We’re looking forward to a great day out at Inish Beg Estate on Sunday, September 2nd, from 2pm – 5pm. We are immensely grateful to everyone at Inish Beg and especially Paul and Georgie Keane for their support and generosity in allowing us to hold this event on their grounds. Inish Beg is everything that we celebrate about West Cork and Skibbereen. The natural beauty of our waters and the lush wonders of the trees and fauna of Inish Beg are what brings thousands of tourists to West Cork every year. It is this that we are seeking to protect from the devastating impact a Plastic Factory would have if it is allowed to be built just up the road.
On Sunday, when you drive in, there will be stewarded parking on the right hand side of the entrance road. The admission is €5 per per individual or €15 per car. Upon entering the grounds, you can enjoy the peace and quiet of the wonderful walled garden. If you follow the path down the island you will arrive at the clearing in the woods where the Octogon is set. In here, there will be live music by Brendan McCarthy and his band, Open the Taps, followed by more music with Georgie Keane and her incredibly talented musicians. Coffee, tea and soft drinks will be on sale at the bar. Save Our Skibbereen will host an information centre here where you can ask questions, get information and sign up for the campaign’s mailing list. We will also have a couple of short informative talks.
For children, there will be treasure hunts along Inish Beg’s Pirate and Fairy trails. Maps will be handed out to children only if accompanied by an adult. There will also be children’s entertainers and face painting. A magician, Gerard Kearney, will be moving among everyone with his own brand of magic which has entertained the great and the good over the years. Gerard was one of the lead actors in the wonderful West Cork film, The War of the Buttons, produced by David Puttnam.
Gerard Kearney – Cork Magician
Everyone is welcome to bring their own picnic and there will be tables and chairs available around the Octogon or you can bring a blanket and sit out in the orchard. There will be food on sale and we are delighted to have two wonderful local food providers with us on Sunday. Jess Nowotynski’s Little Green Shoot is a Plant Based/Vegan food trailer, well known from her regular set up at Clonakilty and Skibbereen Markets. Also, we have Nolwen Milot’s Mediterranean Street Food . You can be assured of getting the best at Inish Beg on Sunday.
During the afternoon, we will be selling tickets for our raffle and we have received great prizes from Catherine Autret Craft Products, Cork Whale Watch & Colin Barnes, Glebe Garden Restaurant, Joe Bishop, New Haven Restaurant (Schull) , Violette’s Ladies Fashion’s, Karen Billing , O’Murchu Mussels Ltd (Roaring Water Bay mussels) , & Whale Watch West Cork & Nick Slocum. There are great prizes to be won and we are very grateful for all the prize givers.
We would ask that everyone try to take away any rubbish with you and try to make it as clean and recyclable a day as possible. We will be using bio-degradable glasses from Down2Earth for all soft drinks. We look forward to seeing you on the day and all proceeds will go towards the campaign. At present, we are waiting on the decision from An Bord Pleanala and if they rule in favour of the factory,. we are already making preparations to apply for a Judicial Review if that is the case. If they rule against the factory, we will be doing everything in our power to lobby RTP Company to withdraw their interest from West Cork. Our intention in the long run is to defeat this factory but also to find better alternatives for new development in Skibbereen and West Cork. We believe that we are living in one of the most beautiful parts of the world with the cleanest air, the cleanest waters and an environment that currently produces great food and produce. We think this should attract more people to work here, more people to invest here and more businesses to locate here that share our appreciation for the West Cork way of life.
We look forward to seeing you all on Sunday.