This article is from page 35 of the 2008-05-13 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 35 JPG
WITH the arrival of Summer, the Burren is set to come alive this month with a host of flora and fauna coming into season.
To celebrate this re-awakening, the Annual Burren in Bloom Festi- val will take place throughout the month of May with a range of events designed to help people fully enjoy iW Ntomrs Baste
“The original festival was started about three years ago as a way of try- ing to increase tourism and try and keep people in the village of Bally- vaughan and make their stay more
pleasurable. The obvious option was to give people information about what is going on at a time of the year when it is really coming into bloom,” said organiser Jim McCarthy.
One if the central elements of the Burren in Bloom is a series of il- lustrated talks by leading botanists and environmentalists at the Burren College of Art. Contributors include George Sevastopulo, Paul Clements, Susan Sex, David Lyons, Tony Kirby, Mary Angela Keane, Bill McNamara and Brendan Dunford.
““Tt’s really to help show people what the Burren has to offer and the rich- ness of the Burren. It’s all about the
different walk and the different illus- trated talks – it’s about giving people a key to unlock the unique place that the Burren 1s,” said Pauline Burke of Burren in Bloom.
“Tt’s really an event for the locals and for the tourists. The communi- ty really comes together to make it work. All the lectures and talks are voluntary – there are a few things that we have to charge for, but we try to keep it down to a minimum where ever possible.”
Wilms clUomusemebOMs oy lole snmp Mme)ececTIN Kier! by the Ballyvaughan Development Group and has been growing solidly since it was first staged four years
ago. One of the highlights of the fes- tival each year has been the Dawn Chorus Walk led by Jim McCarthy.
“We all meet up here outside the supermarket at 5.l5am and have some coffee and fresh croissants be- fore we head off. We go from here out to Lough Rask, which is about a mile and a half outside the village. It’s a leisurely walk. The birds out there are fantastic. It takes about two hours in total and then we come back to the Hyland’s Hotel and have a champagne breakfast.”
For more on Burren in Bloom con- tact 065 7077464 or check out www. ballyvaughanireland.com