Harvest Swoon! Kilrush Gears up for Vandeleur Walled Garden Harvest Day

County Clare’s rural traditions and craft producers will be celebrated in Kilrush on Sunday, 8^th September when the 2024 Vandeleur Walled Garden Harvest Day takes place.

The family day out will feature a range of activities, demonstrations and events such as a localproducers market, demonstrations of traditional skills, a group artist exhibition and a local produce competition.

Brian Markham, Acting Head of Operations at Vandeleur Walled Garden & Visitor Centre commented: “We are very excited about welcoming people, both young and old, from all over Clare and further afield to Kilrush on September 8^th for what will be a celebration of our many producers and those who have kept rural traditions and crafts of old alive.”

“We look forward to celebrating the very essence of the harvest days of old which brought communities together to support and toast the end of a good season,” he added.

Visitors will be able to witness local craftspeople at work including Deirdre Hetherington of West Clare Willow as she carries on the time-honoured tradition of basket making, wool craft and knitting demonstrations with Valerie Leonard from the Loop Head Alpacas, a metalwork demonstration by Blacksmith Jamie Smith of Triscele Forge, and forging with Paddy Murray of Kilkee Forge.

The Bean an Tí will be demonstrating the art of butter making, while there will be Aran Knitting, Weaving, Crochet, Needle Felting, Wool Crafts and Wood Turning.

Vandeleur Walled Garden’s Victorian-era glasshouse will host a local produce competition in a range of categories including Funniest Shaped Three Carrots, and the Best Loaf of Brown Bread, Vase of Flowers, Six Onions, Six Potatoes and Four Sods of Turf. The public is asked to present their entries to the venue by midday.

Among the other events taking place will be Foraging with local Homeopath and Herbalist Suzanne Hammond in the woods around Vandeleur Walled Garden, a demonstration by a local beekeeper and horseshoe throwing for the kids. Meanwhile, a group artist exhibition with Delaney Davis, Ailish Malone and Hazel Murray will run throughout the weekend from Friday 6^th September to Sunday 8^th September.

The Harvest Festival at Vandeleur Walled Garden takes place from 12:00pm to 4:00pm on Sunday, 8^th September. See www.vandeleurwalledgarden.ie for more.