FARM WALKS

Then coming to in the smell of dung again
And wondering, is this all? As it was
In the beginning, is now and shall be?
Then rubbing your eyes and seeing our old brush
Up on the byre door, and keeping going.

From the poem Keeping Going by Séamus Heaney.

Description

The walk takes place on the organic farm of the Jeuken family in a secluded valley at the edge of the Burren National Park. The stock includes a 45 strong herd of a rare breed of cattle known as Belted Galloways. There are in fact less than 10 herds of Galloways in the Republic of Ireland. The farm is also home to a herd of goats and a flock of sheep. There is a true balance between man and nature at the farmstead. Often the loudest sound is the silence of manual labour.

The Jeukens are conservation farmers whose goals include the preservation and enhancement of the extraordinarily rich natural and cultural heritage which is contained on the land. The farm has its own lake Lough Avolla.

One of the walking trails on the land leads to Sliabh Na Glasha (300m) which boasts breathtaking views of several counties.

Highlights

A cairn, fulachta fiadh (cooking sites), sweat  huts, a holy well, penitential stations, a ring fort and small, ancient field systems. Erratic boulders.

Several unique limestone pavement patterns. Rich and varied wildlife including red squirrels.  Arctic/Alpine/Mediterranean mélange of wildflowers.