A demonstration of shoeing a horse, a blacksmith’s forge, organic garden produce, scarecrows, cooking of food in an outdoor clay oven, bird watching tours, and a wooden toy-making workshop will all form part of the annual celebration of community, heritage, and the environment in Ballinfoile this weekend.
Féile Ballinfoile, taking place this Sunday, September 25, will be a tribute to the crafts and heritage skills that are being undertaken in Ballinfoile Mór by volunteers in organisations such as the local organic garden group, Cumann na bhFear (Men’s Shed ), Conservation Volunteers Terryland Forest Park, and Foróige.
Local teenagers and the children of Scoil San Phronsias will also be helping revive an ancient eco-friendly tradition of protecting vegetables from birds by making dozens of colourful scarecrows, once used in gardens across Ireland to protect vegetables from birds. Among the mix of events taking place will be the shoeing of a horse by farrier Joe Dodd, wooden toy-making workshops, bat, bird, and beehive box displays from Cumann na bhFhear, and the cooking of pizzas in the garden’s huge hand-made clay oven.
Féile Ballinfoile will take place from 2pm to 4pm on Sunday in the Ballinfoile Mór Community Organic Garden.
