Burren farmer Aoife Forde and her family hosted the annual Burren winterage community cattle drive on Sunday. Winterage is a unique Burren farming tradition and was recently added to Ireland’s list of intangible cultural heritage.

A priest blesses the cattle before they start their journey to their winter home. \ William O'Reilly

Members of the local community and visitors were invited to join a Burren farming family as they walk their cattle up to their winterage pastures in the Burren upland.s \ William O'Reilly

The ancient tradition still plays a vital role in conserving the Burren’s famous landscape and its biodiversity. \ Martin Keily

Brendan Dunford, manager of the Burren programme said: “This year we were delighted to have Aoife Forde and her family leading the cattle drive. The future of the Burren depends on young farmers like her." \ William O'Reilly

The landscape of upland limestone in the Burren provides a warm, dry place for the cattle to rest, as well as water from calcium-rich springs to drink and a great variety of plants to eat. \ Martin Kiely

The practice of winter grazing helps the biodiversity of Burren's grasslands. \ William O'Reilly

The cattle settle into their place of highlands for the winter months. \ Martin Kiely