Unique festival explores countryside off the greenway

BURRISHOOLE is the place to be this bank holiday weekend for the annual three-day walking festival.

This year walkers will get to enjoy new routes on the two days of the main walks, both low level and high level walks.

Over the weekend there will be a lecture on the history and folklore of the Nephin Beg Range and the Bangor Trail, plus the usual entertainment in Derradda Community Centre on Saturday and Sunday night. As usual, the event will finish at the Oghillie Mass Rock on bank holiday Monday.

The organisers are hoping to see lots of new faces joining the walks this Saturday, Sunday and Monday, May 30 and 31 and June 1. The festival is a unique opportunity to explore the countryside off the greenway, between Newport and Mulranny, with low and high level walks, so all categories of walkers are catered for. Each walk is led by local guides.

The weekend package is great value at €35 for the three days, or it’s €20 for one day. This includes a packed lunch and entertainment on both Saturday and Sunday night in Derradda Community Centre, just outside Newport, from where the walks depart each morning.

Registration is open at Derrada centre at 10 a.m. and the walks start at 11 a.m.

For further details, call Jackie Rumley on (098) 36144 or Sinead Cusack on (087) 2249679. You can also check out the festival online at www.burrishoolewalkfest.net or see the festival Facebook page.