Location

The Burren, Co. Clare, Ireland

In the liberating environment of the Burren and in the intimate setting of Newtown Caslte, innovative and tranformative leadership learning can safely be undertaken.

The Burren derives its name from the Gaelic "bhoireann" which means "a stony place". The stone in question is mainly carboniferous "karst" limestone. Hundreds of thousands of years old, it defines the unique landscape surrounding the College - in strange, yet beautiful, bare and fissured terraces than many compare to a moon landscape, which hide a myriad of caves beneath.

Though bare at first glance, the stony outward face of the Burren is far from barren. Within the many crevices and cracks, which punctuate its craggy pavement hills, grow some of the world's rarest flowers. This remarkable terrain is also home to a rich variety of fauna. Its equally lively bird and marine life is interesting too for the sheer diversity and quantity of species.

The Burren has long been a source of inspiration for, and in many cases, an adoptive home to artists of all genres. Poets, novelists, painters, sculptors, musicians and playwrights have absorbed its spectacular bare and stony beauty and created a multitude of rich works which continue to be enjoyed and appreciated.

Courtesy of the Burren College of Art

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