture, this area received the highly valuable UNESCO Global Geopark designation in March 2016.

UNESCO Global Geoparks are internationally recognised places with unique geology, landscapes, history and culture. Geoparks are managed with a focus on education, conservation, sustainable tourism and community engagement.

The Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark

We are a UNESCO Global Geopark because we adhere to the UNESCO criteria to celebrate heritage
while conserving cultural, biological and geological diversity, and promoting sustainable economic
development.
We do this in the following ways:
– Our landscape tells a fascinating geological story that spans over 330 million years.
– Only here can you find an extraordinary botanical combination of Artic, Alpine and Mediterranean flowers growing side by side.
– We have over 3,000 archaeological monuments that record 6,000 years of history.
– We have farming and musical cultural traditions that are thriving and celebrated.
– Local communities feel a deep connection to their landscape, history and culture and have a strong desire to manage this in a sustainable way for the benefit of all.
– The Geopark manages a Code of Practice for Sustainable Tourism Business, which the Burren Ecotourism Network commits to using.
– The Geopark is managed by Clare County Council in partnership with local communities, tourism businesses and organisations and government agencies.

The Burren and Cliffs of Moher became a member of the Global Geoparks Network in 2011. Global Geoparks were inscribed as UNESCO designated sites in 2015. UNESCO Global Geoparks go through a rigorous revalidation process very 4 years. The Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark was last revalidated in 2019.

The area of the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark covers 530 square kilometers. Its boundary is marked to the West and North by the coast from Hag’s Head to the county border at New Quay. It then runs south along the county border to Tubber and westwards through Corofin, Kilfenora, north of Kilshanny and on to Hag’s Head.

Mission Statement
The Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark supports people and organisations to work together to ensure a cared-for-landscape, a better understood heritage, more sustainable tourism, a vibrant community and strengthened livelihoods.

Top 10 Geology Facts:

1. The rocks of the Burren were formed around 330 million years ago.
2. The Burren limestone was formed in a shallow tropical sea near the equator.
3. Fossil corals, crinoids and brachiopods are common in the Burren limestone, they are also
330 million years old.
4. The layers of rock that make the Cliffs of Moher were formed by rivers flowing into a sea,
forming a delta like the Mississippi delta.
5. The patterns in the Moher flagstones were made by an unknown creature burrowing just
below the surface of sand layers on a shallow coast.
6. The cracks in the limestone and the Cliffs of Moher were formed by plate tectonic collision
almost 300 million years ago and have been enlarged by weathering.
7. The gentle curves of the layers of limestone on Mullaghmore in the Burren National Park
were also formed by tectonic collision almost 300 million years ago.
8. During the last Ice Age c.200m thick flowing ice sheets shaped the valleys and hills of the
Burren.
9. The limestone in the Burren is dissolved by weakly acidic rain and groundwater, forming
caves, so most of the water is underground.
10. In 5 million years the Burren will have been dissolved completely.

Visitors are requested to ‘Leave No Trace‘ of their visit to the Burren, in order to conserve this treasured landscape.

The Burren Ecotourism Network

Doolin Inn is a proud member of the Burren Ecotourism Network, a recognisable network of tourism enterprises in the Burren, who have achieved independent accreditation, demonstrate ecotourism ‘best practice’, positively discriminate in each other’s favour, provide ‘one voice’ representation on issues impacting the Burren (where appropriate), and inspire conservation activism.

Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2021, Best Community Tourism Project

Both organisations are committed to the promotion of responsible tourism that conserves the environment and improves the well being of local people. They work together to promote ‘The Burren & Cliffs of Moher Geopark’ as a leading sustainable visitor destination, celebrated for high standards in visitor experience, conservation and learning. See Burren.ie for more details.

The Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark

Shaped by nature. Given life by people.

The astonishing character of the Burren and Cliffs of Moher region has evolved through a powerful combination of geology, ecology, archaeology, agriculture, history, heritage, commerce, creativity and community. These rich and diverse influences infuse the area with a haunting, spectacular and world-unique beauty.

The Burren

This incredible area holds the answer to thousands of questions and is a sight to behold for those with an interest in archaeology, botany, geology or history.

Visitors to The Burren can learn how limestone was formed over 20 million years ago, the origin of fossils, and what kind of evidence is left behind today of life many millions of years ago.

There is evidence of human occupation in the Burren going back more than six thousand years. Archaeological evidence of the earliest inhabitants includes many megalithic structures such as the instantly recognisable Poulnabrone Dolmen, which is probably the most photographed structure in The Burren Region. The remains of the people inside the tomb were excavated and dated to 3800 BC.

There is also evidence from the Neolithic Era of widespread deforestation for pasture-grazing, which has helped create the stark, windswept beauty for which the Burren is renowned. This livestock farming has also left behind 4,000-year-old field boundaries. This period of intense farming decreased in the Bronze and Iron Ages, and parts of the region re-forested itself naturally. However, intensive occupation of the land once again increased in the early Christian and Medieval periods, again reduced the area of woodland, as grazing became more widespread.

For more information see: www.burrengeopark.ie