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SHERKIN COMMENT Issue No. 56 Environmental Quarterly of Sherkin Island Marine Station 2013 Sherkin Island – A Local History Coming Together for Henry Ford’s The Irish Group Water Scheme Sector Mask, snorkel and fins = adventure! Dolly O’Reilly’s new book takes an historical 150th Birthday Brian Mac Domhnaill explains how vital Pete Atkinson explains the joy of look at the island’s social, cultural & A public celebration at the historic Henry Ford this sector has been for rural Ireland. snorkelling in shallow waters. economic life. 4 Estate in Dearborn, Michigan, USA. 6 10 16/17 INSIDE Ireland’s Birds Lost and Gained Greenshank in Kinish Harbour, Sherkin Island. Photographer: Robbie Murphy 2 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 56 Contents Editorial EDITORIAL: Getting Back to Basics......................2 Matt Murphy looks back at some of the lessons learned in his youth. Ireland’s Birds – Lost and Gained ............................3 Getting Back to Basics Oscar Merne on our ever-changing bird population. Sherkin Island – A Local History ............................4 change our mindset when shopping. Dolly O’Reilly’s new book takes an historical look By Matt Murphy The Stop Food Waste campaign (fea- at the island’s social, cultural & economic life. tured in Sherkin Comment No. 52 – Plants and Old Castles ............................................5 I AM from a generation that in the 1940s www.stopfoodwaste.ie) is a really worth- John Akeroyd explains why old buildings & ruins and 50s carefully untied the knots in the while campaign. It highlight some twine and carefully folded the brown are happy hunting grounds for botanists. interesting reasons why we waste food: paper for reuse from any parcels that • Coming Together for Henry Ford’s 150th Birthday ..6 We do not make a list before shopping. arrived at our house. Jam jars were set • We buy more than we need – A public celebration at the historic Henry Ford aside for return to the shop for a half especially the “buy one get one free” Estate in Dearborn, Michigan, USA. penny or so as it meant pocket money to offers Sunfishes in Irish & North-East Atlantic Waters ....8 buy comics. Indeed the proceeds from a • Buying more perishable food – often Declan Quigley tells us about another unusual couple of jam jars would gain you admis- as the result of trying to eat more fish in Irish Waters. sion to the Lido Cinema in Blackpool. healthily Newspapers were used to light the fire Oscar Merne – A Personal Story..............................9 • We choose food on impulse. and milk was purchased loose at the • We have poor storage management – Cian Merne gives a wonderful insight into his house door, in supplied jugs, from the father’s dedication to ornithology. not eating food in date order. milkman who came around with his horse • We prepare too much food in general. The Irish Group Water Scheme Sector ..................10 and cart and a couple of large milk churns • We don’t like the food we buy. Brian Mac Domhnaill explains how vital this on board. The jugs were then placed in • Our lifestyles affect what we eat or sector has been for rural Ireland. the pantry, the coldest place in the house, waste. as there was no fridge in those days. Wetlands of Portugal’s Alentejo Coast ..................12 I find living on an island is a great Above all, my greatest memory from then teacher on waste in general. I have to rely A visit by Anthony Toole to the Portuguese south- is of how little waste went into the bin for west coast reveals a rich & varied bird life. very much on the deep freeze. The problem the weekly collection. I think the biggest of course is to make sure to keep a good stored in them in our archives. Compost The Environmental Protection Agency’s New Air item was the daily ashes from the fire in “turn over” and not fill the bottom quarter containers are a godsend for compostible Quality Index for Health ........................13 winter time. of the freezer with forgotten items. Every food waste, but that is easier for people A new website from the EPA give easy access to Even though empty jam jars no longer so often I run down the contents, especially who have plenty of space outside. real time air quality information. raise the price of a comic and the delivery the leftovers from cooking too much. Often recycling is just a case of being of milk into jugs is impractical in today’s NGOs and the “American Rule”............................14 Running the marine station on a shoe organised and having a place to put the world, the concept of reusing still does materials until they can go for recycling. Walter Mugdan on the key to the success of string budget for now over 38 years, has hold some merit. For example, look at how Keeping a box for electric bulbs and a environmental regulation in the United States. forced me to re-use and hoard out of easily we have slipped into bringing our necessity – at time much to the frustration long cardboard container for florescent Mask, snorkel and fins = adventure! ................16/17 own bags with us when we go shopping, of family. That is, however, until the need tubes mean you don’t give it a second Pete Atkinson explains the joy of snorkelling in when once we expected one to be pro- for certain screws, lengths of timber, rope thought. Having a bag especially for old shallow waters. duced every time we bought something. for a boat and then I hear “Da, do you clean rags means they can be given to the These resource-saving days of my child- Angling for Beginners............................................18 have such and such” – then I straighten up St Vincent de Paul or a charity shop, along hood and early teens have stayed with me, smiling and say “Yes, you’ll find it in such with good clothes that are not wanted. Paddy Byrne highlights the role and activities of often to the annoyance of my now grown Since the Prime Time TV programme I am Recreational Angling Ireland. a place”. If we run short of an item then family. Top of the list of my “crusade” is doing repairs can mean saving a journey wary of clothes banks and see them as sit- Rewarding encounters with polar bears in high the waste of electricity. So often I hear to the mainland which takes half a day. ting ducks for mass theft. I would much latitudes ..................................................19 people moan about its cost and how bills There was a wonderful lady at the rather bring them directly to the charity. John Gore-Grimes recalls a time when a polar are so high and yet I know the very same National Botanic Garden in Glasnevin, It is unbelievable how just a few short bear rescued them from perilous circumstances. people constantly leave lights on all over Dublin the late Miss Maura Scanell. From years ago we sent everything to landfill. the place. When they want a cuppa they fill Now there has been a dramatic reduction Our Crowded Skies................................................20 the first time I got to know her I would the electric kettle to the top instead of just receive notes about plants typed on the in the number of landfill sites in the coun- Daphne Pochin Mould on our celestial wildlife. boiling sufficient for their needs. And even back of some circular she received in the try due largely to recycling. Discovering Different Aspects of Reality................21 in cooking, a low burner would keep the post. This was her normal way of corre- Thinking back, what must have been Alex Kirby on finding a balance when reporting pot/pan on the boil equally well. You can sponding with everyone, re-using any the first major recycling ‘programme’ in on climate change. see why I can be an annoyance to my fam- junk mail she received. Since those early Ireland began around the 1950s. Then Henry Ford assembled cars in Cork City Rural areas as engines of economic growth............22 ily! In my youth there was no such thing as days I have done similarly and frankly central heating. We did our lessons in the and all parts came in an assortment of Looking at the contribution & potential of rural have saved a sight of paper. I also reuse room where the fire was lighting and it envelopes with a special label I printed waterproof plywood boxes. When empty businesses & communities. never seemed to be cold. When winter myself. It is many moons since I have pur- they were sold on to an agent who re-sold Glengowla Mines ..................................................23 came the extra blankets went on the bed chase any envelopes or padded envelopes. them the length and breadth of Cork City Discovering the hidden beauty of Connemara. with an eiderdown. But then I was young I also make great savings on toner when and County and further afield. The pur- chaser dismantled them getting sheets of Publications of Interest..........................................24 and the cold didn’t affect me as much. using the photocopier by using the reduc- Growing up during and after World War plywood and fine lengths of planed tim- The Grey Wolf (Canis lupus) in Ireland ................25 tion mode. At 93% you will not notice the II rations still applied, even here in Ireland, difference against 100%. While 82% and ber. They were used to build holiday Kieran Hickey on the natural & cultural history so we had no choice but to use all food and 71% are fine most of the time. homes at seaside resorts, especially in Co.