The Gathering

This was a partnership project between Artlink and a range of locally based groups and creative producers from the area.“The Gathering” presented an insight into, and an opportunity for the public to engage with, a wealth of local knowledge in areas of history, heritage and tradition. Sited at Fort Dunree, and developed from “Fortifying Beds”, an original installation by renowned Irish artist Christine Mackey, The Potting Shed is now the centre for the activities of a community based group ‘Amach Anseo’. Members of Amach Anseo are developing The Potting Shed to grow indigenous vegetables in a natural way, and to provide an educational resource for the community. “The Gathering” brought together like minded individuals with a story to tell in the preservation of our natural environment and food heritage. This enlightening event involved demonstrations centred around organic vegetable production, seaweed, traditional bread making, bee keeping and honey harvesting.

With the audience (and the produce) gathered, William McElhinney, a.k.a. “The Seaweed Man” / “Dulamanfada” (An accredited Heritage Guide) then gave a practical – and at times interactive – demonstration of the use of locally sourced produce including seaweeds, plants and herbs. At the centre of the evening was the idea that the people gathered should take a ‘hands-on’ part in the event, sharing their skills, stories, ideas and experience of our common heritage. With food and drink prepared collectively, the participation of all those attending rather than a passive audience event, represented a real involvement and manifestation of the ideals of the European Year of Cultural Heritage.

“To encourage the sharing and appreciation of Europe’s cultural heritage, to raise awareness of our common history and values and to reinforce a sense of belonging in a common European space. European cultural heritage allows us to understand the past and to look to our future.”

Artlink documented the event by way of photographs, video documentation of the evening and interviews with the key participants. The documentation and recordings of the event will form a part of Artlink’s ongoing archives and will be available online via Artlink’s website and YouTube, while also being made available as a developmental tool for the groups and individuals involved, and as an educational resource.

Rebecca Strain of Amach Anseo welcomed some 60 people to The Gathering, giving an introduction which outlined the purpose and programme for the event and how it fitted in with the aims of National Heritage Week.

Moving through the fort, the audience then were given an explanation and demonstration of the development of a Wormery, outlining its value in the regeneration of the soil in ‘The Potting Shed’ , an overview of the range of Heritage Variety vegetables which are grown there, and an explanation of the water-harvesting system which allows the beds to be maintained in an area with no mains water.

After the general introduction, Fergal and Svetlana Megannety delivered a talk about honey, a food old as the hills that appears throughout the history of Ireland. In fact the bee industry was so important that a significant number of pages of Brehon Law called the ‘Bee- judgements’ set down the laws around bees, hive and honey. With some of the tools, equipment and clothing involved an engaging demonstration was presented along with the opportunity for those attending to ask questions.