Travels in western Ireland

After my initiative week I took to the West coast and did some sight seeing on my way back. My first stop was Ennis, where I was hosted by one of the workers from Irish Seed Savers. After that I left for Doolin on the coast. From there I was able to see the Doolin cave, which just opened last year and holds the largest stalectite in the Northern Hemisphere visible to the public as well as the Cliffs of Moher. I then made my way to Galway where I saw Duke's Special in concert. And finally I stayed in Letterkenny, Donegal before coming back to Corrymeela. The trip was lonely but energizing and I managed to hitch a few rides as well as meet some interesting people along the way.

Saving Seeds

Last week Thursday I left Belfast for Scariff, Co. Clare for my initiative week. I spent time volunteering with Irish Seed Savers Association weeding, replacing beds, building a cob house, planting and hosting about 200 people for biodiversity day. If I were to describe my experience there in two words it would be wholesome and organic.
I felt lucky to be there during biodiversity day and during a time when they were building the cob house. I learned many new things about apple trees including how to graft a tree and make root stock. We also had discussions about weeding including which plants contribute to the tree and which do not, and philosophical questions arose among the staff about how to speak about disease and health within the orchards. My hands were dirty and the work took place within good company.
The organization is a small, grass roots initiative. Currently they hold the largest seed bank in the Republic of Ireland and sell plants and seeds to Irish gardeners in order to prevent extinction of native species. I first learned about Irish Seed Savers from an inspirational book called The Death of Life: The Horror of Extinction by Sean McDonagh. More about Irish Seed Savers Association can be read on their website: http://www.irishseedsavers.ie/ The experience was well worth it and left me with many good memories.

London Detour

After the Belfast Marathon, Niki and I took flight to London. It was my first time in London, and Niki's early birthday trip. We stayed with Rachel whom Niki knew from MCC in Brazil and I had met while we were travelling in Brazil. Her flat was a part of what I would call an eco village within London, which was very interesting. Rachel's hospitality made us feel right at home quickly. In London over two full days we did quite a bit. We went to Buckingham Palace, the London Aquarium, an art exhibit on Dali, the National Gallery, a large market place and the theatre to see Evita. The trip was quick, but enjoyable. With only 3 and a half months left for our volunteer year, it feels like time is going by quickly.

Belfast Marathon

On May 7th, 2007 the streets were packed for the annual belfast Marathon. The marathon began in the middle of the troubles and is said to have been a significant part of the peace process; Protestants and Catholics had to agree to allow others to run down their streets. In the past there have been bomb scares in Belfast on Marathon day and previous volunteers have talked about these, but during the race this year there was none. Very important considering the 8th was the first day of shared power between Sinn Fein and the DUP. Some of us joked that a bomb scare probably helped runners to run faster. Corrymeela every year has a team entered into the relay marathon. Kai, Robbie, Hanna, Kelly and myself were the team this year. I ran my stretch, 5.3 miles, in 45 min. Our whole team finished in 433rd place in just under 4 hours. There were 1627 relay teams and 1453 full marathon runners. A previous long term volunteer was doing the full marathon this year and finished in 182nd place. It took him 3 and a half hours. I still have a long way to go before I can do that, but the marathon was fun and we all had a good time.

Trip to Narnia

Last week Niki, Christian and I packed our bags and caught a bus to Narnia. The Mourne Mountains are considered the primary inspiration for C.S.Lewis' Narnia, and thus while we were walking I couldn't help but feel like I was walking in Narnia. We camped in Tollymore Forest Park and took day trips into the Mournes. The big hike that we did was to climb slieve Donard, the tallest mountain in Northern Ireland. We began at the Bloody Bridge and walked along the waterfalls until we reached an old granite mine and eventually the Mourne Wall. We followed a section of the Mourne wall up to the top of slieve donard where we saw signs of megalithic cairns and fantastic views. The trip was great, because it allowed us to go camping and exploring with Christian in a non work environment. It also reminded me of how much I love the outdoors. When we returned we worked with the community members. One of the highlights of the weekend was when Christian and I had fun learning about the corrymeela video camera and creating a video with it for the talent show while working with the youth. The weekend reminded me of a church retreat.