merrion street

Arts Minister Jimmy Deenihan today announced that Ireland has won a prestigious award for the BurrenLIFE Project ‘Farming for Conservation in the Burren’.

The project, which worked with farmers, scientists and conservationists to  develop a  new  model  for  farming  the  Burren in an environmentally friendly way, has been selected by the Member States of the European Union

as among the top six “Best of Best” LIFE Nature projects out of 59 projects

assessed in 2010.

The Minister said of the project:

This is the highest level of international recognition that it is possible for  a  LIFE  Nature  project to achieve within the EU LIFE Programme and a great  honour for the country” said Minister Deenihan. “It is also of great credit  to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department,

who  initiated  the  Project, the Project partners – Teagasc and the Burren IFA  –  and  the  BurrenLIFE team who so successfully steered the five year Project.  It  is  also recognition of the involvement, help, assistance and

enthusiasm provided by the Burren farmers who participated in the Project.