Transition Towns Fundraising Spectacular at Kinsale Further Education College (KFEC)


Cob Amphitheatre at Night

On Saturday March 24 Transition Town Kinsale held its first major fundraiser at the Further Education College. Blessed with good weather, there were numerous activities for people of all ages to get involved in. Outside on the lawn at the rear of the main college building children were having their faces painted while the smell of freshly baked pizzas wafted from the cob oven nearby.

The work of college staff and students could be viewed and admired including the immaculate herb keyhole beds, the straw bale house with its wood burning rocket stove, a poly tunnel positively pregnant with newly planted seeds, some expertly constructed state-of-the-art New Zealand compost bins, and the wooden framework of the college’s latest building, still under construction.


Eilis Making Pizzas

Inside one of the classrooms you could watch films about peak oil such as ‘Power of Community – How Cuba Survived Peak Oil’ and ‘The Real Oil Crisis’ and take part in a discussion on the topics. You could get your bicycle maintained, or have a workshop on compost. Plenty of tea, coffee and flapjacks (oat biscuits) were on sale if the energy started to flag.

Later in the evening the real fun started at the magically decorated amphitheatre which included some wooden candles - made from wooden poles and lit at the top to give both light and warmth in the chilly spring air. There was a range of local talent on display providing entertainment that included music, storytelling, comedy and drama all of which kept the crowd well entertained.


Facepainting

A raffle later in the evening offered an abundance of prizes and thanks must go to all the local businesses who donated: Bolands News and Bookshop, Stone Mad Gallery, Next Door, Curtin Electrical, Bookstor, Quay Food Co, Daisy Chain Florist, Mylie Murphy, Acton’s Leisure Centre and Future Forest.

Compost Workshop

‘Energy, Food & Tourism – What Future for West Cork?’

A questions and answers event entitled ‘Energy, Food & Tourism – What Future for West Cork?’ took place in Acton’s on March 13th. The panel consisted of Dr. Colin Campbell, founder of the Association of the Study of Peak Oil (ASPO); Giana Ferguson, food producer; Quentin Gargan, alternative energy consultant and Green Party candidate for West Cork; Kevin Lynch, expert on ethanol production; John McKenna author and food critic and Trevor Sargent TD, leader of the Green party.

During a discussion on wind energy, Kevin Lynch remarked that Ireland was the ‘Saudi Arabia of wind’ and that this is a resource that is clearly underused at the moment. It was reckoned that ultimately, given the right investment, Ireland could become a net exporter of energy. On the topic of food production John Mckenna told us that he had met beef farmers who were in despair at the state of farming in Ireland, that they felt disempowered and disconnected from the market and were losing out financially.

He said that the failure of the farmers’ co-ops to innovate was disgraceful but on the other hand he saw growers who sold at farmers markets making ‘humungous’ amounts of money and were much more connected to their customers as they met them face-to-face on a regular basis. Trevor Sargent informed us that the 1926 Allotment Act had been gathering dust on a shelf and was one way we could increase interest in growing our own food. Other subjects covered included nuclear energy, ethanol production and tourism.

The event was extremely well attended so let’s hope some of the nuggets of information and advice will filter through and become incorporated into the mainstream.

‘The History of Oil’

Transition Town Kinsale was pleased to see a couple of recent events that helped to raise public awareness of peak oil and climate change. On March 6th Cork Environmental Forum showed a film, ‘The History of Oil’, in which comedian Robert Newman gives a fascinating and hilarious account of oil production from its earliest days and the wars it helped to spark. For example, who knew that World War I started with an invasion of Iraq by the British? Afterwards there was time for a discussion about the main concerns and Transition Town found itself some new supporters as a result.