Festival celebrates a special landscape

From flowers to food, from archaeology to adventure trails, the full glory of the Burren’s landscape and history will be explored this month as part of the Burren in Bloom Festival, which is being co-ordinated by the Kinvara based Burrenbeo Trust.

The aim of the month-long Festival with its huge programme is to deepen people’s understanding of this unique and extraordinary landscape of South Galway, the Aran Islands and North Clare.

Burren in Bloom is held in May because that’s the time of year when the place starts to come alive, both from a nature point of view and the arrival of visitors, says Áine Bird, Communications Officer with Burrenbeo.

The organisation which was founded five years ago by Dr Brendan Dunford of the Burren Farming for Conservation Programme is dedicated to promoting the sustainable management of the Burren’s landscape and heritage. Focusing on working with the local community, it has the distinction of being Ireland’s first ever landscape charity.

“The Burren in Bloom Festival is about getting people out engaging with the Burren and adding to their knowledge,” says Áine, “and also to celebrate the great work being done in the Burren by the local community.”

It is a mix of guided walks, talks, food trails, exhibitions, book launches and family events and, as Áine says, “there is a great selection. You could be here every day of the week”.

Burrenbeo has assembled a quality line-up of experts for the Burren in Bloom walks and talks. This was done by Áine and two of the Burrenbeo voluntary directors, Stephen Ward and Richard Morrison.

In addition, Burrenbeo has linked in with many local organisations, including Adventure Burren, which runs activity and adventure trails every Friday throughout the season – for May these are incorporated into the Burren in Bloom programme. In addition, local food producers and restaurants, under the banner of Burren Ecotourism Network, have organised food and adventure trail events.

The remit of the Burrenbeo organisation is to provide education and learning in a hands-on way to people of all ages and that’s reflected in this Festival programme. There are serious topics up for discussion but in a way that is accessible and sociable.

“The topics have to be academic but they are not delivered in an academic fashion,” says Áine. “It’s about bringing people along.”

One of these talks will be delivered by Swedish archaeologist Dr Stefan Bergh, a lecturer at NUIG, whose specialises in the interaction between people, place and landscapes in prehistory.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.