DIARMUID GAVIN WELCOMED IN CARNDONAGH

Diarmuid Gavin talking in Carndonagh

Diarmuid Gavin with the playground committee in Carndonagh

The stage in the Áras, Carndonagh Community School last Wednesday was lush and brimming with the best plants the season had to offer. The plants and shrubs were supplied by Carndonagh garden centre and set the scene for one of the most innovative garden designers in the world of horticulture, Diarmuid Gavin.

Fresh from his success at last weekend’s Irish Film and Television awards where he won the IFTA for ‘Best Factual Entertainment Show,’ Diarmuid arrived in Carndonagh this week to begin a series of consultations with local schools and community groups. These sessions will form the design concepts for the Barrack Hill town park taking into consideration the thoughts of over 130 participants from the area.

The celebrity gardener and landscape architect was asked to take on the challenge of satisfying a whole community by the playground committee in the town. Together they have teamed up with the Public Art Office and the Community and Enterprise Section of Donegal County Council to design and create what will be one of Ireland’s most imaginative and ambitious community spaces and play parks.

Denis McGonagle on behalf of the Council welcomed Diarmuid and commented that the park was a long time coming. “It’s amazing to have someone of Diarmuid’s calibre involved in the park, which will be a flagship for Inishowen. Everyone will get the chance to contribute on the project and it is important to remember that this park, when completed will belong to and be maintained by the community”

Aideen Doherty from Donegal County Council was extremely positive about the open evening. “The talk gives everyone a chance to see who Diarmuid is and where his influences come from,” she said.

Besides hearing from people at the open meeting, Diarmuid will be consulting with groups of children and teenagers from schools as well as older members of the community. Dermott is used to dealing with exacting clients but not 130 at one time. “This is the most clients Diarmuid has ever had to deal with!” Aideen exclaimed, “But if anyone can get the community to agree on the finished project, it’s Diarmuid”.

His contributions to the Chelsea flower show have given him the reputation of being innovative and a little controversial especially with his “Colourful Suburban Eden” also known as the bubble gum garden, where he placed hundreds of brightly coloured plastic balls on sticks around a foliage backdrop. “Some of his ideas can be a bit frightening,” said Mary Reilly from the Inishowen Organic Network “but I love his work. It gets your mind going and his ideas are never boring or conventional,” she stressed.

A relaxed and casually dressed Diarmuid addressed the attentive crowd. “ This is by far the most people I have ever consulted with on a project,” said Diarmuid. “Satisfying a whole community is top priority and listening to everyone’s needs will be the key to the success of the project,” he continued “There are three main issues for this project – budget - practicality and safety. Some of the school children have come up with fantastic ideas and it is a question of taking these on board and making them a reality. There are a few issues on ideas such as the iPod docking station and the possibility of making the park look like the set on I’m a Celebrity- Get Me Out of Here, which relies heavily on rope bridges and tropical trees, but I am sure we will come to a suitable compromise!”

It is apparent that Diarmuid will no doubt get a few tongues wagging with his ideas but this is something that excites him in his development as a designer. “When I left the Botanic gardens in Dublin, I came across a book called “Paradise Transformed, the Private Garden” by Guy Cooper and Gordon Taylor. The radical imagery of their designs really had a big influence on me and I knew that that I was better suited to garden design than any other aspect of gardening,” he said enthusiastically.

“The completed Barrack Hill Park will have to feel real and be rooted in the soul. It cannot be imposed on the town.” He emphasised.

Diarmuid will be returning to Carndonagh in April and will have a rough draft of the plans to run past everyone who is involved in this fantastic project which will help to lift the profile of not only Carndonagh but the whole of the peninsula.

NOELINE HAYLETT NEEDS LIFE-JACKETS AND A BOAT FOR GHANA

Life-Jackets and a boat urgently needed in Ghana

Have you an old Life-Jacket that you no longer use?

Life Jackets and a boat with an outboard motor are urgently needed.

In the Volta region of Ghana, Lake Volta (8,800km2) is the biggest man made lake in the world. It was created by the construction of the Akosombo Dam, a hydro-electric power project.

ECM Ho in Ghana, (who have been supported for the last twelve years by Mayo-resident Noeline Haylett) has an outreach project on Dwarf Island, which is one of the many islands in the lake. Dominic Akyereke, their outreach worker who lives on the island has requested urgently, as many life jackets be sent over as possible.

Because the lake is man made and was created by flooding surrounding areas there are many dead trees under the water. The ferry boats, which are often heavily loaded sometimes hit submerged tree stumps.

Just before Christmas, the boat that Dominic was on tipped over (a regular occurrence) and 75 people were drowned. Dominic was saved as he was wearing a life jacket that had been previously sent over.

Noeline Haylett, has been supporting the work of the mission in Ghana (ECM), during which time she has sent over 4 ambulances, a tractor, a plough and transport boxes, a bus and a quad as well as building schools, clinics, a hospital and a bore hole. Her next container is going over in June and she hopes to send as many life jackets as possible and hopefully a boat with an outboard motor.

If you can help in anyway, please contact Noeline on 098 41484

5 MINUTES WITH - DEIRDRE BRADLEY

Deirdre Bradley is the new Exhibition manager for North West Exhibitions Ltd based in Buncrana. Until recently you would have seen her in the tourist office in the town where she worked for the Chamber of Commerce. Deirdre worked there for four years and absolutely loved the position, especially the contact with local business people and community groups in the area. Whilst working for the Chamber of Commerce Deirdre set up gala dinners, fashion shows, award ceremonies and trade shows. This gave her the confidence to accept her new role as exhibition manager and to enjoy the challenges that the new position brings. In the two weeks since joining the company, Deirdre has been busy organising the Ideal Homes Exhibition that will be taking place in Coshquin on the Derry /Donegal border at the end of May. There will be 116 stands in the 27,000 square foot building, for showcasing products and services supplied by businesses all over Ireland.


What sort of music do you listen to?
I like all styles. It isn’t very often that I buy any music though; I usually listen to local radio stations. Either the ICR or Highland. You get music and also the local chat too.

What would you never throw away?
I can’t throw away greetings cards! I keep all of them, get well, good luck, and birthdays. I put them all into a big box. I even have the baby cards for when my four children were born!

How do you relax?
I like nothing more than a glass (or bottle!) of red wine to share with good company – friends and family.

What book are you reading?
I don’t have much time for sitting and reading books. I am looking through an awful lot of interior and homes magazines though. I am picking out names and company contacts for the run up to the big show this year.

What page of the newspaper do you turn to first?
It seems a bit strange now that I have my new job, but it is the employment section. It’s just a habit I suppose! I also have a habit of reading the paper from the back to the front.

What is your idea of a good night out?
An evening out with friends is perfect. Organising the evening can sometimes prove to be difficult though as we are all so busy. We were out in the new Sunrise restaurant in Buncrana on Saturday. This has been the first week we have all been free since November of last year!

Have you a favourite television programme?
I always watch Desperate Housewives. I think it is good fantasy fun and so detached from any lifestyle we are accustomed to.

What job did you want to do when you were a child?
I always wanted to become a mummy! It seems strange to think about it now, but whenever the travelling community came into Carndonagh I would wish that they would leave a baby at the bottom of my road so I could take it home and look after it. I suppose it was always inevitable that I would have children, and I have four. Later on though in my adult life I wanted to get into event management, so I am now in my dream job.

Where would you like to go on your holidays?
With the weather as it is at the moment I would like to go anywhere hot and sunny, preferably an island

What is your idea of heaven?
Waking up every day, happy in your own skin. To wake up excited and be doing something that is a pleasure

What is your idea of hell?
To be materialistic and just do things for money. To put up with a well paid job at the expense of your happiness and a feeling that you have to keep up with the Jones’s.

Are there any famous people you would invite around for dinner?
I think that I would invite people from community groups instead of any celebrities. People who work for the benefit of the community have great stories to tell.

What are your main strengths?
I like to think that I am good with people and before you ask me what my weakness is, it’s paperwork!

WISDOM OF THE WORLD - WEEK 6

RISK

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out for another is to risk involvement.
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.
To place your ideas, your dreams, before a crowd is to risk their loss.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To live is to risk dying.
To hope is to risk failure.

But risks must be taken.
Because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
If you risk nothing and do nothing, you dull your spirit.
You may avoid suffering and sorrow, but you cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love and live.
Chained by your attitude, you are a slave.
You have forfeited your freedom.
Only if you risk are you free.

Leo Buscaglia