A TALL ship will arrive in the harbour of the Co Clare village of Ballyvaughan today with a cargo from France to start a festival that combines the cultures of the Burren region with the Mediterranean.
The consignment of wine, from a vineyard owned and operated by a co-operative of Irish people, will be used as part of the Festival of the Valleys, which will run over the weekend.
The wine has been produced by Les Vignerons Irlandais (The Irish Vineyards) in the Languedoc region. The festival will begin this evening with the arrival of the restored 37m (120ft) tall ship Bessie Ellen.
The three-day festival will feature song, dance, culture, culinary and sporting events.
The Bessie Ellenis due to arrive in the bay and anchor at Ballyvaughan pier at about 5pm.
It was built in Plymouth in 1904 and is one of the last surviving vessels from a fleet that once stood at nearly 700.
With a carrying capacity of 150 tons, the Bessie Ellenwas used to transport a wide variety of cargo, including clay, peat and salt.
Festival organiser Noel O’Loughlen, who has worked for over 40 years in the wine trade said there would be a mixing of two cultures – “the traditional Irish and the Mediterranean . . . There will be a lot to be seen and sampled, from fashion to food and wonderful wines.”