Visitors to this 2-million-year-old cave will see more than the amazing illuminated tunnels and waterfalls, for there is also much of interest to food lovers.
Cheese-making demonstrations show how the local Burren Gold cheese is made and, even if the process is in a quiet phase at the time of a visit, there is still plenty to see - and buy, thanks to a well-stocked food shop; free tastings of the cheeses and home-made fudge are available here, and other goodies to take home, including bread mixes (brown bread; potato bread) and home-made preserves.
Just inside the entrance to the cave there is a souvenir shop with a good book section (including travel and cookery books of Irish interest), and a café serving inexpensive, wholesome fare - typically baked potatoes with Burren Gold cheese. Fast food (coffee, panini etc) is also available
Arriving visitors will also notice The Burren Birds of Prey & Educational Centre (on the left, opposite Burren Cheese), which is home to the largest and most varied display of birds of prey in Ireland. Daily flying displays provide a rare opportunity to see these magnificent birds in dramatic free flight, as well as a mountain trail "guaranteed to work up an appetite".
A visit to Ireland's premier showcave is a very worthwhile experience when visiting the Burren, and full of surprises - at the Farm Shop, for example, you can watch the award winning Burren Gold Cheese being made by cheesemaker and apiarist, Ben Johnson. And, even when he is not present, a glass wall between the shop and the dairy area allows visitors to see the cheese making process.
Made with milk from pedigree Friesian cows, this unpasteurised Gouda style cheese takes its character from the area's special herbs and grasses. Available in a range of flavours including smoked, you can taste the cheeses in the shop before buying - and the other speciality foods offered include, of course, the precious Burren honey.
Cheesemaking courses are occasionally offered.
