If you’re a regular listener to this show, you’ll have heard us speaking to the team behind the annual Winterage in the Burren. That’s the traditional practice of moving cattle to the limestone uplands before winter and it’s unique in Ireland.
Around 1,000 farm families live and work in the Burren region and many continue to follow the pastoral traditions of their ancestors, in particular the out-wintering of cattle on the rough limestone grasslands. By doing this, they continue to produce exceptionally good, healthy free range livestock which are in great demand from buyers across Ireland and beyond.
But these traditions also have a wider relevance: winter grazing systems have been scientifically proven to be critical to the survival of the Burren’s famous flowers and fabulous fauna.
Earlier this month, the Winterage was added to a national list of what’s referred to as ‘Ireland’s Intangible Cultural Heritage’.
Congella Maguire of Clare County Council and writer Michael Houlihan were instrumental in this process. Hurling was also recognised, thanks to the efforts of Lissycasey man Daniel McCarthy, who was manager of the GAA’s Heritage Framework Policy which identified the merits of seeking UNESCO designation for hurling, and worked alongside Sixmilebridge man and Clare GAA team doctor, Dr Padraic Quinn.
It’s a major achievement and today we had some of the team involved in securing recognition for the Winterage join us.
Michael Davoren of the Burren’s Irish Farmers Association and Dr Brendan Dunford, Manager of the Burren Programme joined us live in the studio to explain all that’s been happening.
