€2.5m festivals boost for region

The first of six festivals expected to generate €2.5 million for the North Clare economy is to take place this weekend. Attorney General Máire Whelan will be in Ballyvaughan on Friday to open the Burren Law School, this year themed Ireland – Commemoration and Constitution.
The guest director will be Alex White SC, TD and the subject will draw on two areas, the beginning of a sequence of significant centenary commemorations, which will continue up to 2016 and the 75th anniversary of Bunreacht na hÉireann and the Constitutional Convention to be established this spring to explore and report on constitutional change.
Contributors include author Gerry Stembridge; high court judge Mr Justice Gerard Hogan; Dr Oran Doyle, school of law, TCD; Dr Carol Coulter, legal affairs editor, The Irish Times; Minister for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton; Professor emeritus of history at UCC, Donnchadh O’Corrain; Dr Ronan Foley of the department of Geography NUI Maynooth; Dr Laura Cahillane of the department of law UCC, Catriona Crowe of the National Archives of Ireland and Professor Diarmaid Ferriter, school of history and archives, UCD.
North Clare is set to draw nature enthusiasts from across Ireland and overseas as the Burren in Bloom Festival, running through the month of May, celebrates the arrival of a huge range of wildflowers.
The festival features more than 40 talks, walks and events for all age groups, which are sure to enhance appreciation for the unique landscape. The events cover a wide range of topics, from birds at dawn to coastal flowers, the geology of railways to a trip down set-dancing lane.
For the outdoor enthusiasts, there are 12 walks throughout the month, covering history, wildflowers, bumblebees and butterflies, while the early risers can enjoy a champagne breakfast after a dawn chorus walk led by Gordon D’Arcy on May 6.
The talks schedule is equally full and includes the story of the X-PO community project in Kilnaboy, a discussion on children’s diminishing link with nature and the intriguingly titled The Burren: Saviour of the Planet and Civilisation? delivered by Ray Woods, of Plantlife, Wales.
Families who want to get out and discover the natural world will not be disappointed by the selection of activities on offer. With everyone being encouraged to get active and spend more time outdoors, the festival provides the perfect opportunity to do so, with nature games and exciting bug hunts.
Zoë  Devlin’s new book, A Personal Record: Wildflowers of Ireland, will be launched on May 27.
The Burren in Bloom Festival is run in association with the Ballyvaughan Community Development Group, Burren College of Art and the Burrenbeo Trust.
The Burren Law School, or Brehon Law Weekend, and Burren in Bloom is one of six festivals taking place in North Clare over the summer and organisers estimate the events will lead to a combined footfall of 14,000 and 6,300 bed nights in the region, worth approximately €2.5m to the local economy during May and June.
Also taking place is the Burren Marathon Challenge on May 26, Féile an tSamhraidh on the June Bank Holiday Weekend, the Ballyvaughan Races on June 17 and the An Post Tour de Burren on June 23.
The Clare Burren Marathon Challenge on Saturday, May 26 is hosted by the Ballyvaughan Fanore Walking Club and will cater for those of a competitive nature, while also being open to families to take a leisurely stroll through the landscape.
The Clare Tourism Forum said the combined marketing of six separate events will generate significant benefits for North Clare and the county as a whole.
Speaking at the launch of Burren Festivals 2012 at Aillwee Cave and Burren Bird of Prey Centre in Ballyvaughan, Forum chair Barbara Faulkner said, “The collaborative approach and cross promotion efforts being adopted by the organisers of each of these events will ensure individual events will benefit while the region itself is promoted to a wider audience.”
Ms Faulkner noted the lead set by Burren festival participants should  encourage other event organisers throughout the region to group together to help promote their respective communities and regions.
“In this day and age of increased competition from other tourism markets, there is a real danger that Ireland’s tourism and hospitality businesses may not succeed unless a concerted and united approach is adopted.
“The Clare Tourism Forum promotes such an approach and congratulates Ballyvaughan Development for developing this initiative, in conjunction with the event organisers,” she added.
According to John Sweeney of Clare Sports Partnership, “We are delighted to once again be involved in two of the festivals in Ballyvaughan this year, namely the Burren Marathon Challenge and the An Post Tour de Burren.
“We have seen these two events grow over the last four years. Both events are now noted nationally as being ranked highly in their disciplines.
“Locally, they have played a major role in helping to increase physical activity levels to the recommended 30 minutes a day.”