Article in Inish Times

First "Summer Gathering" a great success

The Inishowen Summer Gathering took place at Doagh Island this weekend. On Friday night a community of at least one hundred campers and camper vans set up on the grass covered sand dunes near the Famine Museum. The weather stayed dry and was positively glorious on Sunday, as well over a thousand visitors (throughout the week-end) enjoyed a wide range of demonstrations, exhibits, talks and activities soaking up the atmosphere, catching up with and making new friends and enjoy the stunning scenery of the area. Traditional skills were well represented. The Foyle Beekepers association had an observational beehive, which attracted a lot of attention. Alison Fitzgerald demonstrated basket making and the Coppice Association demonstrated how to make hurdle fences and wattle and daub walls using lime free plaster. There was also weaving, pottery, woodwork and Jean Gamble and Mary Lafferty gave a wonderful demonstration on butter churning and the results, like a lot of things at the event, were given away free at the end of the display.

Structures at the event were made from willow and hazel and there were a couple of large domes that were supported by the frames from polythene tunnels. One area was put up to cater for people eating food. This had straw bales supporting wooden planks to make makeshift seats and tables. The children on Friday night had other ideas about the area. During the course of their play the youngsters managed to untie the straw bales and started doing what comes naturally with straw, they threw it at one another and buried themselves in it. The organisers just took away the planks and let the kids get on with it. This area proved to be one on of the biggest attractions for the kids during the weekend, although there were lots of other activities for them. Some were organised, such as painting and drum-making, in the Parents Information Network tent, and making their own mallets out of hazel with the use of traditional hand built woodturning devices. More spontaneous activities included fun making swords with willow sticks and building dams on the beach.

A wide range of slide shows and talks were held throughout the weekend in the theatre including talks on renewable energy, sustainable communities and voice workshops. This building had been put together using straw bales, which meant that it was suitably dark. Power for the shows came from a small solar panel and wind turbine that were fitted to a battery. Energy from the sun and wind powered this battery which stored the energy so it could be used when needed. Other structures included a healing and relaxation tent, which offered Indian head massage and reflexology and a market which had a wide variety of stalls including a bike operated smoothie maker!

LITTER FREE

Litter was not a problem throughout the weekend as there had been some thought gone in to controlling it. Hazel baskets were made to hold bin bags. There was a bin for plastic, paper and tins. Everyone, including the children respected the fact that they were not to drop rubbish and used the bins. This made the event feel very clean and of course you didn't sit in someone's left over waste when you sat on the grass! There was very little in the way of sugar available so the youngsters managed to avoid being hyperactive and disruptive. The sugar that was available was natural and came from fresh apples supplied free from the Parents Information Network tent. The toilet cubicles were a major source of entertainment for some. They consisted of a seat, and a hole in the ground. Sand and wood shavings were put down the hole occasionally to keep the pong to a minimum and when the weekend finished it was covered over, leaving friendly bacteria to do its stuff.

A campfire in the evenings provided a focal point for stories, songs and general craic with amongst other Jimmy Mc Bride and Tony Cuckson. Paddy McCartney from Greencastle gave a few songs and jokes and there was very little over indulgence in alcohol which kept the atmosphere light. The busy Sunday afternoon crowds were entertained by the Henry Girls unplugged who performed a relaxed and lively set. Spontaneous drumming, banjo playing and fiddling happened throughout the weekend.

WHOLESOME COOKING

The food was great - simple fare but very tasty such as spuds, onions and cabbage with lentil stew and salad. All of the food was organic and GM free. The cost was minimal and the free date and coconut pudding topped off a very pleasant eating experience. The group are called Bitchin Kitchen and came up from Rossport in Co Mayo for the weekend. (If you are not familiar with the issue at Rossport then turn to the Clean and Green article to get the full report.) The waste food was put straight into a hole in the ground where it will decay in no time at all. For coffee lovers the Pachamama stall provided coffee from the Amazon rainforests. Pachamama is the Peruvian word for Mother Earth and a large proportion of the profits from selling the drink are paid to the local producers, which they invest in preserving the vital flora that makes up the forest. Cormac and his partner just got fed up talking about the world's problems and decided to do something pro-active so they set up the trading network. They have also started to buy endangered areas of Ireland to turn them into nature reserves and places of special interest for the benefit of everyone.

The organisers' did a fantastic job and hope to see the event become a regular feature in the Inishowen calendar. The dedicated volunteers have put in more that 1000 hours of unpaid labour to make the event happen. There was no entrance charge and most of the workshops as well as other treats such as scones and organic lamb chops were given for a voluntary donation. They should be very pleased with themselves for bringing something so well organised, new and fresh to the Inishowen Area. The Gathering was a stimulating, relaxing, enjoyable, sociable and environmentally friendly event. Words and pictures can't do it the justice it deserves as there was just so much on offer and all participants will bring away their own unique memories of the inaugural Inishowen Summer Gathering.