Calf and Cuckoo

Burrenbeo Trust’s primary schools programme exclusively for Burren National Schools

Two children with magnifying glasses taking part in the Calf and Cuckoo programme from the Burrenbeo Trust

What is Calf and Cuckoo?

This is a free, place-based learning programme exclusively offered to National Schools within the Burren region. This initiative gives students an immersive opportunity to explore and understand their local landscape, ecology, and culture through engaging, curriculum-linked activities.

How to apply
Children learning about nature ouside

What the programme includes

Calf & Cuckoo is designed to support primary school students in discovering the incredible natural and cultural heritage of their home place. Using a combination of engaging presentations and interactive outdoor activities, students learn about key themes that shape the Burren.

The programme consists of three learning experiences delivered by Burrenbeo Trust throughout the school year. Each visit includes a mix of indoor and (weather-permitting) outdoor activities using engaging PowerPoint presentations, activities, storytelling, discussion, and place-based exploration.

  • October School Visit (3 hours)

    Focus: Place, Geology, Archaeology, and People of the Burren. Students begin by uncovering the story of the Burren landscape and its human connections over thousands of years.

  • May School Visit (3 hours)

    Focus: Biodiversity, Local Culture, and Folklore & Mythology. This session dives into the living Burren - its seasonal changes, wildlife, and the traditions that give it character.

  • Burren Field trip (4 hours) - May or June

    A guided outing into the Burren led by Burrenbeo staff; starting from the Michael Cusack Centre in Carran. Students will experience the landscape firsthand, making direct connections between what they have learned in the classroom and the world around them. This element is organised through the Heritage in Schools scheme.

A wonderful experience where the children dug right into various aspects of the Burren. The course content is pitched appropriately and the children are engaged effectively. The winterage art element was a fantastic way to reflect on and assess what they had learned.
Class Teacher, Corofin NS
The Calf and Cuckoo programme was a tremendous experience for our students. It gave them a great insight into the unique geographical features of our region and the historical importance of the Burren for winterage.
Teacher, Peterswell NS
The children thoroughly enjoyed the fieldtrip and the activities at the Michael Cusack Centre in Carron, Co. Clare. The activities were age appropriate, inclusive and highly interesting.
Teacher , St. Flannan's NS, Clare

The Calf & The Cuckoo Book

The Calf & The Cuckoo, a children’s book about Burren winterage by Shane Casey (with illustrations by Gordon D’Arcy) and the inspiration for the name of this programme, can be purchased in our online shop. All proceeds go towards Burrenbeo’s education work.

Buy the book now

How to apply

  • Schools will be informed by email when the call for applications opens (early September)
  • Spaces are limited, so early application is encouraged
  • Enquiries and expression of interest via [email protected]

Good to know

  • Offered exclusively to National Schools in the core Burren area
  • Free of charge
  • Suitable for 4th to 6th class students
  • Field trips will be booked through Heritage in Schools. Instructions will be provided (schools only pay for transport to and from the field trip)

About Calf & Cuckoo

Burrenbeo Trust proudly delivers two long-established annual community festivals that celebrate the deep-rooted connection between people, place, and the extraordinary natural and cultural heritage of the Burren landscape.

Each October, our Burren Winterage Festival honours the age-old practice of local farmers moving their cattle to upland winterage pastures – a unique tradition that helps preserve the region’s biodiversity. In May, the Burren in Bloom Festival welcomes the wildflowers (and the return of the cuckoo!) to the meadows, a direct result of this sustainable farming system.

Building on the themes of these festivals, Burrenbeo Trust has developed Calf & Cuckoo. This is a free, place-based learning programme exclusively offered to National Schools within the Burren region. This initiative gives students an immersive opportunity to explore and understand their local landscape, ecology, and culture through engaging, curriculum-linked activities.