Leitrim Environmental Festival

leitrim | environment | press release Thursday September 04, 2003 09:50 by West is Best!

get yer arses up to lovely Leitrim

The festival will:

involve local communities in practical workshops and activities.
have an educational and cultural programme on environmental topics.
network producers, consumers, businesses, schools and communities.
demonstrate and show good environmental practise and behaviour, educate and train people and community groups.

Provisional Programme of the Green festival Northwest

The Organic Centre and the Glens Centre Manorhamilton have worked very hard over the past few weeks to put together an exciting programme for the Green Festival Northwest (19th - 28th of September 2003). We got a great response from farmers, growers, business people (the Business Forum in Manorhamilton especially), restaurants, crafts people, musicians and many others involved in the environmental sector. Unfortunately funding for events, lecturers, crafts people, films and bands hasn't come in, so it will be a festival at grassroots-level and we are dependant on the good will, enthusiasm and support of the people, who will participate or have expressed their intention to help. Nevertheless, We are confident that the festival will be fantastic and we are determined to make it a success. Any help, ideas or sponsorship (for events or general) are welcome. We will keep you updated here.

We have some funding from Bord Failte for publicity and will use that in due course for posters, programmes etc.

Friday, September 19th

Festival Launch at The Glens Centre with music and characters dressed in costumes from the Samhain parade. 8pm, music afterwards in a pub

Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday

Woodcarving weekend with Niall Walsh at The Sculpture Centre.

Friday and Saturday

Stained Glass making course at The Ballagh Centre in Rossinver

Saturday, September 20th

Open Day at the Living Architecture Centre, Leitrim Village, Carrick-On-Shannon, Co. Leitrim. Phone/Fax: 071-962 3301. Display by architect, Peter Cowman. Visitors are welcome to view the Econohouse prototype, a small self contained house.
Tree identification walk at Fowley’s Falls near Rossinver with Stephen Meyen 2-4pm, Meeting point Cullens pub/Gillaroo Bar Rossinver.
Beating the winter blues with homemade remedies. One-day- courses at The Organic Centre with Gaby Wieland and Liz Longworth. 10am –5pm. Participants will learn to make herbal remedies and get to take samples home. Cost €75 including lunch.
Composting workshops: A look at the "fertility circle" in the Organic Centre and making liquid fertiliser from nettles and comfrey. 11am- 4pm Cost €5
Visit Eyrebite, a small holding at Aughnasheelin, Ballinamore which is not on the national grid and derives all its energy from solar and wind energy. 10am to 5 pm.
Sunday, September 21st

Open day at Ard Nahoo, Yellow Brae, Mullagh, Dromahair with 25 alternative health practitioners giving free taster sessions and finger food available. 11am –5pm, tel: 071-34939
Archaeology walk and bird walk in Leckan area with Martin Enright and Sam Moore.
Open day at Eyrebite , with its small scale wind and solar energy system. 10am to 5pm.
Outdoor conference at Aughamore organic Farm (IOFGA), David Notely will talk about organic beef and sheep, grass land management and parasite control. This will be followed by a barbeque. 2.30 pm to 6 pm . Aughamore, Carrick-on-Shannon. Tel 071-9638263
Music in the pub in Manorhamilton.
Monday, September 22nd

Simply Music Junk Band, making musical instruments from waste for children 2 workshops in schools and 1 evening workshop.
Macnean Organic Garden. Guided walk through an organic garden with the award winning Jill and Mark Scott in Mullinshellestragh, Belcoo, 8 miles from Garrison on Belcoo Road, 2pm –6pm, tel: 048-6638 6938
"Farmers and producers markets, do we need them in Leitrim?", talk by organic farmer Sean McArdle, who successfully runs four markets in Dublin and Wicklow. will speak about his experience. Teagasc office, Manorhamilton at 8.30 pm.
Open day at Eyrebite.
Visit an organic small holding with small scale wind and solar energy powering low energy appliances with a strong emphasis on self sufficiency , Comfrey-Cream-Making, at Drumbad, Ballinamore.
Music in the pub in Manorhamilton.
Tuesday, September 23rd

Simply music junk band workshops in schools and one evening workshop. Contact etc
Organic Wholemeal Baking Demonstration with Grain Mills on display at The Organic Centre with Gaby Wieland 2pm-4pm.
Walk and talk on bats with conservation officer Miriam Crowley and her bat detector. Meet at 7pm at Parkes Castle.
Eco film in the Mobile Cinema in Manorhamilton.
Music in Manorhamilton pubs.
Wednesday, 24th September

Storytelling workshops in 5 schools.
"Weeds, Reeds, Words" Creative writing workshop with Liz Longworth, This is a creative writing workshop that uses herbs and wild plants as inspiration to write. A relaxed and fun workshop for anyone who writes and loves plants. Benwisken Centre, Ballintrillick. 2pm-6pm, Cost €5.
Eyrebite open day.
Open farm Drumbad.
Eco film in The Mobile cinema in Manorhamilton.
Evening entertainment:

Storytelling concert with five storytellers in Ballinaglera
Thursday, 25th September

Storytelling workshops in 5 schools.
Cheese making demonstration at Neantog Organic Farm in Cliffony by Gaby and Hans Wieland, featuring Tullynascreena Organic Goats Cheeses 071-66399, 1pm-3pm.
Poetry reading by Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill accompanied by local piper, Alan Roberts at The Deerpark Courtomb at 6pm.
Alternative energy day with a range of talks and displays at The Organic Centre and featuring a solar boat test drive with Peter Schneider on Lough Melvin 2pm-5pm.
Music in Manorhamilton pub.
Friday, 26th September

3 organised and guided hillwalks.
Guided walk with Jim Nolan in the west Cavan burren looking at recently uncovered archaeology, changes in settlement and demise of the Irish language.
Farmwalk at Inishfree Organic (Organic Trust) Talk and walk: Organic lamb production on leased land. 5pm to 7pm. Tessa and Gay Marsden farm 120 breeding ewes and some cattleon 115 acres, 100 of which are leased. Their talk will focus on the difficulties and pitfalls as well as the advantages of farming organically on leased land. This will be especially interesting for people who want to start an organic enterprise but have limited or no land of their own. Inishfree Organic, Tully, Clogherevagh, Sligo. Tel. 071-47007.
Eyrebite open day.
Music in the pubs in Manorhamilton.
Bronze casting course with Dave Kinnane at The Sculpture Centre.
Saturday, September 27th

Talk on "Pigs, Potatoes and Pucas" with Regina Sexton, broadcaster, on food and ancient customs in Manorhamilton followed by a scavanging/foraging expedition.
Seaweed walk at Mullaghamore with Dr. Prannie Rhatigan.Learn how to identify Irish sea vegetables for culinary, cosmetic and gardening uses. Prannie is an experienced GP who works in public health, she is a native of the west coast and is familiar with seaweed and its uses since childhood. Eithne’s restaurant will offer seaweed dishes afterwards. Meet at 11.30 am at Mullaghmore pier. Bring wellingtons and waterproofs. Cost €5.
Apple day with The Irish Seed Savers Association at The Organic Centre. Smell, see, touch and taste some of the many native Irish varieties. Bring unknown varieties for identification.
The Irish Seed Savers grow 140 varieties of apple trees and have now about 80 Irish native old varieties for sale.

The apple day will feature a talks about the work of the ISSA, a display of apples, guided tours around the centre’s orchard and a workshop on pruning. The café will serve apple dishes. You can also bring unknown varieties for identification.11am-5pm, € 5.

Pooka Painting School - Open day in Tawley, Kinlough. Artist and teacher Diane Roemer will demonstrate how to make your own paint. 11am –5pm Tel: 071-76761.
Open day at Eyrebite.
Manorhamilton mart.
Altan, Begley and Murray and An Taobh Tuathail world music disco 8pm to 1am 250 people, ticket only.
Sunday, September 28th

4th Organic Fair at The Organic Centre, Rossinver, Co. Leitrim 11am-5pm
Over the last 3 years the organic fair has become the biggest organic event and showcase of regional food in the Northwest attracting over 600 visitors. This year the fair will close the Green Festival. The fair features: Food stalls, demonstrations, guided tours, talks, music, children’s activities and organic food in the café. If you want to participate, contact Hans at the centre.

Music in Manorhamilton pubs.
Throughout the festival installation in the Sculpture Centre window by Christine Mackey.
Series of sculpture installations by local artists throughout the town.
Exhibition of the peace garden.










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The Organic Centre, Rossinver, Co. Leitrim, Ireland
Tel: 353-71-98-54338
Fax: 353-71-98-54343
E-Mail: organiccentre@eircom.net