Christmas Day at Redmond Park

Christmas Eve at Redmond Park

I click the lock shut on the park gates. It's 11.30pm Christmas Eve night and all is quiet. Just as it was a hundred years ago on the western front in the so-called Great War. In 1914 soldiers on both sides put aside their guns, left their trenches and came together to exchange Christmas greetings and gifts. Imagine such a beautiful thing happening in such a brutal war. Major Willie Redmond died in that war. On this day of birth and renewal let us remember him and all the Irish fallen of that terrible war.

A deputation from Ireland visits the grave of Major Redmond at Locre, 21 September 1917. 

http://time.com/3643889/christmas-truce-1914

Redmond Park on the Web

http://wexfordhub.com/places/redmond-park
http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah/search.jsp?type=record&county=WX&regno=15500051
http://irishwalledtownsnetwork.ie/page/wexford/plan-your-day
http://www.wexfordboroughcouncil.ie/CouncilMatters

LRP and Council Meet to Discuss Improvements at Redmond Park

We met recently with the Council to discuss ways in which the park might be improved. Now just because we had this discussion does not mean that the matters raised are going to bring forth action on all fronts! However, if we can make some of them happen and nudge some of the others a little along the way we will be making progress.

Installation of a mains water point in the park. There is presently no drinking water available in the park.

Installation of a power point on the playground side of the park (including an upgrading of the existing power supply to 3 phase).

Installation of new multilingual tree signage in the park - A community artist has slate signage painted, yacht-varnished and ready to install. Council to ensure that all bases are sound and to assist us in replacing old signs with these new ones.

Landscaping around toilet - Volunteers have placed bark mulch around the base meaning that there is now much less risk of trips. It also looks much better. Would benefit from planting of some shrubs.

Installation of double display panel near entrance with one panel for history and one for nature/biodiversity.

Removal of one bin and replacing of other (near entrance) with larger segregated bin (dry recyclable and non-recyclable waste – our volunteers to take and store the former in a green bin in the lockup area).

Adult exercise equipment - Install small exercise circuit near front of the park with items sufficiently robust and easy to maintain. Move existing adult exercise items to the location chosen for the exercise circuit.

Security and lock-up - Matter of opening and closing of the park gates by Council personnel to be looked at as it has been very inconsistent over the past year.

Under this heading we also discussed the proposed new entrance to the park from Dr Furlong’s carpark. We also discussed the possibility of formalising access from Parklands. The former proposal is a good thing … and it’s potentially a bad thing: good in that it provides safe (and ample) off-road parking, possibly not so good in that given the inconsistency in locking/unlocking the park’s gates at present, one cannot but be concerned that there will soon be two gates suffering from this inconsistency (3 if a gate goes in at the Parklands corner). A gated entrance from Parklands would help better secure the park after lock-up. It is recommended that any new gated entrances into the park have time-controlled locks.

Medium to longer term improvements at Redmond Park

Engaging a horticultural expert to appraise the present status of the park and advise on how we might proceed with redesigning it.

Pond - Take expert advice on redesigning the old pond area – look at retaining some of existing wet areas, developing a pond smaller than the original, re-opening the open canal or French drain for overflow from the pond.

Drainage - The park has very poor drainage with surplus water running down paths and accumulating in playground and other areas. This may de-stabilise the front wall and some of the big trees. It may also present an ice risk in cold weather. Look at old maps and see can we use the original drainage system to minimise surface water.

Playground - The idea solution would be a new playground. Probably not going to happen in the near future. In short term install a toddler’s swing (much requested by public). Constant pooling of water in the playground during bad weather requires that power washing is required here at least twice yearly. Ultimately, the playground should be replaced.

‘Teens’ Area - Install picnic tables x 2 adjacent to the toilet (ie away from the playground and visible from the road). Hopefully teenagers will adopt this area.

War Memorial - Consider installing an artist-designed war memorial in the park, possibly through a competition.

Land adjacent to park at Parkland corner - Call a public meeting to discuss the best use of this land.

Old Caretaker’s Hut (ruin) - We discussed possibilities for this space. For now the front and side walls to be taken down by a couple of feet so that the area can be used as a raised flowerbed.

Community Garden - not actually discussed but something we have added to our list.

And the prize goes to ...

Let's Bee Friendly!

Coppicing

We recently carried out some coppicing of hazel trees in the old pond area. This process involves cutting the trees back to 4-6 inches from the ground. The trees grow back with the process being repeated again in 6-7 years. The major benefit from coppicing is to open up the ground to sunlight so that growth at that level is encouraged. This brings on a greater degree of biodiversity. The bulk of the hazel rods have gone to the National Heritage Park where they will be used for woven fencing and walls. The area in which the hazel trees are situated was formerly part of the old park pond. We brought the Council Engineer to the park last week to discuss options for restoring the pond. It is one of the features that visitors to the park miss most.  We encourage you to explore this corner of the park on your next visit. One thing we are sure of: kids love it!

http://www.permaculture.co.uk/readers-solutions/many-uses-hazel-sticks

World War 1 and John Redmond Walking Tour of Wexford

Wexford Walking Tours now has a new tour of the town which pays homage to two famous sons of Wexford, John and Willie Redmond, and the men of Wexford who fought in the great war. The tour takes in the site of the American Airbase in Wexford, the Redmond Monument, The Redmond mausoleum in John St, Redmond Park and the Harry Clarke window in Bride Street church. Redmond Park was established in the 1930s to commemorate the Redmond Family. The Redmonds were hugely important on the political front in the 19th and early 20th centuries, laying the groundwork for a self-governed Ireland. While the 1916 Rising and the troubled years that followed removed them from centre-stage just as home rule was in touching distance, their legacy is now finally being given the attention it merits.

Details of the WW1 and Redmond walking tour can be found at http://www.wexfordwalkingtours.net. Alternatively you can phone Monica - 086 1079497.

Leaf composting in Redmond Park

Did you know that we have leaf composting bays in Redmond Park? A master composter came to Wexford last year, invited by the Council and Wexford Tidy Towns, to give guidance and to get us on our way. The bays were built and they took their first consignment of leaves last Autumn. They have not, alas, received as much TLC over the past year as they might have. A recent poke around through the decomposing mounds showed that those collecting and depositing the leaves last year also, unwittingly, deposited loads of litter. As a result we have been carefully going through them to remove said litter. This exercise is also giving us an opportunity to tidy up the bays as, with leaves now dropping in ever greater numbers, we will need two bays completely free for incoming deliveries. By next Summer we should have lovely leaf mold available for the municipal flowerbeds. We can also use it for potting in place of the commercially available peat-based compost. And that's a good for the environment!
The two images give some indication of the before and after - one is full of the divil and all, the other is simply decomposing leaves.

Adding colour to the park

We did a spot of gardening in the park this week. All going well, by late Spring next year we will have a brilliant splash of colour just inside the park railings at the town end. The flowers and herbs we have chosen - largely perennial - should ensure that there are beautiful colours and scents here from Spring right though to late Autumn. There is Helenium, Lupinus ('gallery Rose Shades', Chamomile, Salvia nemorosa Ostfriesland, Digitalis purpurea Dalmation F1 Purple, Anemone x hybrida (Japanese Anemone). We are assured that these will attract loads of bees and butterflies. Thanks to our green-fingered colleague Marie of Wexford Tidy Towns for all her expertise and hard work. Thanks also to the Council for their ongoing support.
I think we are now ready to pledge our support to the "Let's Bee Friendly" campaign at http://www.wexfordtidytowns.com/biodiversity/bees.

See the pix at https://www.facebook.com/loveredmondpark/media_set?set=a.706271079462020.1073741847.100002374025464&type=3

Another Successful Picnic!

Well I am happy to report that both Picnics went off wonderfully well last weekend: the plugged-in shindig above in Stradbally and our own very much unplugged affair in Redmond Park! There was sunshine and laughter, slush puppies and ice cream, candy floss and ... wasps! And the only reason the wasps were buzzing about was because some young lads decided to stone their nest!!
Overall this was a hugely enjoyable day with loads going on. You could go from the swings to the BIG BENCH, back down to the puppet show; then get active with obstacle races, turbo-javelin throwing and ball skills; get creative at the pot decorating table before moving on to get your hands dirty at the potting and sowing table. The afternoon was soundtracked by DJ Cullie with a special guest appearance by award-winning local band The Ocelots. And all the while the sun smiled down on this fun-filled, end-of-Summer party.

Loads more pix at: https://www.facebook.com/172732832863453/photos/a.501347813335285.1073741826.172732832863453/501371573332909/?type=1&theater

End of Summer means it's Picnic in the Park time!

Family Fun Day at Redmond Park

While our Picnic in the Park goes ahead as normal at the end of August here is an event you should also have in your diary. It is been organised by a local company to raise funds for a very special cause (see the poster). I can tell you that they have been pulling out all the stops to make this a truly action-packed day. Don't miss it!

Castlebridge Community Garden

The industrious and green-fingered folk behind Castlebridge Community Garden held an open day and garden party yesterday. If you have not yet seen it I strongly recommend a visit. The garden is situated in the walled garden of Nunn's house, just opposite the church.

The garden party itself was a very pleasant and sociable affair with lashings of strong hot tea, homemade buns and cakes, and heavenly singing by the Castlebridge Gospel Choir. And with the sun shining down all afternoon there was no hurry on anyone to be heading off.

Wild Meadow - no OFF button!

The Wild Meadow at the top of Redmond Park really has taken on a life of its own. As it will not be getting cut until the Autumn we decided to wade in and manually pull out as many thistles and ragwort as we could. While the former would have gone on to have lovely bee-friendly blossoms we figured that man-sized thistles was probably pushing the wild side just a little too far.

A reminder to Bee Active!

Do you love bees? Of course you do! Our little buzzy friends are at their busiest right now going from flower to flower picking up valuable nectar and, at the same time, pollinating. While there is nothing better than wildflower-scented honey, the end result of all that nectar gathering, the job of pollination is the one big reason we should respect and nurture our bee population. If the bees did not do this job we would have do go do it ourselves, going from blossom to blossom with a little brush. Try putting a price on that! Which is why you should pledge your support to Wexford Tidy Towns' 'Let's Bee Friendly' campaign.

Do it now at http://www.wexfordtidytowns.com/biodiversity/bee-campaign. While there you can check out a list of bee-friendly plants which are sure to keep the bees in your garden happy.

Neighbours' Day

  Wexford's citizens came together on the last Friday of May in a show of solidarity with fellow Europeans across the EU. The occasion was the annual EU Neighbours Day and the rendezvous point was Redmond Park.
  In ones and twos they arrived and immediately fell into animated conversation over tea, coffee and delectable confections from D'Lush Café. The boules players kept a disdainful distance between themselves and these interlopers - they usually have the place to themselves. Guest speaker was former government Minster Trevor Sargent who admits to being at his happiest when up to his elbows in dirt! The author of Trevor's Kitchen Garden (also the name of his blog) spoke passionately, yet cogently, about the challenges we face growing to feed ourselves, and the World, on a resource-finite planet. His thought-provoking lecture went on to take in the concept of Transition Towns - how towns can gear up to deal with the challenges which lie ahead (peak oil, climate change, etc).
  The idea behind this annual event is that we can all benefit from increased community cohesion. Or, to put it more bluntly, it makes sense to get on with your neighbours. It may mean another pair of eyes to watch out for dodgy goings-on around your house, someone to take in your bulky post when you are out, resource-sharing (milk for the cornflakes), even bartering (I'll clean your windows if you bake me a cake!). On a more serious level, there are some elderly people living alone who, if they did not have you to check in on them, might go days without meeting another human.
  We were delighted with how the day went. Thanks to our guest speaker Trevor Sargent and to Wexford Borough Council for supporting the event.