New place of tranquillity officially opened in Lough Boora Parklands
A NEW place of tranquillity and peace has been officially opened in Lough Boora Parklands.
A large group of people came together on Friday afternoon June 24th under the shelter of a geodome in the Parklands for the official launch of An Portach Ciuin, a remarkable facility which is an invaluable addition to the lives of the people of Offaly and further afield.
Lough Boora Parklands attracts over 100,000 visitors per year and is a family friendly environment with a host of free activities for all ages. This latest addition to the Park is a sensory space, accessible to all.
It is envisaged that this quiet, contemplative space will become a popular area within Lough Boora Parklands.
By directly engaging with and being in nature, the space offers opportunities for a quiet time to all visitors. Visitors will be able to indulge in reflection, contemplation, connection, restoration and the opportunity to promote and maintain psychological, physical & spiritual health and wellbeing.
This sensory space will be a freely accessible area for children and adults of all abilities, those experiencing serious illness (physical and mental) and those who simply want a few quiet moments for themselves.
The area consists of an enclosed play area, a picnic area with bespoke items of garden furniture constructed from upcycled materials, with some native tree planting taking place this past spring. It also consists of a series of pathways/walking trails which lead to two viewing platforms overlooking a beautiful small lake.
The importance of this project to the community cannot be overstated. Positive health & wellbeing is becoming an increasingly popular social prescribing measure. Wellbeing is more than the absence of disease, it encompasses the best possible physical and mental functioning with resilience, positive emotional experiences and overall life satisfaction. An Portach Ciuin aims to provide this experience to its visitors and it triumphantly succeeds in this aim.
The Project Steering Group consisted of Leamore Leabeg Boora Development Company, Kilcormac Development Association, Bord Na Mona & Offaly County Council.
They are extremely grateful for the financial support which has come from the LEADER Programme through Offaly Local Development Company, project promoters Leamore Leabeg Boora Development Company; from CLÁR; Tullamore & St Brigid's Credit Unions; Brady Shipman Martin Architects; Bord na Mona and Offaly County Council through various grant schemes. They also acknowledge the Collins Family, private donors who made all of this possible with a donation of funds to kick-start the project.
With its woodland tracks, wetland views, Tadhg's Garden, and Soft Bog Walk, An Portach Ciúin is a peaceful place to stroll, sit and soak up the natural world. The developers say it is “an inclusive place, open to all.” They add: “As you enter, we invite you to take a deep breath in and while you exhale allow any stresses and worries of your everyday life to drift away. Instead focus on the sights and sounds of this calming space.”
MC for the opening event on Friday was Dermot Egan of the Project Steering Group who pointed out that a huge number of people were involved in this project. He said that the collaboration of such a considerable patchwork of agencies and groups is testament to how important this project is viewed in the county. He pointed out that in these uncertain times of economic and social upheaval An Portach Ciuin provides a vital community service and a haven of tranquillity and peace.
Joe Ryan, Estate Manager in Bord na Móna told the gathering that this project has a “very important backstory of generosity and community spirit. All these qualities have delivered this fantastic facility.”
He recalled that the family of the late Tadhg Collins got in contact with Tom Egan, a former Estate Manager in Bord na Móna, and said they wanted to create something in Lough Boora which would benefit everybody and would be in memory of Tadhg.
Tadhg was a forester and planted a lot of trees in Lough Boora. “He loved Boora and he loved the woodland,” said Joe, “and often brought his children out there. Then when his health failed and he became fragile the role was reversed and his children brought him out to Boora. Boora remained a very comforting place for Tadhg in his final months.”
Joe said Tom Egan thought it would be a nice idea to create a facility in the park which would benefit people with special needs, people with mental health issues, people recovering from a serious illness. “Tom went to the Collins family and told them about this idea. They loved it and said they would give a very generous financial donation to creating such a facility. Tadhg had left a substantial bequeathment in his will for a project such as this.
“Following this we formed a committee. Linda Kelly from KDA had a background in support services and she came on board. The committee visited St Brigit's Garden in Rosscahill, Galway to get inspiration; and we saw what could be achieved.
“What we have created in An Portach Ciuin is more than a garden. It is in fact a sensory space.
“The Lough Boora running group run here every Sunday morning and they have a very successful half marathon once a year for local charities and they gave a substantial donation of €10,000. We decided to leverage their donation towards LEADER funding. The Leamore Leabeg Community Group came on board. We engaged with Brendan O'Loughlin of OLDC, who embraced the project. Funding came from St Bridget's Credit Union and Tullamore Credit Union and Offaly County Council.
“An employee in Bord na Mona won a sustainability award of €500 and donated the money to the project which was mindblowing. It showed how much people had bought into the project.
“Brady Shipman Martin came up with a design for the facility free of charge. Quantity Surveyor Tony O'Regan provided his services free of charge.
“On February 13, 2020 we held a community evening in St Joseph's Community Centre and garnered some great ideas, but then Covid struck which slowed us down. But we kept forging ahead.
“Padraig O'Donnell and Colm Malone in the NPWS were very helpful with the construction of the facility.
“The goodwill towards the project kept on coming. The contractors remained true to their original price despite the cost of timber going through the roof.
“Bord na Mona provided some of the materials including the rail line, the decking foundations, garden peat, and signage.”
Joe added that his new colleague, Julie McLoughlin, has taken over as Manager of Lough Boora.
Joe Molloy of the Leamore Leabeg Boora Development Company said his group was very happy to participate in An Portach Ciuin's development which is a very worthy project. OLDC were very helpful, he pointed out. “Area Engineer John Mitchell was very helpful. We got the bridging finance from the Credit Union in Tullamore which entailed a number of trips into St Bridget's.
“It was a pleasure dealing with the contractors Killeen Civil Engineering. Thank you to John Killeen for his kindness and commitment. Thank you as well to our friends and neighbours from Kilcormac Development Association who helped greatly with the project.
“We hope An Portach Ciuin will prove popular with the public and that it will be here for many years to come."
Mary Murphy of Offaly Hospice said An Portach Ciuin is a beautiful place, a place of peace and serenity, a place where people can leave behind any negative feelings they may have, at least for a while. Mary said Offaly Hospice was founded in 1990 by a group of medical doctors who wanted to improve palliative care in the county. “I am sure that everyone who visits An Portach Ciuin will take away something positive,” she said.
Aideen Collins spoke on behalf of the Collins family. She said she lives in Kilkenny. “As a family we have always had an association with Lough Boora and this area. My Mum grew up in nearby Screggan. And we enjoyed many days on the bog. We made many visits to Lough Boora with Tadhg when his health was ailing. I suspect that one of the things he was checking during our visits was that no one had harmed the many trees he had planted in the parklands. He was proud of those trees and thought of them as being something of a legacy. We are very grateful to the steering committee. You have achieved something to be very proud of.”
Brendan Dolan of St Anne's Residential Services then cut the ribbon, officially opening the Centre.