Archive for category: Uncategorised

Happy caterpillars feeding on nettle at the garden perimeter.

Biodiversity in the garden – April / May

/in , , , /by

Mud Island Community Garden Biodiversity Action Group (BAG) met for the 1st time on Sat April 18th. We shared a sense of collective hope from taking positive action to promote biodiversity, a strong interest to learn more about what we can do, and some initial ideas:

“I am doing a biodiversity course right now; situation seems quite depressing, we need some positive actions to balance it.”

“I removed my lawn and planted shrubs, at first it was for convenience and ease of maintenance, but now it’s become a mini forest.”

“Just letting stuff grow wild is not biodiversity; we should keep a look at what we have and encourage more diverse stuff.”

“We do need hope for the next generations.”

“It’s great to be around people who understand the importance of biodiversity and care about similar things; we need to stop the environment degradation, and when needed push back against bad decisions made by authorities.”

“I hope we can create a pocket of biodiversity inside inner city that can we later spread out from; we could also collect seeds of wild, native plants to seedbomb around.”

We had a group walk around the garden margins assessing what we have there, and what could be improved upon. We had many ideas (see “More ideas” below) and agreed some initial actions:

Agreed actions 1. Put up the bird boxes and install bee hotel for wild and solitary bee species nesting

2. Cut back/remove Buddleia (except the one beside the Cottage)

3. Smother the Japanese Knotweed by wrapping in plastic bag while wait for more action/advice

4. Contact new DCC Biodiversity officer, let them know about the group and see if they have any plans and/or supports in place that we could work with

5. Keep a calendar of biodiversity events for the group

6. Place signs on native plants & biodiversity features around Garden (could use QR codes) ahead of the Open Day

7. Have a stall at MICG Open Day on June 16th and share native seed packets & info/flyers on how to sow for gardens, planters & window boxes

8. Group flora survey of margins after MICG Open Day.

We also noted for the Calendar:

Sat 16 May 1pm – Aaron Foley biodiversity talk at the Garden for the Dublin Community Garden Cycle Sat 23 May 10-12 pm.

 

Some of the ideas we discussed during walk round the garden:

Reach out to the groups and companies who offer seeds from local native wildflower plants, maybe they will be interested in collab and/or sponsorship of some kind • Lobby DCC and public services to stop spraying ‘weeds’, and to do more for biodiversity • Start a little local campaign promoting growing native herbs and wildflowers in people’s window boxes • We should do informal (at first) surveys of plants, bats and birds in the area • Learn more and share knowledge about how to identify native plants and invasives, how to collect and share native seeds, know which natives are edible

It is important to increase impact of our actions by sharing knowledge with other MICG members and wider community members via posts like this one • Survey of ‘weeds’ growing in Jim’s vegetable garden (after grasses cleared) • Talk on edible natives in the garden • Host an event on native seed collection & sharing • Reduce grasses in the raised bed beside the garden on walk up to the cottage in Autumn • Plant potatoes to break up the soil in grassy margins • After flowering, remove non-native (alien) plants which are “over spreaders” in margins – e.g. red valerian, three-cornered leek – aim is to encourage more diversity in seeds emerging next Spring • Bird and Bat survey – Swift and bat boxes • Surveys of pollinating insects (FIT counts) • Identifying invasive wildlife (e.g. Asian Hornet) • Learn more about supporting ecological travel corridors in the area • Collaborate with local group that is developing SUDS solutions for planters in the neighbourhood – rainwater goes into planters which are planted with natives • Take cuttings from the Elder near the entrance and propagate to increase food and habitat for wildlife (early Spring 2027).

 

Image taken by Claire – Happy caterpillars feeding on nettle at the garden perimeter.

Small tortoiseshell ? Lots of caterpillar eggs on other nettle plants nearby too!

Nollaig na mBan: Celebrating Women in Dublin’s North Inner City

/in , , , , , /by

Nollaig na mBan (Women’s Christmas), traditionally observed on January 6th, is an ancient Irish custom where women took a well-deserved break after the festive season. Today, this tradition has evolved into a vibrant community celebration, and nollaignamban.ie is the official hub for the festival in Dublin’s North Inner City.

The festival honors the contributions of local women—often unsung heroes—through awards, live music, art exhibitions, and engaging panel discussions. Each year, 10–12 women are recognized for their impact on the community, with their portraits displayed publicly and celebrated at an award ceremony. Events take place in venues such as Charleville Mall Library, Annesley House and Clonliffe House, creating a lively atmosphere filled with music, workshops, and networking opportunities.

Founded by local woman Laura Williams from Ballybough, North Strand, and supported by Dublin City Council and community partners, the festival aims to empower women and strengthen community bonds. It provides a platform for storytelling, creativity, and solidarity, ensuring that women’s voices and achievements are celebrated.

Visit nollaignamban.ie to learn more, nominate inspiring women, and join the festivities on January 6th. Together, let’s keep this cherished tradition alive while uplifting the women who shape our communities.

And congratulations to our Chairperson, Nathalie Crowley who is celebrated this year. We celebrated Maeve Foreman and Fionnuala Halpin in previous years.

Here is a lovely biography written by Maeve :

It’s good to remind ourselves what Mud Island was like in 2009 when we first started campaigning for permission to build a community garden on the council owned derelict site in Newcomen Court.  Nathalie was involved from the beginning, pictured here with her son Max 3rd from left.  He’s now just finished university!  While always a member of Mud Island, Nathalie eventually joined the committee and became its chairperson in 2023

She’s passionate about the importance of biodiversity in the inner city and has encouraged Mud Island members to do all we can to improve biodiversity in and around our small patch. She has led on many innovative initiatives in the garden.  She developed a good working relationship with East Wall here 4 All and Cross-Cultural Conversations, which led to Fridays being for ‘learning English through gardening, then the language classes started! First Arabic, then Spanish, French, and Irish. They ebb and flo depending on the availability of volunteers but Fridays are about learning and sharing.

Fridays have also been about cooking – Nathalie loves cooking and cooking from produce in the garden all the better.  Many asylum seekers who do not have access to cookers can prepare food and store it in fridges in DP centres to feed children their native foods.

She started our monthly Repair Café in April 2023 and since then it’s happened on the last Sunday of every month.  Sometimes it includes a ‘vide-grenier’, in French ‘empty your attic’ yard sale.  The repair café won 1st place in the Community Environment Initiative category in Dublin City Council Central Area City Neighbourhood Competition 2024, and got second in the citywide competition.

She has represented Mud Island in many forums dear to her heart – e.g. in April 2024 she represented Mud Island on the panel at the ICON Climate Change day.  We nominated her as a Community Circular Hero in the Full Circle Awards run by circular.ie and she was successfully shortlisted as a finalist this year.  While she did not win, we’re proud she got that far!

In her day job she is a French as a Foreign Language (FLE) lecturer at the Technological University Dublin where she teaches business French to first- to fourth-year students.

Hope Blooms : story telling exchange (Part 2)

/in , /by

Presented by Festival in a Van, Narrative4, and Mud Island Community Garden

Funded by Dublin City Council Arts Office

When?

STORYTELLING WORKSHOP | Saturday 6 July, 2pm – 6pm

EVENT | Sunday 7 July, 2pm

Where?

Mud Island Community Garden, Clinch’s Ct, North Strand, Dublin 3, D03 CX37

Cost?

FREE!

How does it work?

Narrative 4’s story exchange is an engaging and eye-opening workshop where you get to “walk in someone’s shoes’ by inhabiting their story. Picture this: a group of people from different backgrounds, gather in a welcoming space. There’s a buzz of excitement in the air because today is all about sharing stories and, in doing so, discovering new perspectives.

Everyone pairs up, and each person takes a turn telling a story about their lives—perhaps about a challenge they’ve faced, a moment of triumph, or an experience that shaped who they are. The participants have to listen really well, as later back in the circle they will tell their partner’s story as if it happened to them. It’s a day of connection, empathy, and learning about others in ways you might never have imagined.

It’s more than just repeating words; it’s about truly understanding another person’s journey and seeing the world from their perspective.

Through this process, everyone gains a deeper appreciation for the unique stories that make us who we are. It’s not just about listening—it’s about embracing the differences and similarities that connect us all. It’s a fun, informative, and heartwarming way to bridge gaps and build a stronger community, one story at a time.

The day following the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to tell a story on the Festival in a Van stage as part of a celebratory event. If you’d prefer to just take part in the workshop, that’s OK too! We are happy for you to do whatever you feel comfortable with.

Who should take part?

EVERYONE! We would love to hear from people from all backgrounds and walks of life. No matter who you are or where you come from, we believe that you have a unique and important story to tell. Narrative4 will help you to tell yours. Our main goal is to have fun and get to know each other better.

The workshop is capped at 14 people, so we encourage you to sign up in advance so we know you’re coming. To sign up, contact Elizabeth at director@festivalinavan.com before Fri 28 June

Five Lamps Arts Festival + Spring Market = day of fun at Mudisland!!

/in , , , /by

This year, Mud Island’s popular Spring Fair will be on Saturday 25th March from 12 to 6 pm- we’ll have a wonderful array of local Arts & Crafts, Artisan Products and Mud Island Merc for sale and it will be a perfect opportunity to support the garden and local producers. The Cottage Cafe, also a great source of income for the garden, will be selling teas, coffees and delicious home baked treats. If you’d like to volunteer an hour or two of your time to help out in the cafe, please let us know at mudislandcommunitygarden@gmail.com and we will be in touch.
We’re also delighted to be collaborating again with the Five Lamps Arts Festival – they’ll be hosting events in the garden from 10 am!
10 to 2 pm – Imagination Playground – for 3 to 12 year olds (or anyone who wants to nourish their inner child!). It’s a ‘breakthrough play space concept designed to encourage child-directed free play, using large blue foam blocks of various shapes, chutes, balls, connectors and more“.
2 to 3 pm – Ceoltoiri Cluain Tarbh band – traditional Irish music
3 to 4 pm – Cikada Circus – two acrobats welcome you into a world that yo-yos between harmonious and the absurd, where lines are blurred between humans and nature…
We look forward to seeing you in the garden on the 25th!

Why not can check out the rest of the Five Lamps Arts Festival?

HERE

Midi Festival Video

/in /by
Read more