The ‘Afternoon Tea Party’ at ACCESS Green Street Wednesday 28th June celebrating the ‘Twenty Years a Growing’ Community arts Mosaic Project and the success of our first entry in the BLOOM Postcard Garden show was well attended and a great success despite the weather!
ACCESS BLOOMS FOR WEXFORD
On Tuesday, May 30th a group of women and our Horticulture Tutor, Des Kehoe left Wexford at 5.00 a.m. to assemble our Postcard Garden in the Phoenix Park for the Bloom Festival. This was the culmination of many months of preparation work, lots of tea and coffee, and some great camaraderie and teamwork. The excitement grew as all the work of making the individual pieces, the mosaic, the papier-mâché tree, the flowers, and the unbridled creativity were now going to be linked together to symbolise what ACCESS means to the women from the various communities in Wexford. This installation task at Bloom took over 8 hours but we were all delighted with the finished garden said the Development Worker, Margaret Cullen and Administrator Dagmar Byrtusova, both of whom collaborated on the project from start to finish and assisted the over 30 women in making their vision a reality.
On Thursday, June 1st opening day of Bloom, the sun was shining, mobile phones were all on high alert waiting to hear news of the judging, which took place on Wednesday afternoon. Full of nervous tension, the team entered the park and went straight to the garden. There it was the plaque from Bloom Garden Committee acknowledging all of our hard work and commitment over the last ten weeks. We were awarded a ‘Certificate of Distinction’, which meant we came joint second. The first time exhibiting a garden at Ireland’s largest garden festival and we received this very prestigious award! We had gone from a very nervous idea, to an anxious application to Bord Bia; we were accepted and then we had to deliver something credible and appropriate with our concept. Just imagine our garden will be seen by over one hundred thousand people from June 1st to June 5th.
Throughout the day, many people visited the garden, to ask questions, to admire the work, the colours, the individual pieces, but above all to acknowledge what can be achieved when a group of women who have a clear vision and an action plan work together. On Thursday we took a bus of 40 participants to the show, what a day out. The sense of involvement, participation, and success was palpable in every voice. Henry Ford once said that “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success” and this success is truly shared by many.
A project like this could not be possible without the help from our volunteers, professional guidance, supporters and sponsorship from the local business people. The Management and Staff of ACCESS would like to express our sincere thanks to you all. We hope we have done you proud and discussions are already starting on next year’s project.
Go raibh mile mile maith agaibh go lear.
ACCESS 2000 Wexford Postcard garden at Bloom is installed and looking fabulous. We had a great day and a lot of fun. Big thank you and well done to all involved.
Terms & Conditions
Great News !!!
Our application for Postcard Garden for Bloom in the Park was successful.
Women from our horticulture and various craft groups came together to design a garden which would reflect their concept of personal growth and development; a life-long experience or pathway to a place approaching fulfilled potential and maturity. Their path to wonder begins with a questioning of one’s personal circumstances, progresses to a desire for knowledge and change which, if nurtured and supported in the right environment enhances the lives of individuals, families and communities. The acorns, sapling and semi-mature oak represent the individual transitioning through the open gate across the ever brightening path to a place of amazement and wonder.
For more info about this event please go to: Bloom in the Park website
Please keep checking our website for more updates.
What an evening was had when Wexford Library hosted the 5th of six ‘The Readers’ Voice’ programmes, celebrating Ireland’s Book Clubs, when Roddy Doyle was interviewed for Radio by Anne Enright, Laureate for Irish Fiction.
I have to admit that before being introduced to this book by Slippery Green Book Club, Roddy Doyle had not been one of those authors on my radar despite being a Booker Prize winner with an amazing body of work which includes books for both adults and children and various stage and screenplays.
The session lasted an hour, but I could have listened to Roddy all night and gauging the reaction of the audience, made up from various book clubs, the feeling was mutual. He was charming, charismatic and genuinely interested in the audience, answering all questions put to him in a very considered and thoughtful way.
When first published in 1996, The Woman Who Walked into Doors, caused quite a stir in Ireland, dealing as it did with violence against women within marriage, especially to those who were in denial about such abuse.
The Woman Who Walked into Doors is the story of Paula Spencer, who finally manages to break free from such a relationship and regain her dignity and self-worth while still maintaining her sense of humour.
Roddy relayed the story of when Saturday evening mass, instead of Sunday morning, was in it’s infancy in the country and he was sitting in a pub opposite a church, watching his favourite football team, Chelsea, on the television. When the mass ended some members of the congregation made their way over to the pub and on recognising who he was felt compelled to tell him that he and his book had been the subject of the sermon from the priest that evening.
He also said that the idea of Paula hitting Charlo over the back of the head with a frying pan was something he’d seen on the television sit-com Fawlty Towers.
On a more serious note ‘The Woman Who Walked Into Doors’ has been used in various training programmes for those professionals who come into contact with women such as Paula and how to deal with and try to understand their predicament. Roddy is, and should be, rightly proud of this.
On one occasion he was invited by a friend to talk to a group of women she was involved with who had been in abusive relationships and who had been given his book to read. He said he was quite nervous as to the reception he might receive from this group, until one of them said “How the f… did you get inside my head.” I can think of no better accolade for this book.
Thanks to Slippery Green Book Club, Roddy Doyle is now on my list of ‘must read’ authors. I look forward to reading his latest book ‘Smile’ which is due out in September.
I can’t finish without sending out a great big ‘THANK YOU’ to the management and staff of Wexford Library who go above and beyond to provide the people of Wexford Town with interesting, innovative and varied programmes to suit all ages and genders. Keep up the good work
Mary Molloy
Wishing you and all your loved ones a very Happy Easter.
Beautiful moments, quiet joys, and all the happiness your heart can hold.
We are excited to announce that our new ACCESS 2000 Wexford website is now live!
As you navigate the new site, please keep in mind that it will continue to evolve to support the needs of our community of past, current, and future participants.
