Só an uisce | Luxury of water
Solar power turbine globe
Land art sculpture construction from pvc water pipe and recycled deluxe sink fitting with a solar powered fountain unit.
60 years running with water and seeing the highs and lows of the power of water.
Giver and taker of life.
It’s raining again but in other parts of the world it must be like diamonds falling from the sky.
Art of the Lawnmower Man
Kevin Harkin
The luxury of water ‘Só an uisce’ is something we take for granted often complaining ‘it’s raining again’. In other parts of the world it’s like liquid gold, so scarce; lives are lost, wars have been started over it, countrys redirect the natural flow of water on course to neighboring countries; the other extreme is devastating floods.
I was born and reared on the banks of the river Faughan so I’ve seen the highs and lows of what the power of water can do; ‘Banker Floods’ carrying away family livestock, destroying fencing, entering homes unwelcome, out of control and bringing floods of tears.
The power of water harnessed and channeled down the Millrace powered many a thing. In Ireland linen, flax, flour mills and electricity were generated from a Pelton water turbine and all depended on a good head of water which was created by building ‘Cora’ or weir upstream.
To run the Cora on the river Faughan at Ardmore Bleach Green was to run where our wild Atlantic salmon ran. They had to try and cross upstream to the deep water of the dam before the ‘Bear men’ saw them. I ran the Cora with my gaff in hand fighting the power of the river and looked the salmon in the eye. Today most of the old mill Cora’s are washed away, fish can migrate a little safer and easier.
Water is all powerful and a real luxury to have at the tip of our finger. Today we are harnessing the power of wind and sun to produce electricity. I have no doubt if Mr Swan was kicking about today, he would have been on the ball with solar panels and wind turbines which would have met his approval.
May our water run FREE
