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The Book of the Burren
Edited by Richard Broad, Jeff O'Connell and
Anne Korff

This book's first edition, published in 1991, was part of a growing affirmation of the importance of the Burren, a hymn to its diversity, beauty and singularity.
Ten years later, our contributors describe how the natural heritage of the Burren depends on traditional farming practices and why the impact of booming tourism has not been entirely beneficial. This 2nd edition also updates the natural history and archaeology and includes new chapters on poets and artists in the Burren.

"The Book of the Burren is a guide, a reference book, and, in the loving particularity of its illustrations, a hymn to this corner of Ireland."
Nuala O'Faolain, The Irish Times

"Poets, painters, scientists and map-makers have all served the Burren region well for more than a hundred years. The Book of the Burren measures up fully to the standards of the very best of its predecessors. This is
certainly the most comprehensive study of the region yet made. But, while the authors describe the Burren very thoroughly, their work seems to make its mystery even greater.
The most exciting feature of the work is that the authors are all distinguished specialists in their various fields. Most of the chapters
combine a scholarly survey of their subject in the broader context of the whole of Ireland with a detailed exploration of the local situation. Under this treatment the Burren becomes a microcosm of the country and even of western culture."

Irish Times

"Crammed with maps, photographs, wildlife watercolour sketches and historical
recreations, the visual examination of the Burren area is faultless. Its textual presentation is equally satisfying - an array of experts write passionately and well about their interpretations of this unique region."

RTE Guide

"The Book of the Burren is packed with information and strikingly good to look at. The editors got the experts writing with great love and enthusiasm."
Michael Viney, Irish Times

The stark limestone landscape, the remarkable range and number of wild flowers and the richness of the archaeological and historical remains make the Burren region a source of fascination and wonder. The Book of the Burren is a comprehensive account of the geology, natural history, archaeology, history and culture of the Burren.

Contributors: John Feehan, Paul Gosling, D.L. Swan, Lelia Doolan, Gordon D'Arcy, John Waddell, Charlie Piggott, Patrick F. Sheeran, J.W. O'Connell, Caoilte Breatnach, Anne Korff, Cilian Roden, Richard Broad, Brendan Dunford, Carleton Jones, Jessie Lendennie and Maria Kerin.

2002, 264pp, 205 x 220mm, 106 colour & 176 b&w illustrations



ISBN 1-873821-15-8
Paperback: Euro18.50

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For a few more images from the book please click on the numbers:
1| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |

The Book of the Burren grew out of the Burren series of Ramblers Guides and Maps. In the course of compiling the information for the maps we collected much more than we could use.

The archaeologists Professor John Waddell of Galway University and Paul Gosling of Galway and Mayo Institute of Technology made available to us the results of their years of research on the Burren.
The botanist Dr. Cilian Roden and the environmental scientist Gordon D'Arcy also allowed us to use the results of their extensive fieldwork.

We then realised that many other scholars from various disciplines had been researching the Burren and they all had collected much fascinating material, just waiting to be published. The idea was born to
compile a multi-disciplinary book on the Burren, designed to be accessible to the general reader. A book spanning the geology, natural history, archaeology of both prehistory and the early Christian and medieval times, the folklore, music and art inspired by the Burren. There was a wealth of
pictures available as we had photographed and illustrated hundreds of sites and many of the twelve authors had their own extensive collections of pictures.

The Book of the Burren was the first book of its kind. It was written by specialists in each field but is for all types of readers. It is both a practical guide and a reference book that will both inform the mind and delight the eye and has been a continuing bestseller since it was published in 1991, when it was selected by the Irish Times as one of its Books of the Year.