A beautiful book on a beautiful part of Ireland is simply perfect!
My introduction to The Burren was one of my most enjoyable holidays ever. It was organised by The Old Ground Hotel in Ennis and combined a stay in the hotel with an introductory talk on The Burren by Tony Kirby of Heart of The Burren Walks, followed by a few days of guided walks in his company. It opened up a treasure to me and I still reflect on it with great happiness. We have returned on several occasions since, always staying at The Old Ground because it is nice to sit down for an excellent meal at the end of a long day’s walking. Each visit has been a joy. We go to enjoy the scenery, the completely different and almost crazy environment that is The Burren where flowers which are at home on the Alps, the Mediterranean and the tundra are all found within a stone’s throw. Then, of course, there are the other regular and not to be missed stops – a visit to Carl Wright’s Caher Bridge Garden (Nice photograph of Carl in the book!) and coffee and cake at Catherine O Donoghue’s An Fear Gorta restaurant in Ballyvaughan – though I think I am showing my age somewhat as Catherine has handed over the reins to Jane for quite some time now but, more importantly, the food and the people are wonderful.
It is no wonder that Karsten Krieger decided to make his home there. He had visited several times – to see what had inspired J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth – and eventually settled there. Landscape photography is Karsten’s passion and he has previously published two books which have featured his work: “The West of Ireland” and “Ireland – A Luminous Beauty” (with others). In this, his latest book, “This is The Burren” he has captured the essence and beauty of this area with wonderful landscape photographs and intimate portraits of plants, animals, insects and people, all of the beauty of The Burren.
The photography is excellent, something which hardly needs to be said given Karsten’s previous volumes of work, and the text is, as one would say, short and sweet, sufficient to weave it all together, fill in the background and give us a brief overview of this wonderful area. It is a quick read but a slow book as the photographs will hold your attention and demand you gaze at them with longing to be there.
The subject matter is wonderful and Karsten has presented it magnificently! You will enjoy it and, if you haven’t been to The Burren, you will be making plans to do so.
[This is The Burren, Karsten Krieger, The Collins Press, Cork, 2015, Hardback, 175 pages, €19.99, ISBN: 978-1748892514] http://www.collinspress.ie/ – available by mail order.
Paddy Tobin
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