Category: Uncategorised

Thank you so much to Poet and Educator Maura Johnson for leading us in a creative exploration on the Saturday morning at the recent Gathering at the Seamus Heaney Homeplace in Bellaghy. The Theme was “Water Is Life”. Some of the beautiful creative people there have kindly agreed to share their compositions with us all below. Fabulous.

The edge of the Island. Tir fo Thuinn

By Narayan O’Tuathalain 

I am at the edge of this Island

Water rushes up through the passage

Slapping the rock in churning white foam

The ground here is older than water’s memory

I step as close to the drop as I dare

As three seagulls call back and forth

Talking to seagulls under the sea

I only see a gigantic, prehistoric rock

As I slip down the grassy bank

Near sliding into an underworld

Of foaming water, chronometic waves

As I find my feet I look over

Would I survive down there, Tir fo Thuinn

Climb out of the watery cave, find a footfall on rock

The mother rock of this Island

But only the wing’ed ones will ever walk there

This writing is inspired by the headland of Banba’s crown at Cionn Mhalanna (Malin Head)

 Water Is Life

by Rosaline Callaghan

We gathered at this place beneath the summit of Sliabh Liag. Angry gusts tossed our hair and carried our incantations over the Atlantic, where they swooped over troughs and crests, kittiwake and a circling pair of peregrine falcons.

We paid homage and beseeched the waters of the wellspring to keep our sailing menfolk safe – to cut a boat path through the roiling ocean – and bring them home again.

We gathered at the Well of the Fair Winds, before the old ways shorn and scattered, before beehive huts and  transubstantiation of sacred springs to holy wells.

Recordings

Sea Swimming

– by Veronica

Paddleboard Yoga

– by Conall

Water – The Mighty Notwani

– by Les Gornall

A bit like running with the bulls at Pamplona. 
– Conall Morrison

My chest is still sore like having done too many push-ups, or taken a knock.

It’s from the shoves of the police “Get back” as they surround the vans leaving Court but we find a way to flow through them and tap the sides to communicate our support for those inside. I’m sorry it’s come to this, I’m sorry that you’re inside. It’s not fair 4 and 5 years locked-up. 

For what?

I think it hasn’t sunk in yet?

I call it peaceful protest,

Wilful obstruction of the highway? Public Nuisance? Not conforming. 

Checking the papers later the judge decrees them guilty of “conspiracy to cause a public nuisance for coordinating direct action protests on the M25 over four days in November 2022”

And yet every mention of climate change inadmissible. “The end of the world is neither here nor there”.

I cried when the news came out: 4 years for 4 of them and 5 for Roger. Cressida is only 22. The bitterness and hate that they will experience makes me sad.

I didn’t bring my phone

So that if I was arrested they couldn’t tell who I was immediately. This wastes their time… and means they can’t arrest so many people.

I didn’t think that there was a high likelihood of arrest, (I wrote Ruth’s number on my forearm, just in case). I wanted to be present, able to feel it, and also to make friends.

To act in solidarity. These people are going away for 4 years the least I can do is to turn up for an afternoon.

At the end of the road when the van pulled out into the traffic and hummings of the high street hustle-bustle, people stopped wide eyed and stared, “What is going on?”

“5 years for peaceful protest!” We shout, “not democracy!”

Heart beating hard in my chest,

police running at me from a long way off.

I got separated from the crowd with one other man. The police man was trying to grab hold of me and I made it to a side street. After a short while afraid of arrest it quietened down.

I made my way signless back to the front of the court. Wondering if anybody would be there still… and it was just like before, maybe just warmer in the sun.

Dale Vince, Chris Packham hanging around with aides and organisers, the same faces smiling back. The police back behind the iron gate, catching their breath. I rehydrate, should’ve brought a banana.

The second van came out, we carried a song and chanted “we love you!” to those inside. Again drumming on the sides and shouting and whooping to show support.

I saw some of the famous activists motion go for a drink. And was invited a couple of times to go for soup (you can get arrested for that). I’m tired, I’ve been enough of a nuisance on one hand and on the other not nearly enough. I go home.

I shook a few previous-to-then strangers’ hands and shared a smile. I talk to a covid masked lady on the tube, still doing outreach with her sign “Stop Jailing Truth Tellers” she has deep concern for the trees. I missed my stop, she apologised and I said “not at all”

Debriefs are important and I watch the footage when I get back.

It looks like quite a crowd, quite a nuisance, and again so sad. A victory for the elites, the string pullers, the point zero zero one percent.

I watched it back with brother in law Simon and again, able to pick myself out. Great tactic from the man just lying in the road. He does it at least 3 times. The crowd like water…

The police under-resourced just like the teachers, the doctors and the nurses. Only just hanging on. The illusion of power, that can crumble fast.

The strength of the arm of the law pushing people away and moving along, like some kind of swarm defense of a sports team, the risky high press.

I feel it now again in my chest, like Christiano Ronaldo, 

My pride muscle

Throughout The Gathering, held at the Seamus Heaney Homeplace in Bellaghy on the 27 and 28 June, we celebrated the work of environmental activists, learned about the many challenges and solutions underway to restore the integrity of Lough Neagh, and bolstered our own resolve to continue protecting what we love.

A man walked among the thick trunks of beech, chestnut and oak trees in Prehen, the ancient woodland remnant within Derry City. There, he encountered George, who has worked tirelessly over the years to protect this small, remaining fragment of ecological vitality. The man shared with George how Prehen saved his life, providing him with a healing place as he battled cancer.

The sedge warbler never sings the same song twice. It’s syncopated whistle rang through the room as Doris Noe shared how people in Northern Ireland adore birds, but that this adoration is ignored when development projects destroy habitat, even within designated conservation areas.

Lough Neagh residents have been working for years to regain their rightful ownership and become stewards of the lough, Bernadette McAliskey affirmed. In fact, this was part of her campaign in 1969! Her children were raised in the boglands around the lough, so unaccustomed to walking on concrete that it hurt their legs to do so.

Lough Neagh is amidst an ecological crisis, one that will likely persist for many years due to the accumulated phosphorous within its bed, according to environmental scientist Les Gornal. The most urgent task is to stop harmful agricultural runoff, he says. Alan Keyes of Ballinderry Rivers Trust shared biotic surveying as a rapid way to assess water quality within streams, thereby locating polluters within Lough Neagh’s catchment and targeting the worst offenders first. James Orr shared the principles local citizens have developed as a just transition plan for Lough Neagh, including community ownership and and a rights of nature framework for the lough.

It’s through poetry, stories, song and performance that we both celebrate and mourn. In the morning, Maura Johnson led a writing workshop. Thomas McErlean led a walking tour to the Strand at Lough Beg, where attendees sang amidst the trees and listened to Heaney’s poetry. Later in the day, children from local primary schools shared poetry about water as part of a learning programme initiated by Maura. Jim Cor performed his famous song about Lough Neagh eel fishers. The Gathering ended with “Food for My Soul,” where history, memories, song, dance, and poetry celebrated the Bann.

Over the weekend, we heard many messages united around a common theme: local citizens, working together, have been the independent EPA of Northern Ireland. And now, we demand not just protection, but also justice and restoration.

North West BAPS Walking Group 

We will be walking along the Quay this morning (Monday 10 June) and stopping off at the City Hotel Derry for a cuppa and a chat about all things perinatal & parenting. Meet us anywhere along the way. All welcome – we will be setting off from the Statues at Sainsbury’s at 10.30am 🚶‍♀️🙂

Breastfeeding and Perinatal Support for the week ahead 

Handy list of local, online and telephone support available for the week ahead – compiled by North West BAPS 🥰

Save the Date: North West BAPS Network Celebration of World Breastfeeding Week

North West BAPS looks forward to celebrating World Breastfeeding Week – we will be hosting an event on Saturday 3 Aug 2024 in collaboration with members of the North West BAPS Network and other organisations and friends in the community. The event will be held at St. Columb’s Park House & Gardens, with lots of activities & information relating to breastfeeding, perinatal and parental support. If you would like to host a stand or volunteer to help out on the day, give us a shout on nwbaps@gmail.com 🥰

North West BAPS Network

There was an excellent turnout at the online North West BAPS Network meeting last week – brilliant opportunity to discuss progress and issues with a wide range of participants including parents, representatives from support organisations and the Council. Minutes and actions will be shared shortly – we look forward to collaborating with others to help ensure that local families who want to breastfeed, receive the support they need to do so successfully. The next North West BAPS Network meeting will be held in person in the Autumn. Let us know if you would like to join the Network.

Photo Credit: Alexandra_Koch

Have a great week ahead!

Maria, Noella, Sinead, Jessica & Joanie

On behalf of North West BAPS

Follow North West BAPS on Facebook and Instagram

Email nwbaps@gmail.com

Here’s our Monica Downey of Life Cycles in conversation with Rosalind from NIRN and Jonathan Henderson from DCSDC. It’s National Bike Month! There’s so much going on!

Come down to Life Cycles at the Train Station to find out more. If you want to begin, or return to cycling, come and join a led cycle along our greenways, meet likeminded folks and develop confidence to get out there!

Links:

Life Cycles ZWNW

Life Cycles on Facebook

PODCAST made by Lynda Sullivan for the ABC of Green Politics.

Water is Life is the Theme for The Gathering and  Lynda interviews Mary McGuiggan and James Orr .

Aren’t our members and friends just Fab!!!

📢PODCAST ALERT📢

W is for… Water is Life 🌊

#LoughNeagh, #Mobuoy, Big Ag, #Mining , Sand dredging, #RightsofNature

I was personally delighted to be invited to attend the Derry City and Strabane District Council (DCSDC) meeting on Wednesday gone. ZWNW was invited to attend by Dean of River Faughan Anglers (RFA) to stand and be counted, along with Prehen Historical and Environmental Society (PHES). We wanted that DCSDC keep to their agreement of letting us “stakeholders” (we prefer citizens) who participated in the process of compiling the Arloesi planning report, see the report and be afforded the opportunity to consider and comment before it is finalised.

Thank you to Councillors Garry Donnelly and Shaun Harkin for sticking up for us.

It is very import that “The Gathering” continues to bring groups like ours together and important that we are holding statutory agencies to account.

We were delighted to have the previous decision made by DCSDC Governance and Strategic Planning Committee reversed and for the information to be shared.

On Saturday 30th March Zero Waste North West members organised a protest which turned into a lament at the spot of the ecocide of 4 trees (3 very mature trees and one smaller tree a few metres away) behind the Guildhall at Harbour Square.

They left gifts of flowers, art speaking for the trees and sang songs of solidarity, connection and gratitude to the earth. They also left protection orders around the remaining trees. The children joined in the protest at the destructive actions of the DCSDC by wearing animal masks, holding signs such as “No Trees to climb” and drew pictures of birds in their nests who may have chosen these trees to nest in.

We have nothing against the artwork, but we simply believe there are plenty of locations it could have gone without the need to destroy trees.

“Every single tree is a planetary frontline; a call to defend and co-exist.” Peter Doran.

DCSDC was the first Council on the island of Ireland to propose and agree to the Rights of Nature. We are, therefore, shocked by the unnecessary destruction of these trees through a joint decision of the Council and the Department of Infrastructure.
We are further saddened to hear of the cutting down of mature Cherry Trees on the Ebrington site – and we wish to raise this as yet another example of the disregard for the value of trees and nature by our decision-makers.

Maeve O Neill said “It is unacceptable for the Council to be cutting down trees during nesting season. This action completely contradicts any positive climate action the Council are attempting. No doubt they will find justification for their environmental harm but ordinary people see through this. We have so little tree coverage in the Council area. Every tree matters and Council should be leading the way in protection rather than leading the charge in destruction.”

Zero Waste North West are requesting a formal meeting with the relevant council decision-makers to discuss the council’s plan for planting new trees and nurturing established trees(including ancient woodland) in the City and wider District.

We believe, as Peter Doran put it, that “There is literally no substitute for the art of nature”