Kinsale Spring Fair March 31, 2008
Posted by Graham in : Transition Towns, community , trackbackI was back down in Kinsale at the end of the Easter break on Saturday for the Transition Towns Spring Fair.
Organised by permaculture students and members of Transition Towns Kinsale with Kinsale Tidy Towns, it consisted of a market with stalls selling local produce in the town, with exhibits, talks, Transition TV and more stalls in the Temperence Hall.
In particular it was great to see the newly formed Kinsale Food Co-op with freshly baked cakes and wholefoods with a presence in the market.
Green Party Minister Trevor Sargent was down to launch the Kinsale and District Community Powerdown whereby townspeople will be asked to make a pledge to reduce their energy consumption in different areas:
“The Kinsale Community Power Down is a new initiative being facilitated by Transition Town Kinsale. It is about engaging the community in energy reduction in their homes and businesses over a year. A set of targets will be outlined which the community can undertake. TTK hope that each participant will actively encourage others to get involved so that the Power Down will become a community effort. Workshops will be run throughout the year so that the community can learn more about saving energy and reducing emissions that bring about global warming. “
Below Left: Trevor Sargent, Minister for Food and Agriculture; Mary Cronin, Mayor of Kinsale; Kathy Sinnott MEP
Right: perusing the Community Powerdown targets.
There were workshops on building with hemp in the town; and food growing and seed saving,composting, and Green Building up at the college and the day was rounded off with a great concert in the unique cordwood amphitheatre in the evening with a stunning array of local talent, music and comedy.
Klaus Harvey of TTK and the permaculture course performed three of his inimitable songs and kindly sent me the lyrics to post here. Incidentally, this surely counts as one of the few but slowly growing number of peak Oil songs- does anyone know any others? Sheryl Crow has one called “Gasoline”.
Left: Klaus pedals himself a smoothie
Full Dream Ahead
Nobody wants to talk about this
They think you’re crazy or you’re taking the piss
But you’ve been watching the dial
Time’s running out and they’re all in denial.
Who did we leave ruling the roost?
Liars, thieves, killers and goons
Economists and corporate fools
It’s no wonder that we’re half out of juice.
Full dream ahead, full dream ahead full dream ahead
This world’s broke we’ll build another instead.
This world is small this world is great
But it’s all we’ve got and it’s in a state
Slashed and burned and laid to waste
The weather’s changing and it’s getting late.
So ask yourself what are you going to do?
Build your own house and grow your own food
Tell your friends, start spreading the news
Just don’t be a messenger of doom.
Full dream ahead, full dream ahead full dream ahead
This world’s broke we’ll build another instead.
Start living sustainably
Get yourself a wormery
Recycle your waste and plant a few trees
Design a range of compost toiletries.
Turn off the lights turn down the thermostat
Wear some tights and a thermal hat
You won’t freeze if you’re dressed like that
If it’s cold at night get yourself a cat.
Full dream ahead, full dream ahead full dream ahead
This world’s broke we’ll build another instead.
Join a nice transition town
Where everyone smiles and nobody frowns
Get your kicks with the jugglers and clowns
You can live it up while you power down.
Everything’s local at the market stall
Everyone’s healthy no one’s sick at all
Nobody flies and nobody falls
And everyone’s carbon footprint is small.
Full dream ahead, full dream ahead full dream ahead
This world’s broke we’ll build another instead.
Klaus Harvey Feb-March 2008
Comments»
What a concert this was and I delightfully felt like I was at a camp gathering with the earthy, woodsy smokey spirit and positive energy of the entertainers and audience. Glad I came out for the evening and look forward to more, especially the feet tapping songs with lyrics such as the lines in Full Dream Ahead. AMEN!!! and CHEERS to all who produced an evening of fun and laughs!
Great to see this kind of thing going on in my motherland. Keep up the good work Kinsale. Will try and get down there the next time i’m back in Ireland.
Regards,
Ciat MacRaghnaill.