Burren Winterage Weekend 2018
Thu 25 Oct 2018 9:30 AM - Sun 28 Oct 2018 10:30 PM IST
Burren
Description
The Burren Winterage Weekend 2018 will take place from October 25th to 28th in Gort, Kinvara and other locations across the Burren. During the Winterage Weekend we join together to celebrate the unique farming traditions of the Burren and other ‘high nature value’ farming landscapes across Ireland and Europe, as well as sharing ideas on how these special places and their custodians might best be supported at a time of great challenge.
This vibrant and culturally rich community festival is coordinated by the Burrenbeo Trust and supported by Burren community volunteers and local businesses. Over the weekend there will be numerous events, many of which are free, but a few of which have a cost and require advance booking, including the Burren Winterage School, the Herdsman's Walk and the Burren Perfumery soap-ball workshop.
Burren Winterage School (BWS): The annual two-day gathering in the Burren, with ‘Innovation in sustainable pastoral farming’ as this year's theme. The School will begin on the evening of Thursday 25th October in the Lady Gregory Hotel, Gort, with insights into innovations and challenges in high nature value farming in four European landscapes. Note: we also encourage you to attend Teagasc’s National Agri-Environment Conference in Gort on that day (free entry, booking required).
On Friday 26th we'll have field trips to visit agri-environment schemes in the Slieve Aughty mountains and the Burren, as well as a very special Farming Innovation Fair at Gort mart. On Saturday 27th proceedings will move to Kinvara for the annual Burren Winterage School conference, with speakers, films, panel discussions and workshops on farming for nature, followed by the inaugural National Farming for Nature Awards (see www.farmingfornature.ie).
If you can only attend on the Friday and the site visits to Slieve Aughty and Burren farms are of interest, you can book the Field Trips. These will involve guided farm visits, hosted jointly by farmers and farm programme experts, to demonstrate their experience of results-based agri-environment schemes. Lunch and coach transfers are included in this package.
If you are only available on the Saturday you can book the Conference only (includes coffee break and lunch).
Or perhaps a guided Herdsman's Walk on Saturday morning is just what you're looking for: this is a 2.5 hour walk with the local landowner telling the story of his land, its history and its management. A unique insight. This walk is a fundraiser for the local landscape charity, Burrenbeo Trust.
You also have the opportunity to thrill your senses at the Burren Perfumery on Thursday at 11am. At the hands-on Soapball Workshop - Burren woodland inspiration at the Perfumery, participants will learn how to blend soap with a range of natural seasonal essential oils and dried plants. This is also a fundraiser for the Burrenbeo Trust.
All of these events can be booked here using our Ticket Tailor booking page. If you would like to see more general information on the Burren Winterage Weekend please go to www.burrenwinterage.com
The Burren Winterage Weekend is a not-for-profit event and all proceeds from ticket sales will be used to cover the cost of this and future conferences.
Burrenbeo Trust wishes to thank the Department of Agriculture, Bord Bia, The Heritage Council, Creative Ireland Galway and HNV LINK for their support towards the cost of the Burren Winterage Weekend.