SPRING DAWN: Druids of the Grove of Anú, Jan and Karen Tetteroo, who live in Glenflesk, helping to launch The Wander Wild Festival in Killarney. Photo: Valerie O’Sullivan

A new festival aimed at shortening the winter and encouraging people to enjoy the great Killarney outdoors has been launched.

The inaugural Wander Wild Festival, which will run from March 27-29 inclusive, will have a spectacular opening equinox parade through the streets and will offer an inside glimpse of what Killarney is all about with a springtime celebration of the great outdoors.

Guest speakers lined up will include writer and storyteller Michael Harding who will explore rituals, the ocean, and soul, while ultra-athlete Shane Finn, who completed 24 marathons in 24 days and cycled and ran across America in 36 days, will share his experiences with special guests in a live podcast.

Film will feature prominently throughout the festival with screenings of several highly regarded productions with a sustainability, adventure or real-life drama theme including ‘The Lost Skytrain’, a documentary about the disappearance in 1943 of a WW2 Douglas C-47 plane that was later discovered, with the bodies of five men, by two local farmers on Kerry’s McGillycuddy Reeks.

“The Wander Wild Festival is a really fantastic opportunity for people to get away for a few days, sample this awe-inspiring area and enjoy this spectacle of outdoor-related festival events,” said organising committee Chairman Pat Chawke.

The action-packed weekend will also feature great escape events such as guided mountain climbs, kayaking on the lakes, night nature walks and map and compass reading classes with a packed children’s programme focusing on the great outdoors.

For the more energetic there will be separate events to keep them challenged and busy with a parkrun and a Hardman 10k on the agenda.

Live music and entertainment will fill the streets and the public houses and visitors can sample an authentic taste of Kerry food and drink along the designated taster trails.