This beautiful place is Mullaghmore mountain, in the heart of the Burren near Kilnaboy. It became the site of great controversy over the past nine years , due to plans to build an interpretative center and car park there. Those for the proposal included many of the locals and the Office of Public Works. Those against banded together as the Burren Action Group and were backed by environmental groups including An Taisce, Earthwatch, Greenpeace , the Mountaineering Council of Ireland and The Heritage Council. Their concern was that the center would increase traffic in the area and that the ground water woul be in danger of being polluted if the proposed sewage treatment plant proved inadequate for such a fragile environment. The battle was finally won in July 2000 when the OPW agreed in the High Court to completely rehabilitate the site. Some coverage here from the Irish Times..

"With the battle between Burren conservationists and the Office of Public Works finally over, Frank McDonald argues that the people who opposed the centre deserve our thanks."

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They had completed the car park and started on the buildings when the stop work order came. In October 1996, plans were lodged with Clare Co Council for a scaled down visitor center at the same site. These plans were for covered waiting area, toilets, ranger offices, a storeroom, car parking and signage. On the basis that I feel I should have a say in this matter, let me say that I was agin it! There already is a long established Burren Center in Kilfenora, and if another is needed it should be situated in Kilnaboy or Corofin. The roads around Mullaghmore are too narrow for huge tour buses and you only have to look at the Cliffs of Moher to see that if you build car parks they will come. 900.000 visitors each year. Anything like that amount would ruin Mullaghmore forever.The mountains folded shape is caused by tectonic forces, in this case the Fergus Shear Zone. The lake you see above is a turlough or dry lough. The water level fluctuates throughout the year, this photograph was taken in January. During the summer there is no water here, instead you have a small field. Folklore has it that turloughs appear and disappear on certain dates every year. Not true I'm afraid, it depends on the rainfall and the season.