PROMINENT MUSICIANS, ACTORS AND POETS TO PERFORM IN AVONDALE WOODS ON SUNDAY APRIL 28TH
The Natural Resources Protection Alliance and the Woodland League are expecting a large turn-out this weekend for “A walk in the Woods” – A major event to protest against government plans to sell the harvesting rights to 1.1million acres of Ireland’s public forestry.
“A Walk in the Woods” will assemble at 1pm this Sunday April 28th in Avondale Forest Park, Rathdrum, Co Wicklow. The event will feature songs, poems and readings from prominent musicians, actors and poets including:
Christy Moore (Musician), Paddy Casey (Musician), Jeremy Irons (Actor), Sinead Cusack (Actor), Dave Lordan (Award winning poet), Brid Ni Neachtain (Actor), Denis Conway (Actor & Director, Oroboros Theatre Co.), Landless (Folk Musicians), Larry Beau (Singer), Madu (North African Singers) & more.
The event will be addressed by event organisers, Richard Boyd Barrett TD, (Natural Resources Alliance) and Andrew St Ledger (Woodland League), and also, Senator Fiach Mc Chongail, Catherine Murphy TD and others.
Avondale Forest Park, now a Coillte Forest, is the Birthplace of Charles Stewart Parnell but was also the birthplace of modern Irish Forestry, originally planted by a relative of Parnell’s, Samuel Hayes – an author and early champion of Irish forestry.
A “Walk in the Woods” will include a walk through the Avondale Forest Park, with songs, poems, readings and speeches about Ireland’s forest heritage.
The event has also been organised to coincide with the weekend of the “one million trees in one day” event which will take place on the same weekend to encourage public awareness about the importance of forestry.
The event organisers also intend to plant a native Irish Oak tree to commemorate Charles Stewart Parnell – who was known as the “Great Oak of Avondale”.
A walk in the Woods is also supported by:
Sebastian Barry (Author), Stephen Rea, Catherine Murphy TD, Clare Daly TD, Joan Collins TD, John Halligan TD, Thomas Pringle TD, Paul Murphy MEP, Martin Ferris TD, Patrick Nulty TD, People Before Profit Alliance, Keep Ireland Open, Friends of the Earth, Unite Trade Union, SIPTU, United Left, Socialist Workers Party, Sinn Fein.
Richard Boyd Barrett TD said: “We are getting an enormous response from across the country for this event and expect a large turn-out for our “walk in the woods.” People are utterly shocked when they hear of the government’s intention to sell-off this priceless piece our natural heritage to pay off the gambling debts of bankers. The purpose of this event is to urgently ring the alarm bells and alert the wider public of the imminent threat to our public forest estate – an absolutely precious cultural, historical and economic asset. We are delighted that so many, prominent musicians, actors and poets are taking part to highlight that this proposal to privatise our public forests is not just an act of economic theft but it is also a shameful betrayal of our culture, our heritage and our history. It is beyond belief that we are being forced to sell our forests to pay the debts of bankers and bankers may end up owing our forests. It is an act of cultural and economic sabotage and must be stopped.”
Andrew St Ledger, PRO The Woodland League said, Irelands Public forests belong to the grandchildren of Ireland and their grand-children, they should be managed wisely using a new community oriented model to ensure a future for the generations to come. This underhanded short-sighted plan to sell Public Forests must be stopped.
In his poem, “A Culture is no better than its woods “, the poet W H Auden implied that a place without forests has no roots, no strength and no shelter.