Speedie's Blog

Video of Syrian rebel leader eating heart of Syrian Solder Shows Evilness of Islamic Fundamentalism

2013-05-14T22:55:00.000Z

The video of the leader of the Islamic fundamentalist Omar al-Farouq Brigade cutting out and biting the heart of a Syrian soldier shows that the Syria opposition contains a significant evil force that is a threat to peoples and communities all across the Middle East.
See Independent newspaper article here

My fear is that Western intervention will only encourage these elements as shown in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya with 200,000 deaths, ethnic cleansing, millions of refugees, destruction of minorities, loss of female equality, establishment of warlord fiefdoms, Jewish colonisation of the West Bank and a rise in Islamic fundamentalism that is built on hate. To hear the comrades of Abu Sakkar cheer his actions with "Allahu akbar (God is great) clearly shows the madness of this religious zealots.
See my previous article on the destruction of the 2,000 year old Christian communities in the Middle East.

Terryland Forest Park: - Reclaiming Community Ownership

2013-05-11T15:29:00.001Z

Some of the people that planted trees in Terryland Forest Park

The recent community planting in Terryland Forest Park shows that a strong empathy for nature is still strong amongst the ordinary everyday inhabitants of Ireland.

Saturday April 27^th was organised as One Million Trees in One Day initiative involving individuals and groups from all across Ireland. Unfortunately, the national organisers encountered logistical and funding problems that made this dream impossible. Most of the local participating groups and individuals sadly only got a fraction of the trees that they expected. Nevertheless it was a brave and ambitious attempt at doing something that would allow people everywhere to make a positive contribution in safeguarding the environment.

I was overawed and emotionally touched by all of the people that travelled to Terryland Forest Park from the four corners of county Galway to collect trees for planting on their farms, streets, schools, gardens town streets and village greens, neighbourhoods and localities.

These people came from all walks of life- farmers, youth, retired folks, families, community activists, sports organisers… They came from Gort, Peterswell, Rosmuc, Athenry, Tuam, Milltown, Ballinasloe, Abbeyknockmoy, Cahergal, Barna, Galway city, Carna…

Tom O'Connell & family at the Terryland Plantathon

They accrued no money for doing what they did. But they had personified a belief that we as members of the human race have to give something back to nature, to do something no matter how small to undo the harm that successive generations have done to the environment and to help provide sanctuaries for wildlife. Native Irish Trees, defined as those that came naturally into Ireland at the end of the Ice Age, are rich in biodiversity. An Oak Tree for instance can be home to up to 450 different types of plants, fungi, insects, birds and mammals.

Terryland Plantathon volunteers

On Saturday, Terryland Forest Park was once again the scene for the planting of hundreds of native Irish trees by families and individuals. It was a return to the heyday of this unique urban parkland during the early part of the last decade. For a strong spirit of community was self evident in the numbers of people of all ages that happily turned up to plant Holly, Alder, Oak, Silver Birch, Hazel, Rowan, Blackthorn and Hawthorn. To compensate for the smaller number of trees than expected that arrived from One Million Trees in One Day’ Wicklow, landscaper Brian Lohan from Corrandula donated hundreds of native Irish specimen.

Reconditioned Spades, Rakes & Shovels made for Terryland Forest by Cumann na bhFear

The shovels, spades and forks used by the volunteers were all garden implements recycled and repaired by the members of Cumann na bhFear (Men’s Shed) who are part of the Terryland Forest Park NGO alliance.

April 27^th will hopefully be seen as a Red Letter Day in the history of what was once the largest urban forest park project in Ireland. It was when the people of Galway city and county reconnected with this ambitious green development managed by Galway City Council parks department.

Irish, Russian and Czech volunteers at the Terryland Plantathon

Today, the forest has a myriad of social and natural problems due to vandalism, road network, pollution and neglect. But it has now turned a corner and the park is once gain being reclaimed by the good people of Galway as their own.

But the One Million Trees in One Day was only one of many activities associated with the Park during that week.

Maidhc Danín Ó Sé , James Harrold, Michael Longley and Brendan Smith at the Cúirt Planting

Revival of Celtic Bardic Tradition

Most notable was the inaugural Cúirt tree planting at the Terryland Forest Park at 11.00 on Thursday April 25^th. Thanks to the vision of James Harrold Galway City Arts Officer supported by Stephen Walsh of Galway City Parks, Michael Longley and Maidhc Danín Ó Sé were the first writers to plant trees on what will become over time a Poets’ Nature Walkway along the banks of the River Corrib close to the Black Box. It is appropriate that the reconnection of the world of the Irish literati with Trees occurs in Galway, a city that has for decades kept alive the ancient Celtic bardic respect for Mother Earth. Here in this urban landscape, environmentalists and artists often came from the same womb and shared the same belief.

Tom Cuffe is a well-known local expert in natural heritage studies, always in high demand from schools across Galway city and county.

Every Saturday at 2.30pm, he undertakes, within the grounds of the Terryland Forest Park, a transect for the national Butterfly and Bee monitoring survey .

Associated with this initiative, Tom is photographing the amazing variety of wildlife that inhabits the woods, parks and riverbanks within the park’s boundaries including Sedge Warblers, Redpoll, Moorhen, Long tailed Tits, Hoverflies, Peacocks, Large Whites and Tortoiseshells, Lady’s Smock and Lesser Celandine.

Caroline McDonagh, Michael Tiernan & Michael McDonnell with High Nelly bikes in Terryland Forest Park

High Nelly Bike Restoration

A fleet of High Nelly bicycles are being lovingly restored by Cumann na bhFear (Men’s Shed) in preparation for their use from late June onwards by visitors within the Terryland Forest Park and for Slí na gCaisleán (‘The Way of the Castles’) a developing Greenways linking Galway city with the rural landscapes of east county Galway. The 25 mile looped cycle route will start and end at the Terryland Castle.

A number of these High Nelly bikes were showcased at last month’s St. Patrick Day’s Parade.

Remedial Works in May/June period

Repair and reconstruction of park features are being carried out weekly by volunteers and Tús workers in association with Galway City Partnership . The works include rebuilding of traditional dry stone wall field perimeters, laying out new paths, painting a mural on the Conservation Volunteers depot, litter collection, painting of bridges and benches, erection of new information signage etc.

Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh & daughter at Terryland Plantathon

Operating from their new HQ shed located at the Sandy Road entrance to the Park, Conservation Volunteers Terryland will have a permanent weekly presence in the Park. Between 1.30 and 2.20pm every Satruday, clean-ups will take place.

The Big Forest Repair & Clean-Up Day: Saturday June 15th

On Saturday June 15th, Conservation Volunteers Terryland will organise a mass community clean-up from 10am until 12.30pm that will involve litter picking, boundary wall repair, cleaning graffiti of signage, painting of the HQ shed etc.

The Tasks

Sandy River Bridge: Repainting of Metal railings and removal of commercial signage

Construction of a Pedestrian Entrance in the wall of the Sandy Road Carpark (leading into the Terryland Forest Park)

Constructing a Pathway

Repairing the Terryland Forest Park stone wall entrance at Sandy Road

Repainting the Park Seats & Benches

Painting a Giant Forest Themed Mural on Conservation Volunteers' Shed

Cleaning Graffiti of Terryland Forest Park signage

Litter Picking

Zero Tolerance Policy Towards Anti-Social Drinking

Huge amounts of damage are being done every week to parks, waterways, graveyards, forests and seashores across Ireland. The culprits can be a minority of young oftentimes underage drinkers of alcohol who gather in groups around campfires fueled by tyres as well as wood ripped off neighbouring trees. But there are also families and senior citizens from private and council housing who regularly dump their domestic waste in public green spaces.
By their wanton destruction of mainly taxpayer-payer funded property, they are turning larges sections of parks into no-go areas for the general public.
The clean-ups that we are carrying out are treating the symptoms and not the cause of this endemic societal problem.
By inaction, the Irish state sadly accepts this behaviour as a normal part of modern life. Such toleration only adds to ordinary people's growing disillusionment with a government that it seems is not working in the interests of the common people.
In most other countries across Europe, a zero-tolerance policy towards such mindless thuggery is implemented. The result is that parks and forests are clean and welcoming environments for all people of all ages to enjoy.
So it is time that we collectively demand an end to the stranglehold that the anti-patriotic, aggressive selfish criminals have on Ireland. It is our country not theirs!

Cumann na bhFear- Weekly Vintage Bike Repair Workshops

2013-05-08T21:15:00.002Z

High Nelly bikes with Cumann na bhFear, St. Patrick's Day Parade 2013, Galway city

More volunteers are now needed to be involved in the next vintage bicycle repair and maintenance workshop which will take place at 7pm on Monday May 20th in the Cumann na bhFear (aka Men’s Shed) premises at unit 1B in Sandy Road Business Park.
Last Monday, seven High Nelly bikes were worked on with work continuing on this units on Monday next.

Tutor is cycling expert Brian MacGabhann who will supervise the repair of a fleet of High Nelly bicycles as well as providing participants with practical advice on topics such as repairing a flat tyre, cleaning and oiling bike chains, fixing a buckled wheel and adjusting brakes.

The restored classic bicycles will be used for leisurely cycling within the Terryland Forest Park and for a new Greenway cycling route that will link seven castles along the mainly rural landscapes of north Galway city and nearby county including the castles of Terryland, Menlo, Cloonacauneen, KIleen and Castlegar.

Michael Keaney of Castle Ellen has donated to the group a rare vintage three wheel post office bicycle that will be restored for use as a picnic food holder for participants taking part in the Seven Galway Castles cycling tours

For further information and for booking a place on the workshop, contact Brendan Smith at speediecelt@gmail.com

Cumann na bhFear is part of the international Men’s Shed movement that provides an environment and a place for men and women, both young and old, retired, unemployed as well as the employed to teach and learn manual skills from each other. The group, based in a premises leased from City Council on Sandy Road, provides facilities, courses and workshops for members in woodturning, blacksmithing, tin-smithing, coppicing, bicycle maintenance, furniture repair, electronics and web-design. The group has a strong heritage and community ethos and is hoping to use the skills taught to re-construct and repair many of the hedgerows, gates, pathways and stonewalls in the publicly owned Terryland Forest Park.

From the Land Wars to the Civil War: The Story of an ordinary Irish family

2013-05-06T20:21:00.001Z

My 19^th and early 20^th Century Ancestors

The story of one ordinary rural Irish family of the period, a tale characterised by Poverty, Resistance, Evictions, Famine, Workhouse tenure, Imprisonment, Emigration, and Murder during the Land Struggles, the War of Independence and the Civil War.

A few months ago I was asked to be a guest of honour at the unveiling of a commemorative plaque in a rural area of county Monaghan (Irish = Muineachán = little hill) to celebrate one small almost insignificant and largely forgotten tale that was just one of many thousands of similar incidents that happened in the land struggles between the Anglo Irish landlords and the rural native tenancy which dominated the politics of nineteenth century Ireland.

The following text was inscribed on the plaque , “In 1843 the tenants on the estate of Lord Shirley, of which the parish of Magheracloone was a part, refused to pay their rents until their complaints had been addressed by the landlord. Attempts by the bailiffs to seize cattle or goods from the tenants who would not pay were stopped by the activities of the famed ‘Molly Maguires’. These bands of young men dressed up in women’s clothing with their faces blackened, would ambush and beat up the agents of landlords who attempted to confiscate the goods of the poverty stricken tenants.

The centre of British rule in Ireland, Dublin Castle, was asked to provide troops to protect the agents who were serving notices of eviction to tenants. On June 5^th 1843, a bailiff from the Shirley Estate along with a company of troops marched towards the Church of Peter and Paul (this very church) in Magheracloone. The intention was to post a notice of eviction to several tenants in the area on the door of the church. They were met by a large howling and hooting crowd who blocked their path. The troops fixed bayonets and moved forward, only to be met with a shower of stones.

Several of the troops were hit with stones and at the same instant the entire company discharged one round each from their guns into the crowd. The crowd backed off.

The company commander, fearful of a great slaughter, called his troops back to their carriages and they beat a hasty retreat followed all the way by angry remnants of the crowd.

However back on the road in front of the church (amongst the wounded people on the ground) a young servant boy lay dead. Twelve year old Peter Agnew from Lisnaguiveragh Carrickmacross was at service with Owen Smith of Corrybracken.

Peter Agnew was my great granduncle and it was why the reason that I was invited to speak at the unveiling of the sign.

However this request from the Magheracloone (Irish Machaire na Cluain = Plain of the Pasture) Heritage group and recent ongoing correspondence with Ed Eccles, a newly discovered distant cousin in New Jersey USA, made me research further into the history and origins of what became known as the Land Wars, the subsequent struggle for national independence from British imperial rule, and to ascertain the fortunes of my family and my home district of Carrickmacross (Irish = Carraig Mhachaire Rois, meaning "rock of the wooded plain) during this period.

So who was Peter Agnew and why was he working away from home at the tender young age of twelve? Why were there were so many violent evictions of tenants in 19^th century Ireland? Who were the landlords and how did such a small elite come to own the lands of Ireland? Why was Ireland at the time the poorest country in Europe?

Two years after Peter’s murder by the British military, Ireland experienced a famine that led to the deaths of at least one million people and the mass emigration of another million, mainly to the North American continent. But it is worth noting that many smaller famines had occurred in the early decades of the nineteenth century. The Gaelic version of the Great Famine – An Gorta Mór (The Big Hunger) sums up best the reality of the time, as the period 1845-50 witnessed the most extensive (but not the only) period of starvation in the first half of the nineteenth century. Furthermore, it was characterised by hunger amongst the general population rather than a failure of a food harvest as wheat and other tillage crops as well as livestock were still being exported from Ireland to Britain and its colonies whilst the Irish peasantry starved to death.

To get answers to many of these questions, we need to view the economic, social and political life of nineteenth century Ireland as the legacy of the proceeding centuries.

By the 1840s, Ireland was not only the poorest country in Europe but it was also the most densely populated.

Conquest and Colonizations

The country had been occupied and colonised by invaders from the neighbouring island of Britain since the 12^th century. But beginning in the reign of the Tudor dynasty during the 16^th century, the native Celtic peoples of England’s oldest colony increasingly suffered from what we now call ‘ethic cleansing’ as local populations were forcibly removed from their ancestral lands, massacred or sent in large numbers as slaves, indentured servants and prisoners to English colonies in the Caribbean, North America and later to Australia. Between 1652-1656, after the victory of Oliver Cromwell and his English Puritan army over the Irish rebels, over 50,000 mainly women and children were sent as slaves to work in the brothels and sugar plantations of Barbados and other British islands in the Caribbean. In the following century, in the period 1700 and 1776, it is estimated that, of the approximately 400,000 who arrived in the British North American colonies from the British Isles, approximately 50% were un-free men and women. Negro slaves often referred to the Irish in verse and song as having less status than the Afro-American. The most famous was Ann Glover the last person to be hung as a witch in Boston in 1688. Sent as a slave to Barbados in the 1650s where her husband was killed when he refused to renounce his Catholic faith, she later was transported to Boston. Falsely accused of being a witch by a group of young girls, she refused to speak English at her trail and spoke only in Irish.

Destruction of the Irish Forests

The conquered lands of the native Irish were handed over by the British crown to Protestant settlers from England and Scotland. The great forests that covered huge swathes of the Irish countryside and formed an integral part of the Celtic way of life, were extensively cut down in the 17^th and 18^th centuries by get-rich -quick merchants and gangsters who flooded into the country from Britain. The timber extracted was used to build ships for the British navy, for stave pipe production and as fuel for the iron furnace industry. Ireland became after Iceland and Malta the least forested country in Europe.

Under the Penal Laws, that were enacted in the early 1690s after the victory of King William over the Irish Catholic forces and which remained in force until the last legal remnants were abolished in 1829, Catholics were not allowed to vote, purchase land, openly practice their religion, receive an education or enter professions such as legal practice or commerce.

The result was that in 1870, 97% of the land of Ireland was divided into huge estates owned by a tiny largely Protestant imperial aristocracy with 33.7% in the hands of 302 individuals and approximately 50% owned by 705 families. The population then was 6.5 millions.

Slaves in their own country

The native Irish became strangers in their own land forced to rent small holdings from their colonial masters at exorbitant prices which could be increased at any time. The relationship between landlord and tenant was one of conqueror and conquered.

The Anglo-Irish Aristocracy

The majority of the ruling Anglo-Irish landowning elite were absentees living the good life in their country estates in England or in palatial mansions in London, a lifestyle built on the rents extracted from the poor downtrodden Irish peasantry.

Many were members of the Houses of Parliament at Westminster elected by a corrupt system of patronage and wealth. Thus the landed gentry had political as well as economic and social control of Ireland. They cared little about the conditions of the peasantry, having no paternal loyalty to tenants or to a locality that they rarely saw. Their primary interest was to extract maximum financial returns from their Irish estates.

This they achieved by hiring local agents who had no scruples using gangs of thugs to evict tenants when rents were not paid or to clear people off lands to make way for the conversion to pasture for the less troublesome raising of cattle. Many of the brutal bailiffs and hired hands involved in the evictions were themselves Irish Catholics.

The tenants had no fixture of tenancy. Failure to pay meant immediate ejection from their miserable little holdings with no entitlement under law to compensation or appeal. "Rack Renting" (the raising of rents) was a common occurrence and was practised in order to get rid of unwanted tenants for non-payment. There were no appeals and no mercy shown. No incentive existed for tenants to improve the lands that they lived on. In fact the opposite was the case; a higher commercial return from their rented lands due to an a bumper crop growth or extra livestock would mean an increase in rents.

Likewise, the rent would be higher if the tenant had windows on his dwelling, if his door was over a certain height or if he made any type of improvements or enlargements. Thus any enhancements by tenants to their dwellings designed to make life easier for their families were deliberately discouraged and penalised.

The majority of the population were a landless poor who worked for tenant farmers in return for the rent of a small piece of land to grow food and to build a mud cabin for their family. Known as cottiers, the only nutritious crop that could grow in the poor soils of their small holdings was the potato.

In the 1830s, over half of the rural Irish lived in single room hovels made of mud with no chimneys or light. These primitive buildings could be erected in a matter of hours.

Their main source of food was the potato, a highly nutritious plant that could be grown in large quantities on the poor tiny strips of land that was all the cottiers and small tenant farmers possessed to grown their own food.

Its availability led to a surge in population. But a sole reliance on one crop would soon have tragic consequences for the inhabitants.

Carrickmacross and south Monaghan in the mid-19^th century

This was the situation in Ireland when my ancestor Peter Agnew was a young boy, the son of a farm labourer with a small holding of a eight acres. His destiny and that of the majority of the eight million inhabitants of the island was it seemed a lifetime of poverty, servitude disease, humiliation and injustice.

The Agnews’ British absentee landlord however enjoyed a life of wealth, privilege and political power.

Evelyn Philip Shirley (1812-1841) was the largest landowner in county Monaghan with an estate of 26,386 acres in the barony of Farney. His neighbour, the Marquis of Bath, owned 22,761 acres. The origins of the Bath and Shirley estates go back to 1575 when English Queen Elizabeth granted lands in Monaghan to Walter Devereux, 1^st Earl of Essex in recognition for his wars against the ‘rebel’ Irish. In Celtic society, these lands were not owned by one person or family, but were held in shared ownership by the members of the local clans. As a conqueror, the earl did not recognise the rights of the natives and planned to ‘plant’ his new lands with settlers brought in from England

Lord Shirley, as with his predecessors, were absentee landlords spending most of his time at the family’s English residency of Ettington Park at Stratford on Avon in the county of Warwickshire. His father Evelyn John Shirley commissioned in 1826 the construction of a magnificent mansion at Lough Fea county Monaghan to serve as a home for his twice yearly visits. Built in the manner of a college, it contained a Great Hall, a chapel and gardens.

Though based primarily in England, Evelyn Philip nevertheless was elected in 1841 a Member of Parliament (MP) to represent county Monaghan at the imperial parliament in Westminster. In these elections, there was no secret ballot and only men of property could vote. As with his father Evelyn John (1788-1856) he alternated his time as a Monaghan MP, with being an MP for Warwickshire South in England. Likewise, both father and son served as High Sheriffs of Monaghan and Warwickshire. The Shirleys were thus classic examples of how the economic, political and judicial powers in colonial Ireland and in Britain up until the early 20^th century were concentrated in the hands of a small self-perpetuating landowning elite.

Shirley had little interest in the welfare of his Irish tenants. With some notable exceptions, the primary concern of the Anglo-Irish aristocracy was to ensure the extraction of the highest rents possible in order to maintain their lavish lifestyles. To ensure that this objective was realised, the gentry hired men whose profession as landlord agents has become a byword for brutality and tyranny. None more so than Sandy Mitchell, Shirley’s agent from 1829 until 1843.

According to Father Smollen, parish priest of Donaghmoyne, Mitchell had the rents “…raised fully one-third and in some instances to more, and the bogs (for the extraction of turf as fuel for domestic fires) which from time immemorial were free to the tenants were now rented at from £4 to £8 per acre...and doled out to the tenants in very small lots of from 25 to 40 perches each, with an obligation of taking out at the office each season a ticket for which they paid a certain tariff. If any poor tenant had the misfortune of displeasing Sandy during the year, he was doomed to sit with his family during the long winter nights at a fireless hearth. ... He [Mitchell] insisted on the Authorised Version of the Bible, without note or comment, being read by Catholic children in those schools, a system of instruction which neither the [Roman Catholic] bishop nor clergy could tolerate. The consequence was that the bishop insisted on the children being withdrawn from the schools, while the agent used all manner of persecution against the parents for obeying their bishop...” Forced evictions became commonplace.

Mitchell died whilst sitting on the landowners-only Monaghan Grand Jury in the spring of 1843. When news of his death reached south Monaghan, “bonfires were lit on every hill-top, expressive of the rejoicement of all Farney at having got rid of so unscrupulous a monster”.
Shirley’s tenants were hopeful that his replacement as agent, William Stuart Trench, would be fairer in his dealings on land and bog rents. Sadly this was not to be.

In response to a petition asking for a reduction in rents due to a substantial drop in the prices received for farm produce that was used by tenants to pay their rents, Lord Shirley agreed to a meeting on April 3^rd 1843 at his office in Carrickmacross where he would personally listen to their complaints. Thousands turned up. However Evelyn Philip, probably frightened by the size of the crowd, decided to back down and hide inside his town house (Shirley House) residency. Hi agent William Trench informed the crowd that not only would there not be any relief, but that “He would collect the rents at the point of the bayonet if necessary.” The angry tenants grabbed Trench and forcibly carried him off to Lough Fea mansion where they expected Shirley was present. With no landlord coming out to talk to them at the country demesne, only the intervention of a Catholic priest Father Keelaghan saved Trench from being seriously hurt and secured his release.

Shirley continued though to increase the land rents, refused to abolish the charge on extracting turf from the bogs or on lime (used as a fertiliser). Both of these local resources had up until now being free commodities to the natives. From time immemorial the bogs were commonage, the turf being the fuel that feed the fires of the Irish homesteads. But Shirley privatised the bogs and imprisoned those who ‘trespassed’.

Troops were stationed in Carrickmacross to quell any disturbances and an array of infamous law enforcers and thugs were organised by Trench to seize tenants’ livestock and crops, to evict them from their holdings, to have them arrested and to destroy their homes. The infamous Shirley’s Crow Bar Brigade broke down the hovels of the evicted tenants so that they could not be re-occupied at some later stage. With no home and no source of income, many of these destitute families, estimated at three million people in the early 1840s, starved or were forced to apply for residency in the dreaded Workhouses, one hundred and thirty of which were built in Ireland from 1841 to 1843.

The people fought back as best they could.

On April 25^th 1843, Daniel O'Connell, the Irish political leader and campaigner for Catholic Emancipation, came to Carrickmacross to support the tenants campaign. Over 20,000 people turned up to welcome him.

Groups of young male tenants with blackened faces and dressed up in female clothing would issue warning letters to the agents of Lord Shirley threatening violence if they attempted to evict tenants for non-payment of rents. If they failed to heed these threats, many a bailiff and their lackeys were ambushed as they went about their cruel duties. Affectionately known as Molly Maguires, these direct action defenders of the poor have been immortalised in song and verse as courageous folk heroes.

To counter the new guerrilla tactics of the tenantry, Shirley brought in military reinforcements and successfully applied to the law courts in Dublin for new ejectment bills that did not have to be served personally on the tenant but could be posted in certain public places such as places of worship with a list of the names of the tenants to be evicted.

On June 5^th armed with these new bills, bailiffs and troops left Carrickmacross to nail the eviction notices on the doors of Catholic churches in the surrounding countryside.

However the local population mobilised en masse to protect their families, friends and neighbours.

Huge crowds of all ages and of both sexes stood together in front of the chapels at Corduff, Corgreegagh and Rockchapel to block entry to the armed men on horseback and in carriages. After securing additional men from the town of Kingscourt, the armed force led by a Captain Barry proceeded to the church at Magheracloone. There they were met by even bigger crowd. With fixed bayonets, the military moved towards the church. When stones were thrown, a volley of shots were fired into the crowd, injuring many and killing outright Peter Agnew. When the unarmed country folk who initially dispersed re-grouped in front of the church, Captain Barry ordered a retreat of his unit

Though the victim was only a young lad of twelve years of age, he was already working as a farmhand away from home trying to earn money for his poverty stricken family.

According to the documents sent to me by the Carrickmacross Workshouse committee, that same evening Peter’s body was removed from Magheracloone church “…via the chapel road, past the farm of his employer on the left, as it made its way up Corrybracken Hill, past the fort, across the coal-pit road, up the Lurgans Hill to Mullinarry, left across the Shercock Road to the Aghalile Road, to at family home in the townland of Lisnaguiveragh (Irish Lios na gCuibhreach = Fort of the Bond).

(Note: It is surreal that the cortege passed my own parent’s present home on Lurgan’s Hill, a house that we only moved into three years ago)

An inquest jury of twelve men examined the body there. “…The funeral took place immediately after the inspection of the body, and was one of the largest (if not the largest) ever seen in this part of the country, notwithstanding the tempestuous state of the weather…”

Peter was buried in an unmarked family plot beside the ancient church ruins in Magheross.

On June 8^ththe coroner’s inquest jury, after listening to first hand accounts from witnesses or a reading of their statements, made the following observation in their verdict, “…it has not been sufficiently proved to us, that at the time of firing, the party of constabulary were in imminent risk of their lives…”

The death of his son brought only more distress to Patrick Agnew and his family. Already poverty stricken, he had to borrow and to use up whatever savings he had to pay for Peter’s funeral. The subsequent loss of his farm animals (pigs) to disease and unable to plant a crop meant he had no means to pay the rent to Lord Shirley. With his family soon overcome with illness and hunger, a series of letters (written possibly by a sympathetic lawyer) appealing to the landlord’s agent for clemency fell on deaf ears.

Below is one of these letters:

To William Steuart Trench Esq. (Shirley Estate Land Agent)

The Petition of Patrick Agnew of Lisnaguiveragh,

Humbly Sheweth,

That your petitioner most Respectfully begs leave to advert to a Petition which he handed to your Honour in February last in which he stated part of the many grievances which have rendered him a monument of misery since. He stated also that he was the father of the unfortunate Peter Agnew who was shot by the police at Magheracloone on the 5th of June last, whose death has filled the measure of his calamities, accompanied by Poverty, nakedness and all species of destitution.

Besides the above, a malignant distemper carried off his pigs and a lingering painful illnefs seized all his family, who had not a pound of woolen day or night covering, a drop of milk or the smallest comfort in human life, till the whole family are so overwhelmed with Distrefs and poverty that they should rather prefer death than life -------Together with all his misery he is in arrears of Rent, without hopes of being able to retrieve as he could not Crop his ground this season. lie therefore submits all his Distrefs to your humanity, and throws himself entirely on your clemency, beseeching you for love of God to visit his place and ascertain the above

facts, and afterwards dispose of himself, his family and place as your own Humanity shall dictate.

And he will ever pray

Patrick Agnew

May, 23rd. 1844.

I am sure that these supplicant words broke the heart and pride of Patrick as he had them read out to him by his learned legal friend. He more than likely could not read or write. But he was agreeing to put his name to a letter begging for mercy and help from the powerful man ultimately responsible for the death of his son. But he felt that he had no choice if he was to save the rest of his family.

Revenge could come later.

However William Trench did not forget or ever forgive those who participated in the land campaigns against landlords. For years afterwards, those who had campaigned for reductions in rents suffered evictions.

Patrick Agnew was evicted by Shirley in 1849. Between 1845 and 1849, according to historian PJ Callen, the Agnew families living in Lisnaguiveragagh disappeared, victims of the Great Famine.

With nowhere else to go it seems probable that Patrick and those of his children that were still alive ended up in the dreaded Workhouse in Carrickmacross.

Written records on the inmates of the Irish workhouses during this period are very sketchy as these ‘jails’ were overwhelmed with a deluge of starving people seeking salvation from certain death. Built in 1843 to accommodate 500, by 1851 approximately 2,000 were crammed inside. To gain admittance, applicants had to forfeit whatever lands they owned. In return, they were treated like prisoners; families were separated, with men, women, boys and girls forced to live in separate Spartan dormitories. The food was basic and unvaried, the work hard, the buildings cold and bland. The Irish referred to the workhouse as ‘Teach na mBocht’ (Poor House).

But at least one of the Agnews survived this terrible period in Irish history.

Thomas, son of Patrick and a younger brother of Peter, married Eliza Eccles in 1876 or 1877. They lived in the townland of Beagh which borders the Agnew’s former townland of Lisnaguiveragagh. Thomas was a farm labourer. Eliza came from a family of milliners that lived beside the nearby Creevy Lough.

Mill owners and operators would of course be higher up the social scale that hired farmhands. The Eccles were probably also of the Protestant faith and possibly moved into the district during the 1820s from county Armagh or north Monaghan at the behest of the Shirleys to establish a water based mill for the grinding of locally produced corn to make flour for bread .

According to family lore, Eliza fell in love with the penniless Thomas. They had six children.

However they too were to suffer hardship, evictions and even imprisonment as the land wars gathered momentum in the 1880s.

But that is another story for another chapter which will follow soon.

Agnews

The Agnews are an ancient Gaelic family originally known during the Medieval period as O'Gnimh, hereditary poets or bards of the ‘O’Neills of Clanaboy.

The name was later anglicised to Agnew.

It is accepted by local historians that our branch of the Agnews moved from the neighbouring county of Armagh to settle in the townland of Lisnaguiveragagh in county Monaghan. They may have been wandered south looking for work opportunities as farm labourers on the huge landed estates , part of the great mass of rural poor.

Terryland Forest Park involved in 'Plant One Million Trees in One Day' Initiative

2013-04-24T21:57:00.000Z

"Cyber Girls’ Power” comes to Galway - Ireland’s premier Digital City

2013-04-19T16:25:00.001Z

Mercy Secondary School students with Ina O'Murchu at 'Women in Technology' event at DERI NUIG

The hosting of a major pioneering initiative taking place at NUI Galway on May 17^th-18^th aims to encourage increased learning of computer coding amongst the local female population. Entitled ‘Rails Girls Galway’, the May event is part of a worldwide movement that aims to bridge the gender divide in technology and teach women how to code. The free weekend workshop will let females of all ages in on the exciting world of building web applications and software services. It will be held on Friday and Saturday May 17th-18^th at the NUI Galway’s Digital Enterprise Research Institute (DERI) located in the Dangan IDA/NUIG Business Park.

Coders Needed to Make the much vaunted Knowledge Society a reality

“Ireland needs computer programmers of both sexes to help lay the foundations of the ‘Knowledge Economy’ and to create the jobs for a sustainable future,” says Myriam Leggieri, DERI researcher and one of the chief organisers. “But there is in particular a serious shortage of female IT developers in Ireland and across the world as well as in the professions of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) professions generally. Events such as 'Rails Girls' directly address this issue and empower girls to take the first step in learning these in-demand skills and acquiring the tools to conquer one of the last great frontiers of science, namely the World Wide Web.”

Alanna from 091Labs

The organisers comprise mainly young female IT researchers involved in local third level colleges, businesses, schools and volunteer digital makers’ clubs such as Coderdojo and 091Labs. Though primarily aimed towards local female students particularly in post primary schools and third level colleges, nevertheless there will be attendees arriving from across Ireland and Britain. The weekend event is free, is open to all enthusiastic girls and women, and is suitable for absolute beginners to computer coding. No prior knowledge of programming is required.

This event is part of a radical technology learning transformation of the city.

Huge Interest in Learning to Code amongst Galway's Youth
Every Saturday morning at NUI Galway and other locations in Athenry and Kinvara, hundreds of enthusiastic children and teenagers create their very own games, digital stories and web projects mentored by the young volunteer mentors of Coderdojo.

Coderdojo Class in DERI on Saturday mornings

Youth-run clubs such as 091 Labs are also providing informal after-school digital maker’s environments. Thanks to the combined efforts of volunteer tutors from Hewlett Packard, Avaya, GMIT, Medtronic, SAP and DERI working under the guidance of the Galway Education Centre supported by the work of the Galway Science and Technology Forum and Junior Achievement, approximately two thousand pupils and students in over 50 primary and post-primary schools across counties Mayo and Galway are currently being educated in computer programming.

Transition Year students Davitt College Castlebar learning to code with Brendan Smith DERI

Recognition of the importance of these developments is shown by the recent inaugural ‘John Cunningham Memorial Coderdojo Awards’ granted to young coders for their outstanding contributions to computer programming; the Boston Scientific ‘Coding the Big Bang’ awards; and ITAG’s new ‘IT in the Community Award’ that was won by Coderdojo Galway city.

Birth of Ireland's First Generation of Coders

The end result is that finally, five decades after the tentative introduction of computing into Irish schools, we are experiencing the first generation of children that can code, that are truly ‘digital creators’ rather than just passive ‘digital users’.

Retro Gaming event Computer Museum, DERI

Galway: Ireland's primary Science City
These developments are part of an even bigger picture of progressive change where the city can truly claim to be Ireland's oldest Digital City and probably its premier City of Science having in the process the potential to become the Silicon Valley of Ireland. See my article on this subject by clicking here

Location for leading International & National Science Research & Science Education centres.
Galway is now the location for the Computer and Communications Museum of Ireland (based at DERI NUIG), the national Marine Institute, the National Aquarium (Galway Atlantaquaria), Ireland's longest (2 weeks) annual Science and Technology Festival and the world's largest semantic web research institute (DERI). It was to Galway rather than to Dublin or to Cork that CERN, the world’s largest particle physics laboratory, sent their renowned interactive exhibition last September. It was hugely sucessfull and was visited by 12,000 post-primary school students from across the island.
Interestingly the DERI-based computer museum hosts an exhibit dedicated to women (hidden histories) that were pioneers in communications and computer technologies but are largely unknown by the general public.

Retro Gaming event Computer Museum, DERI

Thatcher: A Destroyer of Communities

2013-04-08T21:35:00.000Z

I very rarely speak ill of the recently departed. But I have little affection for Margaret Thatcher who died today.

When she became Prime Minister in 1978, she used the words of St. Francis to define the tenets of her new government, “Where there is discord, may we bring harmony. Where there is error, may we bring truth. Where there is doubt, may we bring faith. And where there is despair, may we bring hope."

However she practiced the complete opposite and brought division, suffering, unemployment and poverty to so many communities across Britain and Ireland. Her political philosophy of individualism, light touch business regulation and free markets, was anathema to me and as a young radical in the early 1980s, I took part in many protests against her policies including that of the H-Block prisoners.

Her government operated a dirty war in Northern Ireland and controlled Loyalist death squads that killed nationalist civilians. When IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands was elected MP with a bigger mandate than she ever achieved, she had the law changed to stop prisoners from participating in parliamentary elections. She supported right-wing anti-democratic terror regimes in countries such as Pinochet's Chile, Saudi Arabia and apartheid South Africa.

Thatcher with Pinochet

She was the chief ally of a United States that openly funded military puppet regimes in Central and South America that launched vicious wars of oppression against their own peoples.

US President Ronald Reagan and Thatcher were united in building a new expensive generation of nuclear missiles (Cruise & Pershings) that were to be placed on British and European soil. This decision spawned an international peace movement that included the huge female peace camp outside the RAF base at Greenham Common Berkshire where these weapons were to be sited.

Thatcher used all the forces of the state to destroy traditional mining communities in England.

She took away local government in London when she abolished Greater London Council (GLC) then led by Ken Livingston. Thatcher privatised key sectors of the economy to the detriment of the British people, oversaw the loss of many of nation's manufacturing industries and the growth of the financial services. Britain no longer had an international image of being a country that made and exported things. Instead London became instead an international centre for banks and financial houses which spawned a generation of young bankers and stock traders who arrogantly portrayed themselves with a 'Greed is Good' ethic. The peoples of Northern England particularly suffered immensely under her rule as the large manfactured industries closed down and as the new financial services gravitated towards the south.
The Poll Tax left to high levels of civil unrest.

She left Britain a deeply divided unequal society.

"Nobody would remember the Good Samaritan if he had only good intentions. He had money as well." (Thatcher 1980)

Thatcher with Rupert Murdoch

She assisted the news corporations to undermine the media trade unions and to monopolise ownership of a press that became a mouthpiece for big business.

A quote from an interview that she gave in 1987, best summaries her life’s work, “there's no such thing as society. There are individual men and women and there are families". Such a philosophy has little time for the weak and community and only promotes greed, selfishness and egotism.

Revival of 'Hands-On' Traditional Skills in Ireland

2013-03-14T00:49:00.000Z

Female and male participants at a Blacksmithy workshop in Galway city

A recent blacksmithy workshop is part of a growing resurgence in Ireland of interest in traditional skills and crafts that were almost wiped out by what seemed an almost unstoppable march towards 'hands-off' modernity during the Celtic Tiger years.

One of the protagonists in this heritage revival in Galway city is the Cumann na bhFear (Irish = 'Company of Men') volunteer group which is modeled on the Australian Men’s Shed movement with the addition of a strong community, social inclusion and heritage ethos in recognition of the interests of the membership.
The primary role of the group is to encourage retired, working and unemployed men of all ages to help each other develop, learn and/or teach skills and crafts that can benefit themselves and the wider community. There is a focus on the provision of practical skills whose existence was endangered by a modern society where the ability to make or repair everyday items was been devalued. Hence the members provide courses and workshops on traditional Irish heritage crafts such as woodturning, beekeeping, woodcarving, basket making, blacksmithing, drystone walling, nature studies as well as other areas of benefit including electronics, web design, cycle maintenance, orienteering, soldering, panel beating, metal fabrication, furniture restoration and plumbing.

Volunteers Needed for "Galway's Green and Growing Army", St. Patricks' Day Parade 2013, Galway city

2013-03-08T23:58:00.000Z

Ballinfoile Mór Community Organic Garden at St. Patrick's Parade, Galway City, 2012

A Galway Green Army presence in St. Patrick’s Day Parade!

Workshop & Sign Up: 7pm Friday (March 15) Cumann na bhFear. All Invited

Cumann na bhFear, Ballinfoile Mór Community Organic Garden, Westside Community Garden, Scoil Cholmcille Castlegar, Conservation Volunteers Terryland Forest Park and Scoil Bhride Menlo are working together to use their presence in this month’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade to promote an environmental message that is good for people, for wildlife and for the planet.

Scoil Bhríde Mionloch 'Forest' theme at St. Patrick's Parade, Galway City, 2012

Supported by Jen Hesnan and her team of artists that are being coordinated by Caroline McDonogh manager of this year's (& last year) St. Patrick Day's Parade, the different groups will have a series of complimentary themes that will emphasise a positive message to the world of a eco-friendly sustainable lifestyle.

With all of the recent controversy over the questionable contents and false labelling of processed meats and other packaged foodstuffs produced by corporations and sold through supermarket chains, the Ballinfoile and Westside Community Organic Gardens presence will show how neighbourhoods can grow their own seasonal vegetables and fruits organically in order not to damage soils, waterways, wildlife and the atmosphere.

'High Nelly' Bikes enthusiasts on tour along the Seven Galway Castles' Trail

The children of Scoil Cholmcille Castlegar will be dressed as exotic colourful scarecrows whilst those of Scoil Bhride Menlo will re-enact the history of Seven Galway Castles (Slí na Caisleán) that forms an exciting new pedestrian and cycling heritage Greenway for Galway city.

Cumann na bhFear Float at St. Patrick's Parade, Galway City, 2012

The members of Cumann na bhFear (Mens’ Shed) Ballinfoile are repairing a fleet of vintage bicycles known as ‘High Nellys’ that will be available in a few months for visitors to communicate through the Terryland Forest Park and along the aforementioned Slí na Caisleán and other developing Off the Beaten Heritage Cycle trails.

Anyone interested in getting involved in the Parade through any of these eco-community groups should attend a workshop and registration at 7pm on Friday March 15th in Cumann na bhFear premises, Unit 1B Sandy Business Park.

Hugo Chavez: Hero of the Revolution

2013-03-06T23:59:00.003Z

Viva Chavez! La Lucha Continúa!

Yesterday, the world lost a great anti-imperialist and champion of the poor and downtrodden.

Hugo Chavez's legacy of fighting against injustice, poverty and oppression will live on in Venezuela and across the world.
As former US President Jimmy Carter stated, "We came to know a man who expressed a vision to bring profound changes to his country to benefit especially those people who had felt neglected and marginalized. Although we have not agreed with all of the methods followed by his government, we have never doubted Hugo Chávez’s commitment to improving the lives of millions of his fellow countrymen... President Chávez will be remembered for his bold assertion of autonomy and independence for Latin American governments and for his formidable communication skills and personal connection with supporters in his country and abroad to whom he gave hope and empowerment. During his 14-year tenure, Chávez joined other leaders in Latin America and the Caribbean to create new forms of integration. Venezuelan poverty rates were cut in half, and millions received identification documents for the first time allowing them to participate more effectively in their country’s economic and political life."

Hugo followed in the footsteps of other great heroic Latino revolutionaries such as Simon Bolivar, Augusto Sandino, Che Guevera, Salvador Allende and Daniel Ortega who fought to free their people from colonialism, neo-colonialism, elitism, brutality & poverty.

Chavez has and will continue to be an iconic role model across the continent. His success in standing up to the oil oligarchs, their right-wing political lackeys in the USA and compliant indigenous corrupt wealthy governing elites, inspired progressive democrats in many South American countries to organise and win elections in Bolivia, Peru, Paraguay, Ecuador and elsewhere,

As an Irishman, I see in Chavez and other South American revolutionaries the courageous visionary patriotic spirit that imbued so many Irish rebels from Wolfe Tone and Robert Emmet through to Pearse and Connolly in their struggles to free our people from brutal foreign occupation.

La Lucha Continúa

Coding Computer Games – Past, Present & the Future & World's First Popular Computer Chess

2013-02-16T13:10:00.001Z

Coderdojo Game enthusiasts in action at the Computer Museum during the Volvo Ocean Race 2012

As part of National Engineers Week, Coderdojo Galway, the Computer and Communications Museum of Ireland and the Digital Enterprise Research Institute (DERI) at NUI Galway are collaborating to host an exciting computer games event entitled Coding Computer Games – Past, Present & the Future at 12.00-2.00pm on Saturday March 2^nd, in the Digital Enterprise Research Institute, IDA/NUIG Business Park Dangan.

At a time when Ireland is securing a reputation as a global development hub for online interactive gaming and providing much needed quality home-based technology careers for our young people, this event should interest teachers, students, parents and children alike.

The idea is to showcase some of the excellent gaming taking place at Coderdojo Galway (the future), to allow visitors to enjoy classic games such as Asteroids, Pacman, Sonic and Pong played on renowned vintage consoles and computers such as Atari, Amiga and Sinclair ZX81 in the Computer Museum (the past), and to have some of the current Galway-based commercial software developers such as Tribal City and Starcave Entertainment demonstrate their latest web-based games (the present).

The vintage gaming will take place in the Computer Museum with the Coderdojo demonstrations going on in the Conference Room and adjoining meeting rooms.
However in advance of the event, we need to get as many of the vintage games units working as is possible. There is a small room full of extra Amigas, Segas, Ataris,Playstations, BBCs and Sinclairs that needed to be tested! So any help we can get would prove invaluable!

Hence we are asking volunteers to meet at 6pm on Friday March 1st and spend one or two hours get the museum re-organised to accommodate extra gaming units for March 2nd.
If you are interested in supporting this worthy cause, please contact us at your earliest convenience.

Photograph shows one of the thematic teeshirts purchased for the event and to be worn by the museum guides on March 2nd.

Newsflash!! World's First Popular Computer Chess to be unveiled at the Computer Museum!

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We are particularly pleased to announce that the world's first popular computer chess unit will be on display at the computer museum during the Games Extravaganza. Known as the Fidelity Chess Challenger, it was the first chess electronic unit available to the public. Based on a Z80 8-bit micro-processor, it started production in 1977 with its most popular model, the Fidelity Chess Challenger 7, selling over 600,000 units. Its inventor Sidney Samole got the idea for computer chess after watching an episode of Star Trek.

The Hypocrisy of ICTU bosses

2013-02-10T21:19:00.004Z

I happily took part in yesterday's ICTU (Irish Congress of Trades Unions) march in Galway against the austerity policies of the Labour-Fine Gael government.
I joined the march because of my concern over how this government is continuing the policies of the last government in making ordinary individuals and communities pay for the greed of the bankers, property speculators, politicians and compliant trade union leaders. So i joined a protest that was made up of those that are at the front-line of the cuts, namely the teachers, nurses, firemen and community workers.
The organisers said there was 5,000 participants. I think that was too big an estimation. But it was still a good size crowd. The first speaker on the stage stated it was the largest protest parade that the city had ever seen. He was totally wrong on that sweeping statement as I have participated on many Galway marches that were much larger including the protest outside Labour Party conference in 2012.

But I was particularly angry at the hypocrisy of trade union leaders on stage in Galway and elsewhere condemning government cuts when they were an integral part of the 'old boys network' who enjoy(ed) lavish wages, pensions, expenses and membership of quango boards. In the latter, they failed to see or do anything about corruption and misuse of public funds. "See no evil, speak no evil" was their motto.

Time and time again, these overpaid mandarins have defended privilege and vested interests, from the huge wages of top civil servants to protecting the King's Birthday and Empire Days as days of rest for public service workers. So much for their republicanism and socialism!

This year we celebrate the great lockout of 1913. James Connolly and James Larkin though would have nothing but contempt for the majority of today's trade union bosses who have little in common with the lives of ordinary people, but share so much with the lifestyles of William Martin Murphy and his fellow villeins.

Saving Ireland’s Largest Urban Forest Park: Your Support is Needed to Establish a 100 Member Volunteer Club for Terryland Forest Park

2013-02-03T16:53:00.000Z

Three community organisations in Galway city are part of an ambitious scheme to integrate the environmental, heritage, learning and neighbourhood aspects of the Terryland Forest Park in order to provide a Greenprint for its future development and that of other natural heritage areas across Ireland. Click here for an outline of a local community plan for the park's regeneration as unveiled a few months ago.

The ‘Conservation Volunteers Terryland Forest Park’, Cumann na bhFear and the Ballinfoile Mór Community Organic Garden are appealing for your help in securing a membership of 100 volunteers who will each give a few hours per month to get involved in park based events designed to increase public footfall within its perimeters and protect biodiversity.

‘Conservation Volunteers Terryland Forest Park’ want to establish a permanent presence in the park every weekend, with each volunteer that is working onsite wearing a identifiable jacket or badge, thus encouraging the general public to use and to enjoy what is officially known as the Citizen’s Park and the Green Lungs of the City.

Activities include planting of trees, weeding in an organic garden, reconstruction of drystone walls and hedgerows, building a wildlife pond, litter clean-ups, repair of vintage (touring) bicycles, participation in guided nature walks and heritage cycle tours.

Exciting opportunities and support mechanisms now exist for transforming this man-made natural heritage resource into an asset even more important to the people of Galway than the Phoenix Park is to the population of Dublin.

Illegal Dumping

A fleet of High Nelly bicycles for park touring, a 7 castle Greenway trail, school-created arts murals, community willow sculptures, the restoration of traditional drystone walls/hedgerows, the installation of park-wide information signage, the development of a Poet’s (Cuairt)woodland and a corps of volunteer park rangers are amongst some of the proposals that should come to fruition over the next year.

When it was first planted in early 2000, it was the largest urban neighbourhood forest project in the history of the Irish state. Initiated as a result of years of campaigning by local community groups, 120 acres were zoned by Galway City Council for a new woodland and riverine park.

Over a five year period, approximately 100,000 native Irish trees were planted by the people and schools of Galway city, thus creating an expansive natural habitat for a wide variety of flora and fauna located not far from the city centre that connects into the vast Lough Corrib waterways, one of the most cherished areas of biodiversity in the country.

River Corrib wetlands near Terryland Forest Park

Within its grounds or on the park’s periphery, lies a rich fabric of our city’s history that includes working farmlands, the ruins of medieval castles, forgotten canals, the remains of a Georgian garden and WW2 urban allotments, Victorian railway lines and engineering waterworks.

Abandoned Victorian Waterworks, at entrance to Terryland Forest Park

A few months ago, a multi-sectoral steering committee was re-established to help promote community engagement and to develop a long-term strategic plan for this wonderful green resource. Under the auspices of Galway City Council, it includes representatives from the City Parks’ department, Galway Education Centre, OPW, HSE, An Taisce, Galway City Community Forum, GMIT and NUIG.

In the early years of its formation, a programme of family picnic days, outdoor theatre, art workshops, community tree and school children bulb planting days took place in the park that often attracted thousands of participants.

'Off the Beaten Track' Heritage Cycle Tour group, Castlegar Castle

2012: A Year of Progress
‘Conservation Volunteers Terryland Forest Park’ want to offer such activities once again to the students and pupils of our local schools as well as to the general public. Already, by working with other groups such as Cumann na bhFear (aka Men’s Shed), Castlegar Connect, GTU, Galway Civic Trust and the Ballinfoile Mór Community Organic Garden we held an initial series of events in 2012 that included heritage cycling tours, a multi-cultural picnic, nature detective walks, tree plantings, organic gardening digs and a harvest festival. Most notable was ‘Slí na gCaislain’, which is a pioneering pedestrian and cycling Greenway connecting Terryland Castle to six other castles that has the potential to become a world-renowned amenity to be shared by tourist and local alike.

'Off the Beaten Track' Heritage Cycle tour group near Cloonacauneen Castle

Trees are mankind’s best friend. They provide us with the oxygen for sustaining life on Earth and by absorbing the man-made carbon emissions that are the main factor in global warming today. They also act as a haven for a myriad of wildlife. A single oak tree for instance can be home to up to 450 different types of species, from fungi to large mammals.

Forests: Reclaiming Our Celtic Heritage
Ireland today has only 10% woodland cover, compared to an average of 40-45% in the rest of Europe. Yet before 16^th century British colonisation destroyed our native forests to provide the raw materials for the English ship-building, iron and pipe staves industries, these habitats were an integral part of Irish culture and religion as well as of the physical landscape.
Our mythology shows that the ancient Celts revered nature; the druids used oak groves to hold religious ceremonies; many of the early Christian saints had a close affinity with creatures of the forest such as wolves and deer. The Ogham alphabet, that was our first form of writing, was based on different varieties of native trees. Under Brehon law, trees even had a honour price that had to be met if cut down. The English invaders referred to the Gaelic warriors as ‘wood kerne’ (soldiers of the woods).

'Leafless Tree Detective' tour with Matthew O'Toole

In the process of nurturing this developing forest park, young people and the general public will have the opportunity to become ‘Citizen Scientists’ through a programme of nature studies, climate change reduction projects, tree planting days, biodiversity enhancement and annual wildlife monitoring schemes such as the ‘National Wildlife Atlas’ survey of mammals.

Scientific studies by experts such as Richard Louv in his book ‘Last Child in the Woods’ has shown that alienation from nature has caused diminished uses of the senses, serious concentration problems and higher rates of emotional and physical illness in children.

By expanding the woodlands area and overcoming habitat fragmentation, caused by an infrastructure of fast roads, through developing a network of cyclist/walker friendly botharíns and the building of ‘Green bridges over motorways (such as those that exist in the Netherlands where presently 800 are located), we can restore via the Terryland Forest Park a better quality of life to urban dwellers whilst at the same time protecting endangered indigenous species.

Ballindooley Lough

A Green and Pleasant Land
So we have the pleasure of involving children and adults in re-creating an ancient landscape that will introduce the joys of walking through woodlands; of experiencing the sights of meadows populated with a vibrant cornucopia of insects, animals and birds; of hearing the natural sounds of the countryside; of cycling along rural laneways; of drawing portraits of wildlife in their natural settings; of picnicking in a park with friends; of downloading an apps to journey along a local nature trail; of planting trees and hedgerows as well as in repairing traditional stonewalls.

Spellman's Botharín, Castlegar

Much needs to be done on issues such as signposting of woodland trails, combating illegal drinking in public green spaces, litter dumping and habitat fragmentation by roads.

Wetlands along Terryland Forest Park

But these challenges can be overcome by a unity of purpose from all sectors of the local population. The Park can finally become a Green Jewel and a vital Ecological Corridor for the wildlife of Galway City.

Draft Terryland Forest Calendar for 2013

February: Willow Planting and Harvesting (Ballinfoile Mór Community Organic Garden)
Commencement of weekly Clean-Ups of park

March: Community Tree Planting Day
Classic Bikes Repair workshop

April: Drystone Wall Repair (with Cumann na bhFear); Schools’ Mammal Survey (with Dr. Colin Lawton NUIG); Inauguration of Cuairt Tree Planting Fest (with Galway City Arts Office)
The Big Spring Clean-Up Day

May: Dawn Chorus (with Birdwatch Galway); Classic Bikes Rental launch scheme for Terryland Forest Park (Cumann na bhFear); Mammal Detective trail (with Dr. Colin Lawton NUIG): Eco-Art Mural of park container by Galway schools(with Galway City Arts Office)

June: The Seven Castles Cycle Trail(Slí na gCaislean); Completion of Online 7 Castles Cycle Mapping

July: The Seven Castles Cycle Trail(Slí na gCaislean) (with Cumann na bhFear)

Wildlife Pond Construction (Ballinfoile Mór Community Organic Garden)

August: Drystone Wall Repair (Cumann na bhFear)

September: Harvest and Heritage Festival Ballinfoile Mór Community Organic Garden
Scarecrow exhibition (by schools)

October: Leafless Tree Detective Walk (with Matthew O’Toole): Schools' Bulb Planting Day
November: Winter Wonderland Photographic and Arts challenge for Galway schools
December: Exhibition 'Poster Art of Terryland Forest 2000-2005' by artist Lol Hardiman, City Hall

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Galway's Men's Shed & Heritage Group holds Jumble Sale

2013-01-26T14:07:00.000Z

Jumble Sale- From Kitchen Sinks to Bike Parts!

A Community Jumble Sale containing everything from the kitchen sink to a selection of shower doors and toilet bowls will take place from 2pm until 4pm this Sunday January 27^th in the Cumann na bhFear (Mens’s Shed) premises at Unit 1B, Sandy Road Business Park.

The event represents a fund-raiser for Cumann na bhFear which is part of the international Men’s Shed movement whose primary role is to encourage retired, working and unemployed men and women of all ages to help each other develop, learn and/or teach skills and crafts that can benefit themselves and the wider community.

Wood Carving at Cumann na bhFear

Through participants working on courses and projects in the clubhouse as well as through donations, the club has built up an eclectic mix of bits and pieces which could prove invaluable to many tradespeople, households and families.

Items include bicycle parts, hoovers, children’s buggies, chairs, wooden doors, shower doors, paints, toilet bowls, sinks, light fittings, educational books, novels...!

Everything must go at knockdown donations in this two hour sale on Sunday.

Bike Repair Workshop at Cumann na bhFear

For further information, contact Michael Tiernan at 087-9665200 or ballindooley@gmail.com

Joyeux Noel Film - the true message of Christmas portrayed

2012-12-30T21:53:00.001Z

The French 2005 production 'Joyeux Noel' is one of the most emotionally captivating films that I have ever witnessed. In my humble opinion, it captures the true message of Christmas, namely 'Peace and Goodwill To All Peoples'.
Thankfully it was once again screened this December on RTE.
May I wish you and yours a joyful festive holiday (still a few days left!) and a progressive 2013.
Background to the film:
Along the Western Front on Christmas Eve 1914, soldiers from German, Scottish, English and French regiments organised unofficial ceasefires. Troops ventured into No Man's Land to exchange gifts, play football, sing songs together and bury their dead.
Ordinary soldiers saw that they were one and the same, no matter what was the colour of the uniform.

Generals on both sides were incensed and scared that this laying down of arms and friendship across the divide would spread. So they ensured that no such large scale fraternization ever happened again by ordering artillery barrages during subsequent Christmases. In an insane brutal war, there were already 3.5million casualties by the end of 1914; another 32 million would die before the war ended.
The leaders of the main warring nations dressed up the conflict as a 'War To End Wars', a struggle for peace and liberty when in reality they were only concerned about expanding their empires. Whilst the ‘Allies’ promoted the war as a struggle to free small nations (e.g. Belgium) from German, Austrian and Turkish tyranny, World War One actually resulted in the victorious French and British dividing up the Middle East between them against the wishes of the local populations.
The horrible legacy of this imperial carve up and the promises made to financiers and oilmen during and soon after WW1 are the conflicts in Iraq, Libya and Palestine that we have today.

Galway- Potential to become Europe’s ‘Silicon Valley’

2012-12-30T21:20:00.000Z

I was privileged to be granted recently the Galway Science Person of the Year 2012 award

So I decided to take advantage of this recognition by encouraging the relevant local stakeholders to work together to promote the city and environs as a Digital Galway Bay or as a European version of Silicon Valley, a concept that is perfectly achievable and that could easily capture the popular imagination.

The following is an article that I submitted to the media on why this concept is based on solid foundations

"A well known local science advocate believes that Galway should emulate its international status as an arts city by striving to become the European equivalent of California’s Silicon Valley.

Presented with the ‘Galway Science Person of the Year’ 2012 Award at the recent Galway Science and Technology Festival for delivering a range of pioneering science and technology learning initiatives to schools, colleges and to communities, Brendan Smith believes passionately that the city possesses many of the key ingredients needed to transform the region into a leading global hub for smart technologies’ innovation and development.

According to Brendan Smith, “Silicon Valley is located in the San Francisco Bay area and is home to many of the world's largest information technology corporations as well as thousands of small start-ups who have established a symbiotic relationship with third level colleges in the vicinity that provide the stream of young enthusiastic inventors, innovators, entrepreneurs, engineers and scientists needed to sustain their existence and success. Companies such as Hewlett Packard and Google grew out of the research work being undertaken by neighbouring university and research institutes.

Whilst it is the digital products and business aspects that largely define the identity of the Silicon Valley and environs, nevertheless there are other elements of the San Francisco Bay area that clearly played a crucial part in its evolution as the world’s premier powerhouse of technology innovation.

Located on the west coast of the United States, the area is famed for its natural beauty that has engendered a 'quality of life' ethos amongst the inhabitants. The city of San Francisco has also long being characterized by political, environmental and social liberalism; possessing a strong progressive artistic, music, cultural and community solidarity dynamic with a youthful, student, cosmopolitan and outward-looking population.

Galway therefore bears an uncanny resemblance to San Francisco possessing many of its main traits in abundance. Our president Michael D Higgins could be said to be the personification of this image of Galway as visionary, vibrant, artistic, socially just and technology-savvy.

Many of the leading corporations in the biomedical and information technology sectors such as Avaya, Boston Scientific, Cisco, Electronic Arts, Hewlett-Packard, Medtronic, SAP and Valeo, are already based here with established links to research institutes located in GMIT and NUIG such as DERI, Ryan and REMEDI which are providing the scientific expertise to sustain their presence in Galway and underpin their status as leaders in cutting edge product development. DERI for instance has over one hundred and forty young experts from thirty three countries developing the next generation of the World Wide Web known as the Semantic Web.

There is also the presence locally of indigenous high tech manufacturing and services industries comprising Irish-owned companies such as Creganna and Storm Technologies.

But what is also an abiding feature of Galway is the deep sense of ‘community solidarity’ as well as the high level of volunteerism that exists amongst many of the prime ‘movers and shakers’ in the industrial, political, educational and local government sectors who have over the years collaborated under the auspices of the Galway Education Centre, Junior Achievement and the Galway Science and Technology Festival, to deliver important learning initiatives in schools and colleges across the Western region. In a modern industrial urban version of ‘Meitheal’ that was once the hallmark of traditional Irish rural community support, these visionaries have promoted and harnessed an army of young professional mentors from industry and third level colleges who give their time and energies to teach in primary and post-primary classrooms delivering science courses whilst acting as positive ‘role models’ for our young generation.

Such courses will equip our children with a range of skills, from using mathematics to fostering critical thinking, necessary for transforming Ireland from being a nation of ‘digital users’ into a nation of ‘digital creators’ that would export worldwide a series of beneficial Irish-made smart tech products and services.

These formal learning programmes are now being complimented by the activities of electronic and computer coding volunteer clubs such as 091 Labs and Coderdojo which are often established by young people themselves to provide informal after-school digital maker’s environments where participants are encouraged to be creative and to experiment in new processes and ideas, writing software for instance for online games or to control the movements of robots.

The success of these initiatives is best shown by the dramatic uptake by schools in these mentoring courses as well as by the tens of thousands that attend the science shows and exhibitions during the annual two week Galway Science and Technology Festival.

Galway can rightly claim to be the country’s first and premier ‘Digital City’, building on an unbroken tradition of computing innovation that dates back to 1971 when Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), then the world’s largest minicomputer company, opened its first European manufacturing facility in Mervue. This proud technology heritage is exemplified by the fact that the ‘Computer and Communications Museum of Ireland’, which pays tribute amongst other things to the oftentimes hidden role of Ireland, women and youth in communications development, is based in the city at DERI in NUI Galway.

Brendan Smith is the Education and Community Outreach Officer at the Digital Enterprise Research Institute (DERI) in NUI Galway. For over twelve years, he has coordinated an array of successful medical, environmental, digital heritage and web science projects for schools and communities through his work with DERI, Medtronic, Waterways Ireland, the Galway Education Centre, Galway County Council and the Galway Science and Technology Forum. He is co-founder of Coderdojo Galway, Conservation Volunteers Terryland Forest Park, Cumann na bhFear (Men's Shed Galway city), Ballinfoile Mór Community Organic Garden and curator of the ‘Computer and Communications Museum of Ireland’.

As well as being a previous recipient in 2006 of the Galway ‘Science Person of the Year’ Award, Brendan has also earned other accolades including the Galway City Mayoral Community Award, the ITAG ‘Computing in Schools’ Award and the Apple Distinguished Educator(ADE).

A Jesus in Today's Palestine

2012-12-25T00:54:00.001Z

Could the story of the Nativity happen today in Palestine?
Unlikely.
For would a poor young unmarried teenage girl in the West Bank, who had just announced that she was pregnant, not become a victim of male ‘honour’?
Even if she did survive, she and her new husband would have found it extremely difficult to go from Nazareth to Bethlehem due to road-blocks and travel restrictions placed on local inhabitants by the occupying Israeli military; the shepherds would have probably lost their grazing lands to compulsory acquisition for the erection of the ‘Security Wall’ and Jewish colonial settlements; and the three wise men from Iraq (Mesopotamia) would have being denied entry visas.

But even if the birth did manage to occur in Bethlehem, Israeli military border controls would have probably barred Mary’s family from crossing into Egypt to escape religious persecution thus sealing their faith.

Yet there is no doubt that an adult Jesus of the New Testament and of a modern Middle East would have ended their lives in a similar terrible fashion. For anyone preaching a message of peace and love, a call for people’s liberation from poverty and oppression, of respect for all races and creeds, of freedom for prisoners, and an end to the oppression of women would have made himself both an enemy of the state and of a religious fundamentalism that preaches intolerance towards non-believers and death to all apostates and blasphemers.

Yes, death would have come either from an American-made laser guided missile or from execution by a Islamic death squad.

Terryland Forest Park: Conservation Volunteers Update

2012-11-06T21:12:00.004Z

Clean-Up of Forest Park was a great Success!

Many thanks to all those volunteers and supporters of the Conservation Volunteers Terryland Forest Park (CVTFP) that turned up on Saturday October 28th for a well supported clean-up in the Terryland Forest Park on Saturday October. Lots of rubbish was collected in the allocated 2 hour period- 30 full bags (alcohol cans and bottles), a bicycle, a large piece of lino flooring, a buggy, a microwave, washing machine and a sofa.

Recent Anti-Social Activity

Sadly since our clean-up, more litter has appeared in the park due to the presence of a group of very drunk young people late on Halloween night who congregated near to the clean-up area and left behind a myriad of burnt tyres, tables, chairs and beverage containers.

However, CVTFP chairperson Brendan Smith met this week with the local Community Garda on the issue and discussions are taking place on possible ways of eliminating this anti-social problem once and for all from the Forest Park. So do not lose heart!

Conservation Volunteer HQ in Forest Park!

The Conservation Volunteers have taken delivery of a large container from City Parks manager Stephen Walsh. It has been positioned near to the Galway Bay FM premised at one of the entrances to the Terryland Forest Park. This unit has enormous potential uses including serving as our onsite headquarters and a depot for touring bicycles that can be loaned to park visitors.

Our friends in Cumann na bhFear are allocating a number of High Nelly vintage bikes to be used for this purpose.

Brendan Smith has held preliminary discussions with the City Arts Office on how schools can be actively involved in the painting of a thematic mural on the exterior walls of our new HQ.

Leafless Tree Detective Walk

Conservation Volunteer TFP member Matthew O’Toole is organising what promises to be an exciting investigative guided nature walk in the Terryland Forest Park at 2.30pm on Saturday November 17^th.

Matthew says. “As the last leaves of autumn fall, the trees take on a different form.
Come discover the trees of Terryland Forest Park with bark, shape and form. Become an arboreal detective!”

Rendezvous: O'Brien's Café, Lisbaun Estate, 2:30pm, Sat. November 17th
For further information, contact Matthew at vmatthewg@gmail.com

School Becomes a ‘Friend of the Terryland Forest Park’

St. Nicholas Parochial School is the first in a series of schools that it is hoped will be signing up over the next few months to take an active role in the development and preservation and promotion of the Terryland Forest Park as an outdoor classroom and research laboratory of significant local and national importance.

The fifth and sixth class students will be working with Conservation Volunteer members Andreas Baumann, Matthew O’Toole and Brendan Smith to develop a free mobile app of the parkland that will benefit local and tourists alike!

The students will also mount an exhibit on the theme of the Forest Park at the Galway Science Fair that will take place on Sunday November 25^th in NUI Galway. This fair is major importance and attracted over 25,000 visitors last year.

Online Digital Maps of Forest now Available

Brendan Smith is one of three CVTFP members working on producing digital information maps containing important social and natural heritage information of the Terryland Forest Park. Andreas Baumann and Bernard McGlinchy are also involved in mapping the pioneering Seven Galway Castles Lopped Cycle Trail which will become a major Greenways of national importance.

It is the intention that these high tech resources will be used for educational and tourism purposes and be accessed online or as mobile apps.

A draft version of Brendan’s work can be viewed here

City Heritage Officer to work with Conservation Volunteers TFP

Jim Higgins, Galway City Heritage Officer, will meet with the conservation volunteers and our partner group Cumann na bhFear (aka Men’s Shed) at 8pm this Thursday to review heritage work projects within the Terryland Forest Park area that could be undertaken by our members. Areas being considered include works at the Terryland Castle and the old Victorian waterworks as well as the repair of drystone walls along the Dyke Road.

The meeting will take place at Cumann an bhFear premises at Unit IB Sandy Road Business Park. All members and supporters are invited!

Establishing a Volunteer Park Rangers unit

As mentioned previously, the establishment of a volunteer Park Rangers unit to act as an almost permanent daytime presence in the Terryland Forest Park is essential if this green heritage resource is to be reclaimed by the citizens as the People’s Park and a haven for wildlife. These rangers could act as information guides, litter collectors and supervisors of tree planting activities.

Are you interested in joining up?

Greenprint for Terryland Forest Park

Click here to see the ambitious community plans for Terryland Forest Park

Help in the Clean-up of Galway city's Green Lungs!

2012-10-26T19:27:00.004Z

Photograph shows illegal dumping along the banks of the Terryland River behind the Terryland Retail Park

Calling all concerned people! f you have an hour or two to spare tomorrow (Sat), please help 'Conservation Volunteers' in a clean up of the Terryland Forest Park.
Rendezvous: 11am, Ballinfoile Mór Community Organic Garden

Sadly it is people that live amongst us that, by their littering and dumping activities, are damaging our vital urban forests that act as the 'Lungs of the City' and a vital home for our precious native wildlife.

In the last 16months, volunteers have done much to reclaim the parks and forests for the ordinary people of Galway.

Ambitious plans are presently being jointly developed by council officials, Conservation Volunteers and local communities to make Terryland Forest Park the 'Phoenix Park' of Galway. Details will be unveiled over the next few weeks!

Bike Repair Workshops at Galway's "Men's Shed"

2012-10-18T15:01:00.004Z

Cumann na bhFear (aka Men’s Shed) is actively involved in enhancing public engagement with Terryland Forest Park in areas such as developing a walking and cycling trails network.
To support this latter project and to help in increasing cycling within Galway city the club will host, commencing at 7pm on Monday October 22nd, a four (weekly) session course in bike maintenance at their premises located at Unit 1B in Sandy Road Business Park (near Galway Bay FM).
Tutor is renowned cycling enthusiast Brian MacGabhann.

Brian will give practical advice and demonstrations on topics such as repairing a flat tyre, cleaning and oiling bike chains, fixing a buckled wheel and adjusting brakes.
All are welcome to attend.

Eco-Neighbourhood Festival in an Irish City Suburb

2012-09-30T13:41:00.003Z

It is refreshing to know in these times of economic gloom that in the heart of a very built up urban suburb, a neighbourhood fair dedicated to heritage and a traditional rural lifestyle could capture the imagination of local people.

Traditional Cast Iron Kitchen Cooking Set over an Open Fire at Harvest Fest

Well that happened on September 22nd in Galway city when approximately 350 people attended the Ballinfoile Mór Harvest and Heritage Festival in the Ballinfoile Mór Community Organic Garden.
The event, now in its third year, has as its theme the promotion of locally grown organic fruits and vegetables.

Mayor of Galway, Cllr Terry O'Flaherty buys some of Garden vegetables & fruits

But the festival has become more than a tribute to organic food. It has metamorphosed into a celebration of the broader themes of community (Meitheal), culture, children, environment, ecology, social heritage and preserving traditional hand-made arts, crafts and skills.

Second Hand Book & Toys Stalls

Hence there were stalls for locally baked cakes and buns as well as for locally produced wooden and leather goods; an open hearth fire where potatoes were being boiled in skillet pots; a outdoor oven made from local clay serving pizzas; a Irish traditional music seisiún; dozens of scarecrows in a multitude of colours and sizes made by children from the local primary school (Scoil san Phronsias) and playschool (Sunny Meadows); woodturning; a blacksmith's forge; a bike repair workshop; second hand books and toys stalls; a tree conservation stall; a vintage bike display; pony rides for kids; a lively DJ playing an eclectic mix of dance music and Irish ballads; impromptu Irish dancing and singing; a marine aquarium, juggling and face-painting.

Mihchelle looking after the Cakes & Buns Stall

But one of the most popular highlights of the festival was without doubt the shoeing of a horse by farrier Joe Dodds which enthralled all those present.

Joe Dodds Shoeing a Horse

Thanks to the efforts of a small band of dedicated and socially conscious residents, Ballinfoile is witnessing a resurgence in community volunteerism based around a sense of community, pride of place and of awareness of the need to preserve local heritage in a time of growing globalisation.

Scarecrows giving a Children's & Artistic dimension to the garden

Plans are already being made to make the Ballinfoile Mór Harvest and Heritage Festival even bigger and better, with topics such as butter churning, quilt making and children's street games being included.

Buying a Book

Trad Seisiún in action

There were queues all day long at the Anja's Face painting stall

Serving Hot & Cold Dishes

Elder Taylor selling 'Little Herbal Garden' Boxes

A captive Audience for the Juggling Demonstrations

Galway Atlantaquaria's Aquarium populated with crabs, starfishes & other creatures of the seas

Mayor Terry O'Flaherty addresses the crowds

Foroige youth volunteers serving pizzas freshly baked in the garden's Clay Oven

Joe's Pony Rides were a big hit with the children

What a fine collection of Scarecrows!

Joe wooing the audience with his wonderful crooning

The Garden's Wooden Seats & Benches were made by local craftpeople

Nothing like a good cuppa of tea and a good chat!

Fergus & Willy at the Fruit & Vegetable Stall

Matthew and Lenka showing samples of wild food from Irish forests

Jay at the Bike Repair workshop

See previous articles:
Third Annual Harvest Festival in Galway Neighbourhood

Second Harvest Festival in a Galway Neighbourhoood

Mayor to officially open Galway city's largest community garden

A Celtic Forest Garden in 21st century Ireland

'Summer Picnic & Cycle in the Park' event to start a new tradition?

Caroline with one of the 'High Nelly Bicycle's restored by Cumann na bhFear

New Greenway Route to Link Seven Castles in Galway City & County

2012-09-28T18:59:00.000Z

Cloonacauneen Castle

New Greenway Route to Link Seven Castles in Galway City and County

Years of community grassroots initiated activity will finally bear fruit on Sunday October 7^th when Slí na gCaisleán (‘The Way of the Castles’) will be launched which it is hoped will form the basis for a network of Greenways (scenic pedestrians and cycling routes) linking Galway city with the rural landscapes of east county Galway.

Carrowbrowne

The event takes place as part of National Trails Day, a special time of the year to celebrate Ireland’s wonderful variety of trails and a chance for everyone to enjoy some of our most beautiful countryside, forests, mountains and lakes.

Ballindooley Castle

A milestone in the development of the ‘Off the Beaten Track’ guided heritage cycle tours that are now in their third year, this event will cover a route that encompasses seven castles on the north and eastern side of Galway city and into Galway county. ‘Slí na gCaisleán’ will start (10am) from and finish at Terryland Castle in a 25mile looped cycle route that will include castles at Menlo, Cloonacauneen, Killeen, Ballybrit, Castlegar and Ballindooley.

Carrowbrowne Bog Road that has been cleared of debris by conservation volunteers

Ballybrit Castle at the famous Race Course

Three of these castle are lived in, with one being a hotel.

This leisurely cycle will journey over through a picturesque idyllic landscape of hills, botharins, abandoned farms, karst outcrops, bogs, lakes, dykes, turloughs and meadows.

Carrowbrowne farmland

The vision and hard work to make this Greenways network become a reality encompassed many different groups and individuals including university students, farmers, environmental campaigners, city residents, cycling advocates, heritage groups, local authority officials and politicians.

Terryland Castle: Starting point for the '7 Castle Looped Castle Route'

Menlo Castle

Start time: 10am, October 7^th
Rendezvous point: Terryland Castle, Terryland Forest Park, Dyke Road.
Organisers & Supporters: Terryland Forest Park Steering Committee, Conservation Volunteers Terryland Forest Park, Cumann na bhFear and Galway City Council (Recreation and Amenity), City Planning & Greenways office, GTU and the HSE.

Ballindooley Lough

Note: Participants should bring along their own bicycle, suitable clothing and packed lunch. There will be a stop over at Cloonacauneen Castle where participants can purchase food and beverages. Any children twelve years or under must be accompanied by an adult. All participants must sign a form agreeing to abide by the rules of the tour.
For further information, contact Brendan Smith at speediecelt@gmail.com

Picnic along the banks of the Corrib river, Menlo

Castlegar Castle

The Grotto, St. Peter & Pauls' Church, Coolough

'High Nelly' bicycle enthusiasts, Terryland Forest Park, Lus Leana

Menlo Botharîn

Cyclists enjoying lunch at Cloonacauneen Castle

On the road to Cloonacauneen Castle (background)

Spelman's Botharîn, Castlegar

Third Annual Harvest & Heritage Festival in Galway city neighbourhood

2012-09-12T19:49:00.000Z

Part 1 of an exciting programme for Ballinfoile Mór Harvest & Heritage Festival 2012

Bike Repair workshop, Outdoor Baking, Blacksmith’s Forge amongst highlights of Ballinfoile Harvest Festival

Scarecrows, an outdoor pizza oven, a blacksmith’s forge, a bike repair workshop, demonstrations of straw rope-making and locally produced cakes and jams will feature as some of the highlights of the third annual Ballinfoile Mór Harvest and Heritage Festival that will take place on Saturday September 22^nd in the Ballinfoile Mór Community Organic Garden.

Part 2 of an exciting programme for Ballinfoile Mór Harvest & Heritage Festival 2012

We have put together an exciting programme of events to appeal to all ages in a wonderful garden setting that will be a celebration of the high level of volunteerism and sense of community that exists amongst the ordinary people of the Ballinfoile, Bothár an Choiste and Tirellan area.

As well as the organic garden growers, Cumann na bhFear (aka Men’s Shed), Scoil San Phroinsias, the Tús community work placement scheme, RAPID, Galway City Council, Conservation Volunteers Terryland Forest Park, Foroige, Sunny Meadows playschool and other local groups are involved in a neighbourhood festival based around promoting locally grown food produce, culture, crafts, arts, heritage and environmental awareness.

“We will have pizzas served freshly baked from our own outdoor oven; spuds boiled in traditional skillet pots over an open fire; “Granny’s Kitchen” with delicious cakes and buns made to old-time recipes; food dishes from Africa and Asia; an organic food stall; a blacksmith’s forge producing domestic and garden metal implements; demonstrations of farrier skills, traditional drystone walling and straw rope making; an Irish music seisiún; wooden and leather good stalls displaying locally made bee-hives, garden benches, pens and hair barrettes; a ‘High Nelly’ Bike Restoration heritage exhibit; disc jockeys; a marine aquarium; face-painting and an array of scarecrows

Harvest Fest 2011-Garden plots were covered with Scarecrows made by local chldren

Dozens of scarecrows of all shapes and sizes will populate the vegetable plots.

The scarecrows, made out of straw and recycled clothes by the children of Scoil San Phroinsias and the Sunny Meadows preschool, will pay homage to the age–old tradition that farmers and gardener used up until recently to protect the seeds and shoots of their food crops from being eaten by birds.

Harvest Fest 2011 - Volunteers Brian & Tiernan staffing the Bike Repair Workshops

We will also have a bike maintenance workshop where people can bring along their bicycles to get expert advice on how to adjust brakes, fix a puncture and clean gears.

“The aim of this and similar grassroots festivals across Ireland is to foster a feeling of individual self worth and purpose as well as to engender a sense of place and neighbourly goodwill amongst residents of local communities; to help Irish people re-discover the value of making, repairing and growing everyday items. As a nation the Irish have traditionally been characterized by a strong community ethos as exemplified by the GAA, ‘Meitheal’ and a coming together in times of adversity. In this era of recession, high employment, growing emigration and a lowering of national expectations, we need ordinary people to once again take the lead in improving the quality of life of their own localities.

The Festival starts at noon on Saturday September 22^nd and continues until 2.30pm.

Mr. Nolan cycled all the way from Gort to attend the 2011 Ballinfoile Harvest Festival

Harvest Fest 2011- Delicious Home-Cooked Delicacies on offer

Harvest Fest 2011- Cumann na bhFear stand

Harvest Fest 2011 - Tiernan serves Smoothies

Councillor Frank Fahey with Tom Cuffe who organised Birdwatching tours of the neighbouring Terryland woodlands

The home-made Jam Stall

The Bike-Powered Smoothies maker

The Organic Fruit & Vegetable Stall

Volunteers from the Lisbrook Asylum Accommodation Centre digging vegetables at the Harvest Fesst

'Bling' Your Bike

Harvest Fest 2011 - Getting the Blacksmith's forge assembled

Serving freshly made ice lollipops

Part of the Huge crowd that attended the Ballinfoile Mór Harvest Festival Sept 2011

London's Olympics & Paralympics have changed People's Perceptions of a Nation & of Disability.

2012-09-10T17:28:00.005Z

As with last month's Olympics, the Paralympics 2012 was an outstanding success. For me what stood out was the a) social historical themes of the opening and closing ceremonies with their colourful anarchic format and b) the high level of professionalism and friendliness shown by a huge army of volunteers.

The British and particularly the English have regained a sense of national pride and value in the world. For a long time, the legacy of an arrogant superior English colonial mentality

that is still promoted by a hard core of drunken, foul-mouth racist, beer-swelling tattooed wolf -pack hooligans on overseas holidays or at football matches

Anti-Irish Emblem of the English National Front

diminished the huge contributions that the country has given to world culture (e.g. in literature, drama, music, film, architecture, human rights, progressive politics, sport, science and technology).

Drunken English Students in Salou Spain

Also notable was the fact that the London Paralympics has led to a seismic shift in the perceptions of the general public worldwide.

Overcoming extreme prejudice as well as physical and mental barriers, the participating athletes achieved greatness and in the process have become positive role models to us all. They are no longer judged on their disabilities but rather on their abilities.

Thank you so much London!

A 'Celtic Forest Garden' in 21st century Ireland

2012-09-07T19:31:00.000Z

Known as 'An Ghairdín', the Ballinfoile Mór Community Organic Garden is located in the grounds of Terryland Forest Park and is as a result surrounded on two sides by hundreds of native Irish trees such as hazel and hawthorn. Oftentimes when volunteers come in on early mornings to start working in the garden, they will see wild animals such as hare, fox and pheasant retreating back into the last great refuge of the animal kingdom in Ireland, namely the forests. Whilst later in the day undertaking duties such as planting, weeding and harvesting, they are blessed to hear a chorus of birdsongs emanating from the trees.

As with colonial Ireland, today's destruction of the Amazonian Forests is destroying an ancient civilization & way of life that was in harmony with Nature. All done to benefit the greed of outsiders

Destruction of the Irish Forests

Until the defeat of the Irish clans and the coming of British colonists in the early 17th century, the Irish countryside was covered with great swathes of forests. The destruction of these woodlands to make way for colonial farms and to provide wood for the making of British ships, stave pipes and charcoal for iron furnaces led to the elimination of much of our larger native wild animals such as the wolf and the boar.

Hawthorn Tree, St. Brendan's Abbey, Annaghdown, Co. Galway

Celtic affinity with Nature
The Irish Celts had a tremendous affinity and respect for Nature and particularly with forests, with trees even having an honour price that had to be paid if they were cut down.
Whilst the Irish Celts did not carve large areas of farmland out of the woodlands, they did clear small areas near their settlements and on the edge of the forests for the planting of herbs, fruits and vegetables. These areas were known as 'Leana' or 'Lus Leana' , meaning 'garden' or 'herbal garden'.

The Rowan (Irish = Caorthann) Tree, associated with Female fairies, A Druid's wand was made from its wood. Its berries were important source of food for wildlife in late autumn

So it is appropriate that the Ballinfoile Mór Community Organic Garden is bordered on one side by the forest and on the other by a modern housing estate called 'Lus Leana'!!

A total coincidence. But nevertheless so surreal and so full of serendipity!

St. Brendan's Abbey, Annaghdown, Co. Galway

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Coding Computer Games – Past, Present & the Future & World's First Popular Computer Chess

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Saving Ireland’s Largest Urban Forest Park: Your Support is Needed to Establish a 100 Member Volunteer Club for Terryland Forest Park

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Joyeux Noel Film - the true message of Christmas portrayed

Galway- Potential to become Europe’s ‘Silicon Valley’

A Jesus in Today's Palestine

Terryland Forest Park: Conservation Volunteers Update

Help in the Clean-up of Galway city's Green Lungs!

Photograph shows illegal dumping along the banks of the Terryland River behind the Terryland Retail Park

Calling all concerned people! f you have an hour or two to spare tomorrow (Sat), please help 'Conservation Volunteers' in a clean up of the Terryland Forest Park. Rendezvous: 11am, Ballinfoile Mór Community Organic Garden

Sadly it is people that live amongst us that, by their littering and dumping activities, are damaging our vital urban forests that act as the 'Lungs of the City' and a vital home for our precious native wildlife.

In the last 16months, volunteers have done much to reclaim the parks and forests for the ordinary people of Galway.

Ambitious plans are presently being jointly developed by council officials, Conservation Volunteers and local communities to make Terryland Forest Park the 'Phoenix Park' of Galway. Details will be unveiled over the next few weeks!

Bike Repair Workshops at Galway's "Men's Shed"

Eco-Neighbourhood Festival in an Irish City Suburb

New Greenway Route to Link Seven Castles in Galway City & County

Third Annual Harvest & Heritage Festival in Galway city neighbourhood

London's Olympics & Paralympics have changed People's Perceptions of a Nation & of Disability.

A 'Celtic Forest Garden' in 21st century Ireland

Calling all concerned people! f you have an hour or two to spare tomorrow (Sat), please help 'Conservation Volunteers' in a clean up of the Terryland Forest Park.
Rendezvous: 11am, Ballinfoile Mór Community Organic Garden