This article is from page 32 of the 2008-06-10 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 32 JPG
FARMERS in the heart of the Bur- ren are inching ever closer to taking possession of their heritage and in the process, offering a totally unique tourist product.
Members of the Burren Farmers Eco-Tourism Co-op have already begun hosting a limited amount of farmer led guided heritage tours and the business is set to expand through- out this Summer and into next year.
The philosophy of the co-op is to bring local farmers into the very centre of the tourism product in the Burren. Small groups are taken on tours to some of the real hidden gems of the Burren with local farmers as their guides.
Key to this approach is creating a form of tourism that works with the natural environment and the concept of Leave No Trace.
“What we had here last weekend was the first ever training programme specifically geared for farmers – and all the farmers who took part were members of the Burren Farmers Eco- Tourism Co-op,’ said Ruairi O Con- chuir of the co-op.
‘The farmers were being trained as trainers in the concepts of Leave No Trace. This is about leaving no im- pact on the area where we visit.
“It’s about ideas like walking on du- rable surfaces to minimise erosion, to being careful about how we light fires if we are camping. But it’s about things like not blocking farmers ac-
cess with huge busses or camping in places where you won’t be disturbing the locals.”
A number of themed tours are be- ing designed focussing on local cul- ture, archaeology flora and fauna and interpreting the Burren landscape.
“Farmers have a huge knowledge of their own land. No-one knows it better. The farmers might not always know the Latin names for all of the flora, let’s say, but they have a much deeper, more interesting knowledge. They know the importance of the flora, how they were used in olden times for cures and things like that,” continued Ruairi.
‘Besides the tours there is a de- mand for authentic Burren holiday accommodation in the Burren and
also working farm holidays. Believe it or not there is a demand for people to come here and do traditional farm work.”
Last week each farmers received their Leave No Trace certification and qualified as LNT trainers.
The farmers were joined on the course by interested locals people such as a teachers from the Outdoor Education Centre in Bellharbour. For more information on the guided tours contact burrenecotours@gmail.com.