Festival Archive 2021
Relive the festivals
Festival 2021: 14th to 22nd August
This year there were in-person outdoor events, self-guided or DIY Festival days and Online art workshops.
Saturday 14th to Tuesday 17th August 2021
Join in the Festival wherever you are, knowing that many others are doing the same as you somewhere else. Each day of the self-guided or DIY Festival, has a theme, mostly botanical, and mostly focusing on something small and rather special. A short video will be released in the morning to introduce the theme of the day and give DIY activity ideas and free resources. Most of these activities can be done wherever you are in Ireland, and there will be suggestions of where to go to do them if you are in the Bantry area.
Saturday 14th DIY Festival day 1: Mosses and Liverworts
Sunday 15th DIY Festival day 2: Seaweeds and Lichens
Monday 16th DIY Festival day 3: Creative Adventures with Leaves and Paint
Tuesday 17th DIY Festival day 4: Ellen’s Letters with a focus on letter writing in the early 1800s and Ellen’s Story.
The Online Festival has two Zoom art workshops painting flowers in watercolours.
Monday 16th August
Nature art workshop session with Sue van Coppenhagen Painting Wildflowers in Watercolour, on Zoom, 10am to 1pm.
Join watercolour artist, Sue van Coppenhagen, for a three hour online workshop. Sue will demonstrate a number of techniques you can use to paint your own wildflower meadow, either by painting along, or simply watching, and attempt your painting in your own time.
Following the online workshop, participants will be sent the link to the Zoom recording of the session, and as a bonus, exclusive access to YouTube videos where Sue recorded in real time the painting of the painting shown here and a second one.
Cost €30. Bookings via email to sue@vancoppenhagen.com
Wednesday 18th August Botanical art workshop with Shevaun Doherty. 5 hour Hedgerow Wild & Beautiful flower painting course via Zoom. 10am to 4pm (with an hour for lunch).
Join award-winning botanical artist Shevaun Doherty for an online watercolour workshop painting the colours and shapes of late summer hedgerows.
Summer hedgerows are full of wild beauty, a rich palette of flowers, leaves and summer fruit. In this workshop we will be looking at different types of flowers, such as Fuchsia, Montbretia, Honeysuckle and Bramble, and exploring the approaches to drawing and painting them.
The workshop will be fun and informal, full of practical tips and advice, and suitable for beginners or artists who wish to improve their painting skills.
Recommended Material List will be sent out one week before the class. A good WiFi connection is essential.
Cost: €60. Booking directly with Shevaun: shevaun.doherty@gmail.com
Website: www.shevaundoherty.com
In-person outdoor events: Wednesday 18th to Sunday 22nd August
These are all outdoors and will follow public health guidelines. Most are free but require booking in advance. Booking is open, see links here. There are waiting lists for sold out events.
Wednesday 18th August
Wild child day: morning: 10am to 12noon
Tree trail and moss hunt in Glengarriff Woods Nature Reserve. Live event and available for DIY / self-guided.
Join the Conservation Rangers in the woods to find some of the biggest and smallest plants in Glengarriff Nature Reserve.
The Rangers will be helping you to see how many different types of tree you can find and looking at the tiny plants that grow on them.We will be doing some fun mossy activities and will have hand lenses available so you can see the smallest details of the tiniest plants.
This event is aimed at children aged 6-12 accompanied by at least one parent. Meeting place will be specified upon booking.
Places limited. Free event. Booking in advance required via Eventbrite here
This event received funding from Cork County Council /Creative Ireland.
Wednesday 18th August
Afternoon: 2pm to 4pm
Wild Child Day
Live event on children’s nature art – for 6 to 12 year olds.
Creative adventures with leaves and paint: join nature artist and experienced teacher, Sue van Coppenhagen, for fun activities that combine art and science.Explore the shape, colour, texture and details of leaves and the properties of paint, wax and water. Be inspired, be curious, be creative.
Flower and leaf pounding and tree ID disks with Etaoin Melville. Flowers and leaves are gathered, selected and arranged onto pieces of cloth, covered, and then bashed with a stone. Noisy, satisfying, requiring some skill and care, and usually providing surprisingly colourful and detailed results. This has been the Festival’s signature nature art activity on Wild Child Day in Heritage Week over the last five years. The Tree ID disks use observational and drawing skills and produce a game to take home.
In the stableyard at Bantry House.
Free half hour sessions with each artist, booking needed in advance. See three Eventbrite listings for more information and to book:
Creative adventures with leaves and paint, book for 6 – 9 years
Creative adventures with leaves and paint, book for 9 – 12 years
Flower and leaf pounding and tree id disks, book for 6 – 12 years
This event received funding from Cork County Council Arts Grants Scheme and sponsorship from Bantry Credit Union.
The Bantry House gardens and grounds are open for free for the day. There is a self-guided Tree and Shrub Trail in the grounds. Pick up the free leaflet. No booking needed for the Tree Trail.
Thursday 19th August
Morning: 10am to 12:30pm
Loop Walk: Botany and Bantry Bay Views
Clare Heardman, Conservation Ranger for Beara, will be leading a walk exploring the botany of this 5km trail which heads up through woodland and out onto open hillside. It features stunning views over Bantry Bay and the Caha Mountains, including many of the places where Ellen Hutchins (1785-1815) hunted for plants 200 years ago.
Note: this trail includes rough ground and boggy sections so walking boots are required.
Places limited. Free event. Booking in advance required via Eventbrite, here
Thursday 19th August
Afternoon: 2:30pm to 4:30pm
Oceanic Lichens: a lichen walk in Glengarriff Woods
Paul Whelan, author of Lichens of Ireland and a newly published book about the Oceanic lichens of Glengarriff, will lead a lichen walk through the woods. The focus will be on the rich Oceanic lichen flora characteristic of the unique climate of West Cork. Hand lenses will be available so participants can appreciate the hidden beauty of lichens up close.
Places limited. Free event. Booking in advance required via Eventbrite, here
Friday 20th August
Morning: 9am to 11am
She Gathered Seaweeds on the Seashore
Ardnagashel Strand, near Ballylickey
Join us on the strand at low tide to explore the seaweeds and learn more about them, and about who would have been gathering seaweeds in the early 1800s, with what and why.
Meet historical reenactor and period costume maker, Carrie O’Flynn, and aquatic biologist, Frances Gallagher. Frances will share her knowledge of seaweeds and their uses and everyone will then collect small pieces for specimens. As the tide comes in, move to a practical session above the strand, spreading your own seaweed specimens on paper with Frances. Take a walk back in time in a special place with Carrie.
Free, booking required through Eventbrite, here
Team Ellen will be filming Carrie and Frances for a short video for the website on seaweed gathering, outdoor clothing and baskets. The video has received funding from FLAG South. The event has funding from Cork County Council Heritage Grant Scheme.
Friday 20th August
Afternoon: 2pm to 4pm
Ellen and Dawson: Seaweed and Sealing Wax
A outdoor event, on the lawn at SeaView House Hotel, Ballylickey, under a parachute shelter.
How did their friendship grow? Live through a slice of Ellen’s life at Ballylickey.
In the summer of 1811, the friendship between Ellen Hutchins in Ballylickey and fellow botanist, Dawson Turner, in Yarmouth, England, was growing closer. Hear extracts from their letters, including one written ‘On This Day’ 210 years ago.
Learn about correspondence and the post, customs of the period, families, botany, and poetry. See period pieces and archive materials, including books belonging to Ellen, letters she wrote, and images of her specimens and drawings.
Chaired by Finola Finlay (Roaringwater Journal) with Carrie O’Flynn in period costume, Karen Minihan reading Ellen’s letters, Mark O’Mahony reading Dawson Turner’s, and Madeline Hutchins (researcher on Ellen and her great great grandniece).
Free, booking required through Eventbrite, here
Friday 20th August
Early Evening: 6pm to 8pm
A walk in Gougane Barra: history and nature
A walkabout in the history and natural history of the perennially beautiful Gougane Barra with historical geographer and walking guide Catherine Ketch (Lee Valley Walking). We’ll walk and talk about St Finbarr – the myths and the history – plus the other ‘characters’ of Gougane. We’ll explore the formation of this sublime landscape through the ages and take a look at the heathland flora and fauna.
Up to 6km walk with a mix of road and off road tracks. Preferably wear boots with ankle support. Covid Protocols apply.
Cost €20 (payment in advance via PayPal). Places limited. To book contact Catherine directly: catherineketch@gmail.com
Saturday 21st August
From branch to basket: willow and other useful trees
Afternoon: 2pm to 5:30pm
Future Forests, Kealkil:
Basket making demonstration with local basket maker, Yvon O’Flynn, and see a display of traditional styles of baskets. 2pm to 4pm. Free. Drop in, no booking needed.
Make a willow rattle
Learn simple basket-making techniques and make a rattle in thirty minutes under the guidance of expert Ciara Strange.
Using locally-grown willow, you will learn to make a rattle in this mini-workshop session which will be held outdoors under a shelter. There are four 30 minute sessions between 2pm and 4pm. Participants should be at least 10 years of age. Book in advance here; cost €10
A talk about willow and other useful trees by Mike Collard, founder of Future Forests.
Mike’s knowledge on the subject of trees and their uses is deep and broad, as is his passion for them. Join Mike under a parachute shelter in this very special and beautiful place to hear him speak about trees.
4:30pm. Free but booking required through Eventbrite, here
This event has funding from Cork County Council Heritage Grant Scheme.
Sunday 22nd August
Water Heritage Day: morning: 10am to 12:30pm
Coastal wildflowers along the O’Sullivan Mile (Trafrask to Faha)
Clare Heardman, Conservation Ranger for Beara, will lead a 3km walk looking at the wonderful variety of coastal plants along the shores of Bantry Bay. Starting and finishing at Trafrask, this gentle walk will explore the special plants that can survive in a salt-splashed environment. We will also be looking at some striking late summer wetland plants.
Places limited. Free event. Booking in advance required via Eventbrite, here
This event has funding from the Community Water Development Fund.
Water Heritage Day: Afternoon: 2pm to 4pm
Exploring the shoreline
Marine biologist Niall McAllister of Wild Atlantic Wildlife, will lead a kayak trip around Adrigole Harbour and talk about the importance of the local marine environment. Learn about seals, seaweed and other sea life.
Catherine Seale-Duggan (Community Water Officer with the Local Authority Water Programme ) will also be on hand to explain what it means for Adrigole to be a Prioritised Area for Action.
Cost: €20 per person and €3 for wet suit hire. Book directly through Eventbrite, here
Location: West Cork Sailing and Powerboat Centre, Adrigole Pier.
Niall and Gail of Wild Atlantic Wildlife have generously agreed to donate all proceeds from this event to the Ellen Hutchins Festival.