Heritage

Our Story

We are a fusion of urban and rural, of designer and builder. At one with nature and each other. With a shared vision for this land, we call home.

John and his family have farmed this land for generations, acting as custodians of this precious landscape and handing it down from generation to generation. Farming in the Burren is very different to that elsewhere and you will learn about this on your journey with us. The Mountain is an integral part of farming in the burren, it is where the cattle spend the winter, grazing the 1,000 acres and in so doing ensuring the continuation of the intricate eco system of the Burren.

I moved here over 20 years ago having spent many years working as an accountant in Dublin. The company I worked for had a base in Lisdoonvarna, a small town south of Fanore where I was sent to work for a short while. Little did I think that this area of North Clare would become home. We have one son, Eoghan, who is also very interested in farming, so we hope he will continue the tradition for the next generation. We have a suckler herd rearing the cattle for beef. Farming has changed a lot in recent years and it is nolonger feasible to spend all day herding the cattle on the mountain as was done in the past. Consequently over 10 years ago we started creating a track to the mountain top and around its summit so that herding the cattle could be done in a matter of hours and also to facilitate bringing feed to the cattle at the end of the winter period. This mountain track is now over 10km (6miles) long.

After completing the track, on Sunday afternoons we would bring friends and relates for a drive to the mountain top. It was their reaction to what they encountered on the mountain that told us that we had something special, something that needed to be shared. Our track enables us drive to the mountain top and around the summit. This enables us to give, for the first time, universal access to the Burren Mountain, irrespective of physical ability or time.

Our Vision

It is both our passion and responsibility to open Murrough mountain to those who seek a truly authentic and unique experience of the Burren.

For those who are interested in this unique landscape, we want to ensure that they get to see it in all its glory from the mountain top and appreciate the beauty, extent, and enormity of the limestone paving, irrespective of their physical ability or time. That they leave with a greater understanding of life and farming in the Burren having shared our lives for the time they spend with us. We are passionate about this land and want to ensure that it is passed to the next generation to farm and cherish as has happened in the past. We share Murrough Mountain with our guests in the most sustainable way to ensure that we leave no trace. We farm in a manner to ensure that continuity of the biodiversity of the Burren. Preservation does not mean abandonment or closed off to visitors.