CARNDONAGH WANTS A GARDEN

Meeting for the second time in the Community school hall in Carndonagh, Diarmuid Gavin addressed his fourth audience of the day about the proposed park at Barrack Hill. Previous to this open audience, Diarmuid had spoken to; 60 children in 6 schools, teens from the Community school, the playgroup committee and senior residents in the town.  He also took time for a walk around the site. A hefty schedule indeed!

Diarmuid has been busy with ideas on the project since his last visit and like most artistic people he has spent his time not having a clue what he is going to do with the site.

“I had no idea where the project was going to go and no designs for the area.” Diarmuid admits.  “I realise that this is an amazing space and felt like a student with a project.  I realise that the park is not something about me; it is about everyone in the town.  If the area doesn’t work for everyone, it won’t work at all, it has to fit into the landscape and the requirements of all the residents of the town.”  

UNCOVERING THE SECRET

“Then three weeks ago something began to emerge.”  Diarmuid told us. In the last visit, children had suggested all sorts of ideas from a crazy golf course to a mini zoo, but something clicked with Diarmuid. “ One thing the children especially liked was the idea of a maze, they love the idea of secrecy and a place to gather. So I got aerial photographs of the land where the park is to go and started to draw lines on the paper.  It was a bit like dropping a pebble in a pool of water and looking at the ripples.”

He explains further, “This made me think of winding pathways up the hillside and imagined dropping a second stone into the water and the lines interlinking in concentric circles.  I then imagined pathways edged with natural stone walls.  The smooth curves of the paths would allow for the gentle movement of people in the park.”

FOUR MAIN INFLUENCES

“I have divided the initial ideas into four sections,” explains Diarmuid, enthusiastically. “ I went for inspiration from Andy Goldsworthy from Scotland.  He turns stone walls into sculptures which is the type of movement I would look for in the walls of the park when they flow up the hill. Andy also uses natural found materials in his projects.”

Easter Island is another area of inspiration, with its 887 giant carved structures made from volcanic rock.  “These images are very powerful, and have given me the idea for a focal point” he explains.  “Mount Rushmore in America where the four presidents are carved into the rocks gave me the third idea of including caricatures in the design.  The fourth influence is Anthony Gormley. Anthony created the famous Angel of the North in Gateshead.  “He can draw in the sky using steel.  All of these ideas gave me my big idea” Diarmuid says as he shows us the images on the screen.

THE BIG IDEA

Diarmuid has a rough idea how the infrastructure of the park will look and has had some plans drawn up by his team.  “We are all part of a collective” Diarmuid tells us modestly “The park is being formed by a big team, including architects, designers, artists, councils and of course the public.  I even sent a photographer out into Carndonagh a couple of weeks ago and he came back with fabulous images of the town. This gave me an idea for the focal points on top of the hill at the end of the walk.”  Diarmuid feels that because of the geographical nature of Donegal, people tend to appear to look out on the landscape. This is something he wants to re-create in the statues. “ I have an idea to use iconic images of local characters such as Mary ‘Curate’, he tells us. I have remarkable images of local faces and drawing influences from Easter Island, Anthony Gormley, Anthony Goldsworthy and Mt Rushmore, I see large open steel heads on top of the hill looking down on the meandering stone walls and distant hillsides.”

ALL INCLUSIVE

There is still a lot of work to be done even to put in the bare bones of the project without concentrating on the finer details like toilets and security.  Access roads have to be built to allow access to the car parks and long-term contracts with developers and maintenance contractors have to be found. Diarmuid, the playground group and the Council all realise that there is still a long way to go, but with the enthusiasm of the residents the project has reached a new phase and is well on it’s way to becoming a reality.

Diarmuid will be back on Tuesday the 27th of May to tell us of his progress -THIS WAS CANCELLED

UPDATE 28TH OF SEPTEMBER

“Thank you for your patience.” A soft voice came over the tannoy system in the hall of Carndonagh Community College.

I am happy to wait as Diarmuid Gavin is due to entertain the 100 or so people that have turned up tonight to see the plans for the new Barrack Hill Park project.  I picked my seat carefully tonight as I want to get a good view, so it’s four rows up from the front for me.  Not too close though, just in case Diarmuid picks on a member of the audience.  I am wary of this from when I was a young lad at a Christmas pantomime starring Mike and Bernie Winters.  If you can’t remember who they are, think of Morecambe and Wise without the humour.  I was singled out in front of the vast audience and asked to go on stage to have cotton wool snowballs filled with boiled sweets thrown at me.  Bernie Winters gleefully said to the laughing crowd “Oooh, she’s so excited isn’t she!”  Why the floor didn’t swallow me up I’ll never know, but that was the price us boys paid in the 70’s if we wore our hair long. 

There was a tap, tap on the microphone from the stage at the Áras, then the soft voice continued.  “Apologies for the late start. We will be with you in a minute when the technical problem is sorted”

I remember the first time I was here to see Diarmuid.  I was taking a few photos and Aideen Doherty, (the Community and Enterprise Development Officer) came up to me and said, “Hi Ian, I am sure you would like to interview Diarmuid.  He has a minute before he goes on…. Diarmuid meet Ian, he is here to interview you”.  I didn’t have the time or courage to say that I wasn’t there for an interview so after shaking Diarmuid’s hand I proceeded to come out with the biggest load of rubbish that you have ever heard. “Where are you staying? How long have you been interested in gardening?  And the rest, until thankfully he could escape onto the stage and I could slink away kicking myself for not being prepared.  For that reason I am keeping a low profile tonight.

“Hi and welcome, I am Julia Zimmerman from Diarmuid Gavin Design, I will be talking to you tonight about the exciting new development that we have put together for Carndonagh”.  She begins “ I am afraid that Diarmuid cannot be with us tonight as he is ill, so I will go through the plans”

What……Diarmuid can’t be with us, he didn’t turn up the last time either…..No.  I had even phoned up the caretaker of the school this afternoon to make sure he was going to be here. 

There is a deep sigh from the audience and I am getting the feeling that most of us are disappointed by his absence.  I feel let down and although it shouldn’t make a difference I feel that Diarmuid is the face of the project and he and he alone is the one that should sell the idea to us.  I know it shouldn’t make any difference who does the presentation, after all Diarmuid won’t be on hand to do the maintenance after it’s finished.  I want to be entertained and although Julia is a professional landscape architect and knows the site plan off by heart, she isn’t a famous person off the telly.  I can’t listen anymore as she points to a dark photocopy of the site to show us where the cycle track, maze and ball areas are located.

“Is everyone happy?”  Julia is asking.  It’s the end of the presentation and I haven’t heard a word of what is being said, I am a celebrity casualty, who has missed his idol.  Julia is scanning the room with a look of anticipation.  There is a silence, which is lasting an eternity.  It doesn’t look like anyone is happy.

“Why are the water features not included?” Someone is breaking the silence with a question. “It’s the maintenance costs mainly.” Says Julia.

“When will it be ready?” Asks someone else “How will we stop drinkers?” “Where’s the labyrinth?” The crowd are greedy for answers and it looks like Julia is doing her best to placate them.

“Who’s looking after the maintenance?” A voice is asking on the back row.  Julia has stopped in her tracks. “I’ll pass you over to Aideen,” she says. “She will be able to answer that question.” The microphone is quickly passed over, with obvious relief. 

“It’s the Council’s responsibility overall but residents will play a big part, especially over in the allotment area.”  Aideen is well prepared but I am still not listening.  I am amazed at the power a TV celebrity has on me.  I am questioning why I am interested in the Barrack Hill project. Without the celebrity endorsement it is feeling like just any another design by a Landscape Design company. Let’s hope it is more than that. 

 I am questioning whether I should hang around or make a discreet exit (I should have sat at the back). Councillor Bernard McGuinness makes it easy for me.

“Thank you,” he says. “That’s it, it’s all over. ”  I am not hesitating. I’m away…… 

Let’s hope Diarmuid makes a full recovery and is with us next time……….