Tag Archives: Burren

BURREN in Bloom, the annual celebration of the Burren’s rich biodiversity returns this May. The event, running from Thursday, May 19 to Sunday, May 22 will include a range of guided walks, evening talks and family events to coincide with the UN International Day for Biological Diversity on May 22. Áine Bird, Coordinator of Burrenbeo Trust says, “Burren in Bloom is more than a celebration, it is an important reminder that the wonder of the Burren’s wildflowers must not be taken for granted. “Careful management and continuation of the ancient practice of winterage by hundreds of farmers in the Burren, the scientific and economic support they receive, and the informed pride of the local community in our natural heritage – all play a crucial part in keeping the Burren blooming each year.” This year, the festival will start with an online talk on the evening of Thursday, May 19 on ‘Nature as a partner – changing attitudes to nature and …

A NEW tourism destination website aimed at raising awareness of the Burren region in Ireland and overseas has been launched. Members of the Burren Ecotourism Network were joined in Lisdoonvarna this week by the web development team, Evolve Technologies, to launch the new look Burren.ie. The website aims to bring the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark to life with stories of the people, places and attractions of the area and to attract more visitors to stay in North Clare. The site will also carry a strong message of ecotourism and sustainability. That is a principle that all member businesses subscribe to, and it has previously helped the network to win the ‘Lonely Planet ‘Best in Travel 2021’ award for Community Tourism. Evolve Technologies, which is based in Ennistymon, has been working closely with members of the Burren Ecotourism Network team, including CEO Jarlath O’Dwyer, George Quinn of Hylands Burren Hotel and chairperson of the Network, marketing coordinator …

A WELL known North Clare hotel is facing closure for a temporary period due to chronic staff shortages, it emerged this week. Staff shortages in the hospitality sector in the Burren could hamper Autumn bookings, following one of the busiest summers in the region in recent years in terms of Irish visitors. Hotels and self-catering accommodation providers have reported bookings are up on last year, due to a combination of recent fine weather and the desire to holiday at home due to coronavirus restrictions, abroad. Despite Ireland’s vaccine roll out success many people are still putting off taking international holidays until next year. But an exodus of staff from the sector is proving to be a major hurdle for many businesses in the Burren region. One of the businesses badly affected by staff shortages is Gregans Castle Hotel in Ballyvaughan. Simon Haden, owner of Gregans Castle said the hotel are extremely busy up to the end of October. However, he …

The Aran Islands and the Burren will feature in two separate episodes of the new season of “No Place Like Home” on RTÉ One. The second episode, airing this Sunday, will see host Kathryn Thomas take in the sights of Inis Mór, go diving in the Atlantic Ocean and glamp overnight on the island; the piece will be accompanied by a live segment airing from the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) in Dublin. In the third episode on September 5, Kathryn explores the Burren and greater Clare, visiting Doolin Cave and swimming at Spanish Point, while a live section will air from the Lafcadio Hearn Japanese Gardens in Co Waterford. Niall Tracey, Director of Marketing at Fáilte Ireland, said: “The “No Place Like Home” series proved extremely popular last year and it is fantastic to be collaborating with RTÉ once again, to encourage people to take breaks at home this autumn. The domestic market will be key over the …

OVER 20,000 readers of Bell’Europa magazine in Italy are reading all about the Burren this month. The May edition of the glossy travel magazine, includes a 64-page supplement dedicated entirely to Ireland. Tourism Ireland in Milan teamed up with Bell’Europa to produce the special supplement, which features a stunning image of the Cliffs of Moher and articles about the Burren. Ornella Gamacchio, Tourism Ireland’s Manager Italy, said, “We are delighted with the excellent coverage in this month’s edition of Bell’Europa magazine. This special supplement, dedicated to Ireland, will be read by over 20,000 Italians – so it’s a great way of keeping Ireland and the Burren to the fore in Italy. We look forward to welcoming Italian visitors to the island of Ireland, as soon as the time is right.”

A NORTH-Clare-led agri-environment scheme has generated €23 million for the local economy, according to new figures provided for the Burren Programme Steering Group. Payments totalling €9.4 million has been remitted to 328 Burren farmers for environmental farming since 2010, with an average direct results-based payment of €2,613 in 2019. With a focus turning to sustainable environmentally farming, the Burren Programme can point to a number of relavant and topical achievements. It has helped to deliver a range of environmental, social and economic benefits for farmers, the local community and wider society. It has ensured the continued use and viability of Burren farms by funding land access improvements, water infrastructure and scrub clearance. At least €33 million worth of landscape and biodiversity improvements have been completed in the Burren since 2010 thanks to the scheme. More than 23,000 hectares of scrub has been removed from 328 farms, providing space for rare flowers, such as orchids and gentians to flourish. Significant water …

Farmer Aoife Forde sings the praises of agriculture schemes tailored to their areas, such as the one in The Burren AOIFE Forde feels privileged to be born and raised in the Burren in the middle of a such a unique landscape. The 24-year-old agricultural science graduate and suckler farmer loves working on the family farm, which is is situated about three miles from Carron, just a stone’s throw from Mullaghmore, Sliabh Rua and Knockanes, most of which is owned by the state through the Burren National Park. Aoife describes the Burren as a magical place and really appreciates growing up surrounded by the rocky limestone outcrop. “You can get a sense of people that came before you. You see stone walls that are standing there for hundreds of years. You can see the ring forts and all the old cattle pens. I just feel privileged about where I was born and raised.” She agrees that efforts must continue to protect …

EARTH Day is celebrated each year on April 22. Established in 1970, the objective of this global campaign is to highlight environmental issues around the world, and how local communities are getting involved to provide solutions. So what does Earth Day mean to the Burren? The Burren Ecotourism Network has joined forces with other community groups in the region to tackle head-on the crisis of litter management. “We have taken inspiration from Earth Day to launch an awareness campaign to better manage and ultimately prevent litter in the Burren,” states Jarlath O’Dwyer, CEO of the Burren Ecotourism Network. “We are looking at a variety of approaches including organised clean-ups, pro-active social media campaigns as well as working with Clare County Council and established networks such as Clean Coasts and Leave No Trace.” The members of the Burren Ecotourism Network have been focused on keeping their local patches litter free over the years through the Adopt a Hedge Row and this …