Terryland Forest Park selected as Galway’s "Get Involved" project!

Galway City Tribune newspaper two page spread

Terryland Forest Park has been selected as the Galway City candidate for the Get Involved Sustainable Communities initiative 2016/17. Organised by 51 local Irish newspapers and sponsored by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, Get Involved selects those projects that promote local volunteerism, biodiversity, local food growing, ecotourism and developing markets for recyclables and renewable energies. 

The community and environmental projects organised through the Terryland Forest Park in 2016 were many and varied including wildflower planting, traditional hand-held scythe mowing of a meadow, scarecrow making, mapping out online walking trails, drystone wall restoration, castle heritage cycle trails,  organic gardening, food preservation courses, neighbourhood harvest festival, traditional crafts demonstrations, litter picking, bat walks, science surveys and production of a series of onsite biodiversity educational signage.

We sincerely thank the Galway City Tribune for choosing us and for the great two page piece that appears in the current edition of the newspaper which includes photos of Cumann na bhFhear members forging and an image of the  Seven Galway Castles trail (art by Helen Caird). 

Such a prestigious accolade has come at a most opportune time just as activists have commenced battle to save the forest park from a road construction that will destroy its development as a key Ecological Corridor for wildlife and as an Outdoor Classroom for local schools and colleges.

This recognition has resulted from the dozens of hardworking visionary community, educational and environmental volunteers who are regularly involved through a series of ambitious programmes within the park that are transforming this green urban network of habitats into a learning and cultural environment for the children, students, scientists and communities of Galway city. 

These groups include Ballinfoile Mór Community Organic Garden, Cumann na bhFear, Conservation Volunteers, Galway Bat Group, Ballinfoile Mór Walking group, School of Science GMIT, Zoology Martin Ryan Institute NUI Galway, the Centre for Environmental Science NUI Galway, GMIT Science, the Galway Field Studies Centre and the overall coordinator-the Terryland Forest Park Alliance.

Sat (Feb 28) Willow Tree Craft Workshop & Wildlife Pond Construction.

The Ballinfoile Mór Community Organic Garden, located in the Terryland Forest Park behind Cluain Fada/Lus Leana, is once again open for volunteers to help out from 11.30am on next Saturday (Feb 28th).
Thanks to all those that helped out last week.

On this Saturday, one of the tasks involved will be phase two of constructing a wildlife pond complete with a wind-powered waterfall carried out under the supervision of Mr. Maker himself Michael McDonnell 
At 1.30pm immediately after a bountiful lunch of beverages, buns and salads,  we will be also hosting our first crafts event of the year- a Willow Tree Workshop with garden expert Kay Synott. 
The workshop is free to all garden volunteers!

Google map link to garden.

Revival of 'Hands-On' Traditional Skills in Ireland

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.