Tickets to in-person events for the Burren Winterage Weekend are now available. It will take place from Wednesday 20 to Sunday 24 October 2021 in Kinvara, Co Galway, and the Burren, Co Clare.

The annual event is a celebration of the ancient and unique practice of winter grazing in the Burren.

This year’s festival features a wide range of farming, heritage and cultural events, most of which will take place in person in Kinvara, its neighbouring Burren farms, and some will take place online.

In-person events will include a number of farm walks, farm poetry/music, a farming for nature film night, children’s nature creative writing workshop and introduction to winterage meats, traditional cheese tasting and the Burren Food Fayre.

The flagship event of the festival – the community cattle drive – takes place on Sunday 24 October.

Attendees will be able to partake by accompanying a local farming family as they herd their cattle on to their upland winterage pastures.

More than meets the eye

For those interested in sustainable farming, there is a two-day ‘school’ with panel discussions, farm workshops and keynote presentations.

Innovative European Innovative Projects (EIP-AGRI) from across Ireland will be profiled while farmers themselves will share their deep knowledge of the land and livestock.

The annual Farming for Nature Awards will be a chance to meet and celebrate some of our most outstanding regenerative farmers.

Online events will feature talks on the role of pastoralists in our global environmental health, a vision for Ireland’s sustainable systems, and farming experiences within Irish literature.

About Samhain

The event will be held to coincide with the ancient harvest feast of Samhain, which marks an important turning point in the farming calendar, when the summer’s bounty has been harvested and farmers face into the long winter ahead.

In the Burren, Samhain is marked by the practice of winterage, whereby livestock are herded onto the limestone hills to enjoy the remnants of the summer flora, the calcium-rich water and the warm ‘dry lie’ of the limestone rock.

Farmers from all over Ireland and from all sectors are central to the weekend of celebration, learning, debate and fun, culminating in a communal cattle drive to the hills of the Burren.

Places are limited for all in-person events and will require pre-booking.

For more information or to book a a ticket click here.