On the windswept Atlantic coast of Ireland lies an intriguing landscape defined by sparse vegetation on bare limestone rock, smoothed by ice and sculpted by rain. This is the Burren, the heart of the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark. Its extraordinary glaciokarst terrain is home to an astonishing variety of plant and animal life, not to mention a rich geological and cultural heritage – all of which revolve around the limestone.
This book traces how rainwater shapes limestone pavements, how underground streams carve out caves that feed holy wells and ephemeral lakes, and how bare rock provides microclimates for archaic ferns and colourful orchids. It goes on to illuminate how communities used the stone beneath their feet to build megalithic tombs, cashels, tower houses, churches, and the vast network of drystone walls that climb the hills and support traditional farming practices in response to the harsh environment. Here, culture did not overwrite geology: it adapted to it.
Join us on a visual journey of discovery as we explore the Burren in all its facets, revealing the compelling beauty of this Land of Limestone.
Contents: Thirst in the Burren (poem) / Land of Limestone / Limestone Pavements / Wild Orchids / Archaic Fern / Sinkholes and Potholes / Caves and Underground Streams / Springs and Holy Wells / Loughs and Turloughs / Drystone Walls / Megalithic Tombs / Cashels and Castles / Churches and Graveyards / Behind the Scenes / Bibliography
Opening Poem: Moya Cannon
Author Bios:
Max Wisshak is a geoscientist in the field of marine research at the Senckenberg institute in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, and has published dozens of scientific articles and book contributions on this subject matter. Hi is also a passionate cave explorer, cave photographer, and publisher, who runs his own publishing label speleo-photo editions. Burren: Land of Limestone (2026) is his fourth premium coffee-table book on the subjects of and caves and karst, following Inside Mother Earth (2008), New Zealand Karst (2020), and Lechuguilla Cave (2022). His wife and coauthor Stefanie Wisshak is a geographer working as free-lance designer, writer, and text editor.
200 pages
150 colour photos und 3 graphs
Hardcover 30.5 x 22.5 cm
Offset print on coated, matt, premium paper
speleo-photo editions 2026
