Burren big foot mystery solved

The mystery surrounding the discovery in an aerial image of what appears to be a giant footprint the Burren in Co Clare has been resolved.

The image, discovered on Google Earth, was submitted by a member of the public to the Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark last week.

The aerial view shows what looks like a massive footprint and, on closer inspection, the imprint measures over 100m in length and about 30m at its widest point.

The site of the geological feature is located on the north coast of Clare between Doolin village and Ballyrean.

After the image was submitted, it was investigated by Geopark geologist Dr Eamon Doyle who confirmed the feature to be a doline formed by the dissolution of limestone by rainwater, rivers or the collapse of underground caverns.

Commenting on what he described as the Burren’s “carbon footprint”, Dr Doyle said: “Dolines are bowl-shaped, enclosed depressions in the land surface that can be several metres to several hundreds of metres wide. They can form by the dissolution of limestone from the surface downwards, or by the collapse of overlying rock into a cave, or by a combination of these processes.

“There are at least 1,500 dolines in the Burren.”

The Burren is home to Europe’s largest doline.

The Carran Depression is is understood to have developed before the last Ice Age 2m years ago.