Protecting the Burren’s treasures from scrub

HOW to protect the many ancient treasures of the Burren is becoming a challenge, with monuments under threat from scrub which has grown prolifically in the past 30 years.

This rocky and beautiful landscape contains a wealth of archaeological remains now in danger of becoming overgrown. The situation is highlighted in a report by the Heritage Council, on the risks posed to monuments by the encroachment of scrub. Fieldwork shows damage to monuments, both above and below ground, and indicates a risk of monument loss or loss of access to monuments.

The mapping of a sample area showed hazel scrub had almost doubled between 1974 and 2005.