Burren Celebrates Local Food 

Food and drink producers from the Burren Ecotourism Network are to showcase their products at one of Ireland’s agritourism events.

The Burrenbeo 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 County Clare on October 29th and includes both the cattle drive walk and the Burren Food Fayre which is being organised by the Burren Ecotourism Network.

The Burren region is widely known as the “Fertile Rock” and includes a wide variety of food producers including fish smokers, beef, dairy, sheep and oyster farmers, as well as distillers, foragers, herbalists, cheesemakers, bakers and chefs. This group have been working together for many years and have made the Burren an award-winning food destination, with the Burren Food Trail winning the Burren Food Town award in 2015.

Jarlath O’Dwyer, CEO of the Burren Ecotourism Network said:

“This is an excellent opportunity for people to not only hear about the ancient farming practices of the Burren, but also for them to experience walking the cattle upland to the winterage, and then taste and purchase the foods of the land and sea at the Burren Food Fayre.”

The locally sourced food and drink on display on the day will include beef, salmon, pork, oysters, cheese, breads, jams and chutneys along with Burren whiskey and gin.

Many of the producers taking part adhere to the GEOfood concept, an international UNESCO initiative which promotes sustainable agriculture and conservation and supports farmers and communities in the area.

The Burren Food Fayre is supported by the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark; the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; and Calor Ireland.