Long Island’s flowers featuring in film as part of festival to honour botanist

THE wild flowers of West Cork will feature in events at the Ouvane Falls, Ballylickey, this weekend as part of the annual Ellen Hutchins Festival. 

Local woman Ellen Hutchins researched botany in the early 1800s from her Bantry Bay home and the festival is run in honour of her achievements.

A short film on the wild flowers of Long Island will be shown on Sunday at 6pm, featuring extracts from botanist Ellen Hutchins’ letters to Dawson Turner and his replies with notes and context. 

Gráinne Lyons will read from her recently published book, Wild Atlantic Women: walking Ireland’s west coast and talk about what drew her to Ellen’s story. Some seaweed specimens and a drawing of Ellen’s will be on display. 

The film, Bláthanna Fiáin: Oileán Fada (Wildflowers: Long Island) is presented by Karen Minihan who meets Finola Finlay from the Roaringwater Journal. They explore the wonders of local wildflowers on Long Island near Schull. 

Another event at the Ouvane is Connections with the Past on Friday August 18th at 2.30pm. This looks back on life in the Bantry area in the 20th century, and the names and uses of plants, sewing, making and mending clothes, waterproofs, footwear, transport and the state of roads, writing and posting letters, of the time. 

Archives and artefacts will be shown, and techniques demonstrated.  It is free, with tickets available via the website or at the door.

For more see : www.ellenhutchins.com.