Ellen Hutchins Festival

Name: Ellen Hutchins Festival
Start: 2026-08-14
End: 2026-08-23
Location: Bantry

The Ellen Hutchins Festival celebrates Ireland's first female botanist through a diverse program of heritage crafts and nature-focused activities across West Cork. Held during National Heritage Week, the event features botanical art workshops, seaweed pressing sessions, and guided nature trails in Bantry and surrounding villages.

Date: Aug 14-23, 2026
Location: Bantry

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Event summary

Highlights

Seaweed pressing workshops combined with poetry sessions
Archive displays featuring 200-year-old specimens from Bantry Bay
Heritage craft workshops including willow weaving and quill writing
The Plant Detectives family trail in Bantry’s Peace Park

This annual festival honors the legacy of Ellen Hutchins, a pioneering botanist from Bantry Bay. The program emphasizes the intersection of science and art, offering participants hands-on experiences such as willow weaving, making ink from oak galls, and learning the traditional craft of pressing seaweed. Many activities take place in scenic locations like the Heron Gallery in Ahakista and Future Forests in Kealkil.

Historical enthusiasts can view rare archival materials, including letters and botanical specimens collected over two centuries ago. The festival also caters to families with interactive events like the Plant Detectives trail and microscopy demonstrations designed to help visitors of all ages identify local flora and lichens. Activities are distributed across multiple West Cork venues, including Bantry, Ballydehob, and Ballylickey.

Practical details

Location described by the source: West Cork; www.southernstar.ie
Area for browsing nearby events: Bantry

Before attending

Check the sources below for current opening times, admission prices and registration requirements. A date range does not mean the event runs continuously or that admission is free.