This article is from page 3 of the 2011-10-18 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 3 JPG
A NEW people’s think-tank has been set up in north Clare with the purpose of pooling ideas and reinventing a future for the people of the Burren.
The first Mind Meitheal, as it is known, will take place at the Kilnaboy X-PO this Wednesday, with local people invited to come and share ideas or to simply listen.
Unlike other think-tanks, the Mind Meitheal is open to all local people and a particular emphasis has been placed on attracting young people and Burren farmers.
The think-tank has been set up by local artist Deirdre O’Mahony, who reopened the Kilnaboy Post Office as a community space known as the X-PO in 2007.
“We have such a mixed group of people using the X-PO, because of all the different groups involved, so we have already been hearing the mixing of ideas here.
“There are lots of different ways of generating ideas. Obviously, places like universities are good for things like that but I feel that somewhere like the X-PO is an ideal place for people who might not always feel comfortable sharing their ideas to get involved,” said Deirdre.
“It is a small and informal place and I think there won’t be as much of a reluctance for people to put forward some strange and unusual ideas. We are really looking for people like farmers, for blow-ins and locals, but I suppose the one group who we really want to come are the young people of the Burren.
“Common Agriculture Funding (CAP) is going to change in 2013 – how are we going to be able to imagine the future of the Burren, its people and its landscape after that?
“How are we going to find these young people with a future? Because it is not going to be like the farming that we have in the Burren now.”
The first Burren Mind Meitheal will take place at the X-PO in Kilnaboy this Wednesday, October 19, from 8pm and will continue on a monthly basis after that.
The Mind Meitheal is one of a number of new events which have been launched at the X-PO this October.
“The X-PO is open to absolutely everybody and we are very interested in anyone coming along and getting involved.
“We have a number of different clubs here already and more people are always welcome to the clubs or to set up something for themselves,” continued Deirdre.
For more information, email xpo. community@gmail.com