Lace-making, weaving, ricotta cheese making and tasting, live food presentations, singers, dancers, art exhibitions and so much more... what are you waiting for?
Located in the southern region of Malta and inhabited since pre-history, Hal Kirkop's village motto is Parva non Iners, meaning ‘small but not empty’.
Punic remains of catacombs can be found around the village, some of them still unexplored. In 1969, Anthropologist Jeremy Boissevain published research on the social fabric of the village and claimed that the people of Hal Kirkop have lived in the area for centuries, because of his assumed comparable bloodline with ancient Phoenicians, which occupied the Maltese islands around 700 BC.
Although still a mystery as to why it was erected, the Menhir monolith has become the symbol of the village. Some surmise that it was used as a place where rulers of the time met.
The making of ricotta cheese (irkotta) is also closely linked to the village, as it was the primary source of income for a lot of farmers and villagers in the past. Now, a few of the village's inhabitants still make it from milk from their own sheep flock.
Don't miss!
Irkotta Festival - Sunday, 20th May from 9:30am onwards - Triq San Benedittu, Misrah Hal Kirkop and Misrah San Leonardu
Hal Kirkop Local Council
This Sunday, the Hal Kirkop Local Council is organising the Irkotta Fest for the seventh year running. The aim of the event is to shed light on the past tradition of making ricotta cheese, in contrast with its present modern production. "This is a cultural event aimed to recall memories of the rural past of the village. It's extensively remembered for the tradition of irkotta making. The event continues to succeed in bringing long forgotten crafts and works done by our ancestors back to life," a council representative says.
Expect to find a demonstration of how ricotta cheese was made in the early days by a village resident, who still makes it to this day. Discover this amazing craft and join in on the free tasting of the freshly made cheese.
Ħal Kirkop Local Council
Food stalls will exhibit and sell products prepared with ricotta cheese, including qassatat, cheesecakes, pies, soppa tal-armla, kosksu, ravioli, kannoli, cassatella and other delicious foods. Meanwhile, well-known Chef Manwel Aquilina will be showing visitors how to cook different dishes using leftover food as part of the Don’t Waste Waste Campaign, organised by the Ministry for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change.
A number of artisans will exhibit their work, which will include lace-making, weaving, traditional food preservation and other handmade work, and a variety of entertainment comprising traditional music, local talent and dance groups will enrich the atmosphere. Finally, art exhibition MEN (Maltese Emotional Natural) offers three separate and diverse theme sets with a common style. The exhibition will take place at the local council premises and will be spread over three consecutive days, with the official opening on Friday 18th May.
Guided tours of the village will be organised during the day and will take visitors to the Parish Church, the Annunciation Chapel, ruins of the paleo-christian catacombs, Tal-Matla wall, the Arch of St Jacob’s Chapel and the Menhir. This year’s event was awarded the European Year for Cultural Heritage 2018 logo. Thanks to this logo, the event will be scheduled in the EYCH Malta Website and EYCH Europe.