On December 6th there ends an exhibition showing samples of native and exotic woods, with 200 samples, would you believe, from all over the world. It's in Carndonagh Community School. But first to a few words on Donegal and trees. The county is one of the most spectacular of the 32, but you wouldn't immediately associate it with trees. Well, the Inishowen Environmental Group are taking that in hand, along with other things. They have provided for November and into December the stage for the Wood of Life Exhibition, but they are extending the annual tree sale they hold in Carndonagh into a huge plan for planting each year from now to the Millennium, two thousand trees. Each year, yes.
They are all for planting native species, on farms, in gardens, in hedges. And they put in a good word for trees or shrubs which they think are more or less despised, in some quarters, such as the elder and the alder. Of the alder it can be said that if you plant it by a river, you may soon be trimming it back. It is a fast grower. Lovely catkins, lovely cones, and you'll soon have the progeny on the banks downstream of those seeds. Don't do it on an angling river. As to the elder, its flowers are not only lovely in themselves, but good to fry with your bacon and, later, the berries go to make jams, jellies and even wine. The programme by the group points out that these two "featuring in folklore and traditional uses, are a vital part of the Inishowen landscape and must not be overlooked in favour of more glamorous species." To date, this environmental group has distributed some fifteen thousand native trees in Inishowen and they hope that every family could find place for a few rowans, crab apples (God be with the days when they were plentiful), an ash or an oak. In their own territory, the villages of Malin and Culdaff, they say, continue to benefit from "a few hours work" years ago.
Back to the exhibition. As noted above, 200 samples of wood from around the world. It highlights the problem of global deforestation and man's dependency on forests. Tom Roche of Tullamore, Offaly, formed in 1989 Irish Woodworkers for Africa and this is the organisation operating the exhibition. Tom has been a cabinet maker since he was thirteen yearn of age. All of this is a fine united effort. For any more details ring Brigid McGonagle, home number 077 74876 or Mary McCallion 077 74596.
Up Donegal! Up Inishowen.