Online Programme

Sunday 21 August 2022

Online live-streamed event, to include:
- Geology and minerals of the Burren (Dr Eamon Doyle)
- Archaeology of Caherconnell (Dr Michelle Comber)
- History of iron production in Ireland (Dr Paul Rondelez)
- Forging bloomery iron (Colm Bagnall)
- Footage of previous Festivals + ore collecting

The Festival

Sat 27 and Sun 28 August 2022

Thu 25 – Fri 26 Aug: Furnace construction, preparation of materials
 
Sat 27 Aug: Mainly smelting, some forging:

• a ‘battery’ of 7-8 small furnaces producing blooms of c. 4kg in two hours, run staggered so a bloom comes out every 45min or so.
• One or two furnaces to smelt the local siderite nodules (one of these furnaces will be preserved as a future attraction at Caherconnell Fort)

 
Sun 28 Aug: mainly forging, some smelting

• Production by blacksmiths of replicas of iron objects recovered during the excavations at Caherconnell

Thu – Sun: continuous free guided tours + Open Air Museum
Sat-Sun: guided tours by Dr Michelle Comber (NUIG)

Note: while the Furnace Festival is free, a limited entrance fee to Caherconnell Fort needs to be paid. See https://caherconnell.com/fort/ticket-prices-times/ for details

This event has been funded by The Heritage Council. Further support was received from the Geological Survey of Ireland (Geoheritage grant) and Clare Co. Council/Bord Failte (Festivals and Events grant).