Food and drink producers from the Burren Ecotourism Network will showcase their products at one of the country’s key agri-tourism events later this month.
The Burren Beo Trust’s ‘ Winterage Festival’ marks the ancient farming tradition of ‘Winterage’, herding cattle onto the higher limestone uplands for the winter months to feed on the rich vegetation.
This year, the event will be held at Michael Cusack’s GAA pitch near Bellharbour in Co. Clare on October 29.
It includes both the cattle drive walk, and the Burren Food Fayre which is being organised by the Burren Ecotourism Network.
Jarlath O’Dwyer, CEO of the Burren Ecotourism Network, said that the Winterage Festival provides an excellent opportunity for people to not only hear about the ancient farming practices of the Burren, but also to experience walking the cattle upland to the Winterage, and then tasting and buying the foods of the land and sea at the Burren Food Fayre.
“We are delighted to work with the team at Burren Beo who have run the cattle drive for several years, bringing it from strength to strength, and attracting people from all over Ireland on the day,” he said.
The locally sourced food and drink on display on the day will include: Beef; salmon; pork; oysters; cheese; breads; jams; chutneys along with Burren whiskey and gin.
Ecotourism producers
Many of the producers taking part adhere to the GEOfood concept, an international UNESCO initiative that promotes sustainable agriculture and conservation and supports farmers and communities in the area.
Carol Gleeson, manager of the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark, said that with a long-standing tradition of food grown in the Burren, and an array of producers of both big and small-scale, GEOfood is a natural fit for the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark.
The Burren is the only region in Ireland to have signed up to the GEOfood concept which started in Norway a few years ago and has since been adopted by many countries around the world.
There are currently 15 GEOfood producers in the Burren, ranging from meat to cheese, honey, seaweed and fermented foods.
To fit the GEOfood criteria, food must have been produced in a UNESCO Geopark. The concept is being further rolled out in the Burren to include restaurants and food businesses that use local GEOfood on their menus.
“We are delighted that the food fayre is once again being staged on the rich agricultural lands of the Burren,” Gleeson continued.
“There is no better way to connect people to the produce than to see where it came from. Among our GEOfood group, we have three farming families taking part who have worked this land for generations.”
They are: Burren Premium Beef, Boston; St Tola Irish goat cheese, Inagh; and Linalla Irish ice cream, New Quay.
Products
Burren Beef is run by Bronagh and Cathal O’Rourke who own a 500ac farm in Boston, Co. Clare. The farm business started in 2020.
Burren Premium Beef was established to produce high quality organic beef from the farm where animals are allowed to graze the lowlands during the summer and are then out wintered on the Burren Winterage area.
They started to diversify a few years ago and now sell their beef all over Ireland. People can taste the beef during the festival.
Last year the O’Rourkes were selling beef inside the market and also made burgers which went down a treat with visitors who relished the experience as the animals were reared close by.
St Tola Irish goat cheese is produced near Inagh. The fresh and hard goat cheese is sold in this country and the UK.
It has become an internationally recognised cheese brand, having grown from a small industry of 70 goats to one of 350 goats, eight employees and a unique food tourism farm experience.
The soils at St. Tola Irish goat cheese farm are rich in mud and peat and are kept wet by the steady flow of rain which comes in from the nearby Atlantic Ocean.
Land this soft is not ideal for traditional farming methods. This led to the alternative practice of goat farming in the region.
The St. Tola Irish goat cheese team pride themselves on farming as sustainably as possible.
Their goats are settled on fresh grass pastures throughout the summer months, and in winter they are fed rich haylage harvested from their own land.
They graze on the unique flowers and herbs of the region which have been seasoned by the salt sea air of the Atlantic Ocean, which is located just seven miles west of the farm.
Linalla ice cream is an ice-cream producer located in New Quay in the northern part of the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark.
Brid and Roger Fahy and their family produce a range of ice-cream flavours which they serve in their café located on the family farm.
The ice-cream is produced on their farm with milk and cream from their own herd of shorthorn cows, a native breed in the Burren.
This all takes place during the spring and summer months after the cows have calved.
The Winterage walk starts at 11:00a.m. However, participants are encouraged to arrive at 10:00a.m to avail of tea, coffee and scones in the marquee. There will also be entertainment by local musicians.
Pranjali Bhave of Burren Beo Trust encouraged all walkers to bring their own mugs and hazel sticks and to brace themselves for a challenging walk of 6km in total, with a steep incline in the initial section.
The walk is also on an uneven path and so unsuitable for buggies. Dogs are not allowed, and tickets must be bought in advance.
The Burren Food Fayre is supported by the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark and Calor Ireland.