Strawberry Fest Enniscorthy.

jpb1974

Just had a quick glance at local paper

The Echo I take it? Must check it out.

Judgement Day

jpb1974 wrote: »

And he agreed to sit in one of those yokes where if you can hit the target with a ball he's dunked in the water.... it'd be huge.... people from all around Ireland would show up and gladly pay €5 to throw a few balls.

The money from this could be used to fund a set by U2.

Better still put Biffo and Bono in the same stocks (if you can find one big enough for Bono's head) and I'll pay €10 a throw. Now we're talking serious fundraising.

'scorthy

zerks wrote: »

...Just had a quick glance at local paper-somebody was reading boards...the gist of it corresponds with a lot of what has been said on here.

Zerks, that also occurred to me...O.K. Own up...whose the journalist on Wexford boards!? In both papers I warrant.

...Personally speaking I'd be saddened to think that in this day and age the major criteria for the success of the fair would be based on the number of punnets sold.

Cyril Wheelock "...how the market for soft fruit has changed. Gone are the days when 13 TONNES of berries were sold at the fair which was timed to coincide with the harvest..." So there you have it, not so much measured in punnets but tonnes. It's all about the berries! What those who are seriously committed to improving the quality of the festival need to know is what is the commitment of the growers to the continued 'success' of the fair?

jpb1974

The funny thing is... I can't stand strawberries.

I developed a phobia of them... I think it stems from the days when I was forced out the door by my mother to sit in Andy Wrigley's field(s) from the crack of dawn till late afternoon picking the feckin yokes.

To this day the thought of picking strawberries still sends shivers down my spine... but I think it should be mandatory for every young teen to be sent picking strawberries for a week... it's an essential life experience.

St Senan

I reckon we have members of the local council reading what we have said here on boards.ie
http://enniscorthyguardian.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
So now maybe this will be the Kick in Arse that is needed along with new younger comittee members to make the strawberry fair popular again.

Cantona's Collars

The dawn of a new era for Strawberry Festival-will we get an honourable mention?:D

Bearhunter

It surprises me - given the number of people who go to the county during the summer - that there isn't more of a festival atmosphere around the place. I know it's an expensive game running a festival (I've organised a few events myself) but has any thought been given to organising a line-up of bands (of all styles) to go do a Wexford circuitduring the summer? They could play the Strawberry fair, Dunbrody, Eileen Aroon, Gorey Summer Fair, Blackstairs Blues etc and also set up smaller versions at the likes of Courtown, Curracloe, Carne and Rosslare between festivals. It's a lot cheaper to get bands when you can offer them a slate of gigs. And it would make the county a hell of an attractive proposition for people to come to.

LoanShark

For What its worth..

I'm a blow in..From Donegal But Married to a Wexford Girl ..

We had the same problems in our town regarding the Summer festivals..
In the hey-day we had a festival to be proud of and the whole comunity benefited from it, as years went on the commitees changed and people came in with different ideas and personalities clashed and the 'quality' suffered..
4 years ago a group got together and created a new festival commitee and started to work with a new revival plan for the festival..They fund raise all year round, they have Poker Classics,Table Quiz, Concerts and Discos..They use the WHOLE town to its potential and include all businesses to help with the planning and promotion of the event..
We use the river for Duck Races and the Waterbus for tours with music..
Local Groups also play their part,The walking Club take people out on hikes, The soccer club has the Bar vs Bar, the Gaa Club has the over 50s game,The Local diving club organise a serch and rescue demo..
They have a Food promotion with all the restaurants taking part and have food journalists come down and give their review on their experiences...
The festival line ups are really impressive and crowds come out and show their support..
Drinking on the diamond is allowed with a cleanup crew consistantly on the go to look after broken glass and keep the bins from over flowing..

This is the link..
http://donegaltownsummerfestival.wordpress.com/

I work in Ferns and had alot of people say that they were dissapointed with the Strawberry Fair and how they felt it was slowly going down..

It can be fixed, Just open the doors to new blood...

Mr.Mister

LoanShark wrote: »

For What its worth..

I'm a blow in..From Donegal But Married to a Wexford Girl ..

We had the same problems in our town regarding the Summer festivals..
In the hey-day we had a festival to be proud of and the whole comunity benefited from it, as years went on the commitees changed and people came in with different ideas and personalities clashed and the 'quality' suffered..
4 years ago a group got together and created a new festival commitee and started to work with a new revival plan for the festival..They fund raise all year round, they have Poker Classics,Table Quiz, Concerts and Discos..They use the WHOLE town to its potential and include all businesses to help with the planning and promotion of the event..
We use the river for Duck Races and the Waterbus for tours with music..
Local Groups also play their part,The walking Club take people out on hikes, The soccer club has the Bar vs Bar, the Gaa Club has the over 50s game,The Local diving club organise a serch and rescue demo..
They have a Food promotion with all the restaurants taking part and have food journalists come down and give their review on their experiences...
The festival line ups are really impressive and crowds come out and show their support..
Drinking on the diamond is allowed with a cleanup crew consistantly on the go to look after broken glass and keep the bins from over flowing..

This is the link..
http://donegaltownsummerfestival.wordpress.com/

I work in Ferns and had alot of people say that they were dissapointed with the Strawberry Fair and how they felt it was slowly going down..

It can be fixed, Just open the doors to new blood...

I completely agree with you there,i was only down for the weekend and thought it was atroshis but i made an example of the Mitchelstown Music Festival from a few years ago,it started out small but year by year they made it bigger and better,and now it's a big festival:

http://indiependencefestival.com/

Just goes to show what potential things have!

'scorthy

43 years on the go...you'd think we'd get the formula right by now!

Strawberry Fair Forever!

Cantona's Collars

OH NO! Ban news for all Jedward fans.http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1291926/T4-On-The-Beach-Jedwards-Edward-Grimes-hospital-Ghostbusters-routine-fall.html Hop they're fit and ready to save Strawberry Festival 2011:D btw, where was Richie Kavanagh this year,really missed him-NOT

Sully

Mod Note

Hi folks,
I have removed individuals names from the emails put up here (earlier in this topic). When contacting officials, please keep their names out when publishing what the reply was.

Thanks.

jpb1974

Hi folks,
I have removed individuals names from the emails put up here (earlier in this topic). When contacting officials, please keep their names out when publishing what the reply was.

Thanks.

They never did get back to me after their Festival Review.

Didn't come as any surprise to be honest.

See you all next year...

Cantona's Collars

Hate to say "I told you so" but did you honestly expect anything from them?

jpb1974

Hate to say "I told you so" but did you honestly expect anything from them?

Honestly... 'no'... I was about 95% sure I'd never hear from them again.

Sully

Raise the issue with your local councilor if you feel that strongly about it lads, might be a better avenue of getting your voice heard.

jpb1974

Sure our voice has been heard...

The Enniscorthy Guardian has published an article.

The Strawberry Festival Committee are aware of this thread.

Councillor Sean Doyle is aware of this thread.

It's not a matter of getting heard, it's case of being ignored.

RKQ

Unfortunately the Echo Newspaper reports some events after the fact. There is little in the way of "Whats on Next week".
This year we seem to have a different festival on every week - I can't understand why some of these festivals can't be held with the Strawberry Fair?

Lots of small poorly advertised festivals or one or two large festivals?

The current Strawberry Fair requires fresh blood, fresh ideas, full sponsorship and the support of the townspeople.

If I had the cash, I'd put a floating stage on the river between the 2 bridges, close Templeshannon Quay nightly at 7pm. (The large stone island in the river could support a truck stage this year.)

I'd incorporate a two way traffic system on Rafter Bridge. The Carnival would be put on the Prom, with stalls along the river - The Town Council would encourage local people to sell their wears - food, baking, veg, timber crafts, arts, crafts etc.

In fact shop keepers that Sponsor the Fair could have a free stall to sell clothes, shoes, sweets, soft drinks, toys, DVD's, hardware, etc. Business people & Itinerants could also hire a low rent stall.

This would mean the Old Bridge & Templeshannon Quay would be used for seating - great view from the Old Bridge. Passing traffic would see the festival was on and might stop in the town.

The Fair would straddle both sides of the river, in the heart of the town.
All year fund raising would be required and lots of the ideas above could be used to put the Fair back on the map.:)

Cantona's Collars

The amount of locals that think the fair lost it's 'soul' due to being moved from the Abbey Square/Prom area is huge.It was originally moved due to the redevelopment of the Abbey Square and never returned to where it belongs.The amount of traffic heading along the N11 to and from Rosslare that never even knows a festival is on in the town would amaze you.

Maybe I'm being a conspiracy theorist by suggesting vested interests are stopping the fair from being moved back to where it should be-Abbey Square!! It needs new ideas and a committee that won't even respond to public input is worse than useless.

Hate to see who headlines next year-Richie Kavanagh anyone?:(

JupiterKid

If I had the cash, I'd put a floating stage on the river between the 2 bridges, close Templeshannon Quay nightly at 7pm. (The large stone island in the river could support a truck stage this year.)

I'd incorporate a two way traffic system on Rafter Bridge. The Carnival would be put on the Prom, with stalls along the river - The Town Council would encourage local people to sell their wears - food, baking, veg, timber crafts, arts, crafts etc.

In fact shop keepers that Sponsor the Fair could have a free stall to sell clothes, shoes, sweets, soft drinks, toys, DVD's, hardware, etc. Business people & Itinerants could also hire a low rent stall.

This would mean the Old Bridge & Templeshannon Quay would be used for seating - great view from the Old Bridge. Passing traffic would see the festival was on and might stop in the town.

Some really good ideas there!

Maybe when Enniscorthy is finally bypassed the fair could be staged along the River Slaney? It's the town's biggest asset and should be used to full advantage.:)

'scorthy

There's a column in this weeks Echo in reference to the Strawberry Festival and Cllr. John O'Rouke's contribution to the discussion. It appears that the Dunbrody got €100k to fund their festival but no mention, only a thanks from the SF committee to the council for their sponsorship & support, of how much the E.T council contributed. I also get the impression that some of the feedback referred to is coming from these boards.;)

Cantona's Collars

All posts on this thread :copyright Zerks productions,all unauthorised use is punishable by law:D:D:D
Seriously though it seems we may be getting through to someone-The Town Council are gona hate us.Wouldn't it be nice if they put forward a representative on here to answer our questions and enter the debates/arguments of the man on the street.

'scorthy

zerks wrote: »

...Seriously though it seems we may be getting through to someone-The Town Council are gona hate us.Wouldn't it be nice if they put forward a representative on here to answer our questions and enter the debates/arguments of the man on the street.

It would...but that's not going to happen. It's agin de rules!

Sully

'scorthy wrote: »

It would...but that's not going to happen. It's agin de rules!

Which rules?

'scorthy

Sully wrote: »

Which rules?

Well, that's the topic of another thread .
We are all bound by rules, whether it be the rule of law, rules of etiquette and decency etc...Councillors, like members of any organisation are bound by governing rules...keep your mouth shut...is a primary rule. Like the adage "if you stand up, prepare to be shot down" and even Councillors have feelings. Although reading recently about the exit of poor Colm Webb I think decency and etiquette went out the windows of the chamber!

Bearhunter

http://www.enniscorthyecho.ie/news/story/?trs=mhgbidsncw&cat=news

Good old Enniscorthy Council. Talk about it til the cows come home and pat yourselves on the back for putting some funding in place, but whatever you do lads, don't actually DO anything...

Cantona's Collars

Did you see this article,kinda sums up the apathy in the town at the moment-
http://www.enniscorthyecho.ie/news/story/?trs=mhgbsnaucw&cat=news .Why didn't they try and incorporate the event into the Strawberry Festival.As for using waiting on the bypass as a reason for not moving back to Abbey Square is bull,it was there for years when there was only bridge and wasn't as easy to divert traffic with no major congestion problems.They are able to re-route traffic around the town when we have floods down that way and the area is closed so why the problem with having the Fair down there again?

Bearhunter

I did see it. Appalling, I thought, especially the theft from the car owners. Also I notice on the Ache-o that the Tesco development has cropped up again but the council believes it's none of their business. That's astounding. I would have thought that economic development and job creation were core business for councils, but I'm clearly wrong. The council have apparently decided that 1972 was the best year ever in enniscorthy and want to keep the town there. Jesus wept.

Cantona's Collars

Makes me proud to be from the town,it's slowly going down the drain and nobody seems to care (except for the few that air opinions on here) The Strawberry Fair sums up the state of things in the town.

Bearhunter

I wish I was still living there. I'd go to every council meeting and take notes, just to make them think that someone was keeping an eye on their performance. The council seems to refuse to entertain the idea that it's part of the problem rather than part of the solution. They haven't had an original idea since 1966. Everything has been reactionary and glacially slow. I really believe they have completely ignored the novel idea that they might actually be there to represent the community. The level of disconnection between the council and people in the street seems massive.