Clare To Bloom Again This Summer

Local community groups across the County are being urged to participate in the 2012 ‘Clare in Bloom’ competition this summer.

‘Clare In Bloom’ adjudication occurs from mid-June to mid-August and considers such factors as colour, size, variety, location and appropriateness of the various planting schemes along with the management of litter.

The annual competition is based on three population categories. Category 1 caters for towns and villages with a population in excess of 700, Category 2 applies to population centres of between 300 and 700 people and Category 3 features villages with a population less than 300.

The competition is promoted by Clare County Council and offers a generous prize fund. The initiative is sponsored by ESB Moneypoint, Shannon Development and Roche Ireland with matching funding from the Local Authority.

Commenting on the Clare in Bloom competition, the Mayor of Clare Councillor Pat Hayes stated: “It is great to see so many people volunteering their time to local initiatives and being so actively involved in their communities. This competition rewards that effort and we hope that local groups and communities will participate again this year”.

Nicola Cullinan from Clare County Council’s Tourism & Community Development section noted that ‘Clare in Bloom’ not only helps to make the County a more attractive place to live in and visit, but it also acts as a springboard for communities to consider taking part in other competitions such as TidyTowns or Pride of Place.

“The success of the competition to date shows what can be achieved when Clare County Council, Shannon Development, local businesses and local communities work together,” she stated.

Communities and groups interested in participating in the ‘2012 Clare in Bloom’ competition can obtain application forms and further information from Clare County Council by contacting the Tourism & Community Development Department at 065 6846428 / 511 or www.clarecoco.ie. The closing date for receipt of applications is 4pm on Thursday, 31st May 2012.

Kilrush Students Dig Deep For Biodiversity Week

Staff and students at Kilrush Community School have been busily transforming the green lawns around their school into a haven for wildlife ahead of the inaugural Kilrush Biodiversity Week, which takes place from Monday, 23 April to Sunday, 29 April 2012.

The programme of events will celebrate the many aspects of Biodiversity in Kilrush and its environs from family days out in beautiful natural amenities to information and discussions about threats to biodiversity. 

As part of the inaugural initiative, students and their teachers at Kilrush Community School will host a public wildlife gardening exhibition on Saturday, April 28th from 2:30 PM. 

It is anticipated that the schools’ biodiversity garden will feature at least six different habitat areas. They include the planting of hundreds of native hedgerow and trees, which have been selected for wildlife interest and habitat value. They include Hawthorn, Holly, Guilder rose, Hazel, Crab apple, Alder, Bird cherry and Rowan.

A 20m-by-20m native woodland habitat also is proposed featuring a selection of tall native trees including Oak, Ash, Blackthorn, Yew Aspen and Hazel. It is proposed that when the woodland develops in about 5 years time, bluebells, primroses and ramsons will be planted to develop an attractive woodland ground flora.

Meanwhile, a herb bed is being developed along with a raised school vegetable garden. Other habitats being developed include butterfly patches, woodland glades and marshes.

Commenting on the project, Shane Casey, Biodiversity Officer with Clare County Council, said: “It is wonderful to see how enthusiastic the students are, and there has been a huge support from the staff, parents, local community and businesses, as well as environmental organisations such as CELT and Coillte who have donated a huge amount of plants and trees.”

According to Shane Casey: “The take home message for Kilrush Biodiversity Weekend is that Biodiversity is not some incomprehensible scientific discipline, but rather the ordinary plants and animals we see outside our windows and on our doorsteps every day. 

Mr. Casey that that Kilrush Biodiversity Week coincides with the preparation of the Kilrush Development Plan 2014-2020, which he said “will have a significant focus on amenity, biodiversity and green infrastructure.”   

“It is projects like that being developed by Kilrush Community School that will help enhance the local community and make Kilrush a more attractive town to live and work in, as well as visit”, he explained.

OTHER EVENTS:

A full programme of public events will be held on the weekend of April 28-29.  There will be an early start on Saturday morning with a Dawn Chorus Walk in Vandeleur Woods at 5:30 AM.   A Moth Exhibition and Bug Hunt for children takes place in the Vandeleur Woods from 10:00 AM, followed by a composting demonstration at 1pm and a guided tour of the beautiful Vandeleur Walled Gardens.  At 2:30 PM, Kilrush Secondary School will host a Wildlife Gardening Exhibition, while the day will concluded with a late night bat walk in Vandeleur Woods at 9:30 PM.

On Sunday 29 April, the focus will turn to the Shannon Estuary when a discounted price for Dolphin Watching Boat Trips will be available to members of the public (to avail of the offer contact Geraldine on 065 9051327, quoting Kilrush Biodiversity Week). Meanwhile, Inland Fisheries Ireland will be inviting people to enjoy the marine touch pools at on Cappa Pier at 12:00 PM, and participate in a seashore walk from 4pm to discover the abundance of nature along the estuary from seaweed to waders.

Burren Festivals Unite For Summer 2012

Six popular festivals and sporting events in north Clare that were previously promoted individually were today united under one banner with the launch of Burren Festivals 2012.

Organisers estimate that the events will lead to a combined footfall of 14,000 and 6,300 bed nights in the region, worth approximately €2.5million to the local economy during May and June.

The six events include the Brehon Law Weekend (May Bank Holiday Weekend), Burren in Bloom (May), Burren Marathon Challenge (May 26th), Féile an tSamhraidh (June Bank Holiday Weekend), Ballyvaughan Races (June 17th) and An Post Tour de Burren (June 23rd).

The initiative is being led by Ballyvaughan Development. Group Chairperson Patrick O’Donoghue said: “The launch of Burren Festivals 2012 shows how groups can work together and combine their individual strengths to make all these festivals a massive success. We hope to build upon this for the future.”

The Clare Tourism Forum said the combined marketing of six separate events would generate significant benefits for North Clare and the County as a whole.

Speaking at the launch of Burren Festivals 2012 at Aillwee Cave and Burren Bird of Prey Centre in Ballyvaughan, Forum Chair Barbara Faulkner stated: “The collaborative approach and cross promotion efforts being adopted by the organisers of each of these events will ensure that individual events will benefit while the region itself is promoted to a wider audience.”

Ms. Faulkner noted that the lead set by Burren Festival participants should encourage other event organisers throughout the region to group together to help promote their respective communities and regions.

“In this day and age of increased competition from other tourism markets, there is a real danger that Ireland’s tourism and hospitality businesses may not succeed unless a concerted and united approach is adopted. The Clare Tourism Forum promotes such an approach and congratulates Ballyvaughan Development for developing this initiative, in conjunction with the event organisers,” she added.

According to John Sweeney of Clare Sports Partnership: “We are delighted to once again be involved in two of the festivals in Ballyvaughan this year, namely the Burren Marathon Challenge and the An Post Tour de Burren. We have seen these two events grow over the last 4 years. Both events are now noted nationally as being ranked highly in their disciplines. Locally, they have played a major role in helping to increase physical activity levels to the recommended 30 minutes a day. "

Burren Festivals 2012:
-    The 2012 An Post Tour de Burren takes place on June 23rd and will feature the 12km Family Spin, The 66km Black Head Battle, The Burnin’ Burren 108km Spin and The Fr. Ted's Day Out 162km Spin. See www.tourdeburren.com.
-    Originally started in 1970, The Ballyvaughan Races returned in 2010 after an absence of 35 years. The races offer a fun day out for all the family with attractions to cater for everybody in the picturesque surroundings of Newtown Castle. See www.facebook.com/BallyvaughanRaces.
-    Féile an tSamhraidh (Burren Summer Festival) will take place in Ballyvaughan and Fanore during the June Bank Holiday Weekend. The event will showcase visitor attractions and activities as will feature a range of musical entertainment, including Sean Tyrell, Chris Droney, Swallows Tail Ceili band and Bagatelle, along with a mix of other entertainment. For more visit www.discoverballyvaughan.com/feile.
-    The Burren Marathon Challenge on 26 May features a choice of full, half or mini marathons through the Burren's scenic landscape. See www.clareburrenmarathonchallenge.com.
-    Burren in Bloom, in association with the Burren College of Art and the Burrenbeo Trust, takes place throughout May and features a series of illustrated talks and organised walks, giving people an understanding and appreciation of the Burren and its formation.  See www.burreninbloom.com
-    The annual Burren Law School, held the first weekend in May, aims to recreate the tradition of legal learning associated with the Brehon Law Schools, allowing the past to illuminate the present. See www.burrenlawschool.org.

‘All Signs Lead to Ballyvaughan’ where this  Summer Festivals 2012 were launched at Aillwee Cave, Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare including including Burren Law School; May 4-6, Burren in Bloom; May 1-31st, Burren Marathon; May 26th, Feile an tSamhraidh; May 31st-June -4, Tour de Burren; June 23rd, Ballyvaughan Races; June 17th represented by walker Kieran Lynch, equestrian John Queally,  cyclist Olaf O Neill and  Flower Robin Mele,  . Photo:Andrew Downes