Back in Jan 2007 a thread was started on an Irish forum that was the germination of what is now known as the Irish Bushcraft Club. While there are many people on there that have had some involvement in the formation of the club as we know it, and we thank them all, there would not have been any club without Donal Carroll. I know he wont thank me for this but as he is heading to Canada on Tuesday I reckon I am safe...
Donal, as has been said before by others, is one of those rare people who actually does what he says he is going to do. There was a general consensus in Ireland that our chosen hobby needed to be organised into a formal organisation so as to be accepted into mainstream outdoor pursuits. Through Donals persistence, the club became an official associate of Mountaineering Ireland in 2008. This has given us the ability to approach landowners and government bodies alike, with the legitimacy that Mountaineering Ireland gives us, so that we could pursue our hobby in areas that would have been inaccessible to us in the past. I think that it is fair to say that Bushcraft in Ireland would have remained an underground activity without Donals determination and persistence. An activity that may have once been regarded with some suspicion is now photographed and recorded on a public forum thanks to Donal and BCUK etc. and is generating more legitimate interest than ever. This is to Donals credit.
I think it was fitting that on Donals last Irish Bushcraft Club meet for now, in Cavan, over the weekend, that we had a particularly impressive turn out of experienced as well as potential new members to the club. At this meet Donal handed over the keys to the woods to our new President ... duly elected etc ...
Who I am sure will introduce himself over time
but this post is about saying thanks and farewell to Donal and Maire who will be missed by their friends.
Im sure I wont be alone in wishing ye both a safe journey and a great time away on your travels. Ye will both be missed and we look forward to seeing ye both again soon...
Take care
Andrew
PS .... Its our Club now
Donal, as has been said before by others, is one of those rare people who actually does what he says he is going to do. There was a general consensus in Ireland that our chosen hobby needed to be organised into a formal organisation so as to be accepted into mainstream outdoor pursuits. Through Donals persistence, the club became an official associate of Mountaineering Ireland in 2008. This has given us the ability to approach landowners and government bodies alike, with the legitimacy that Mountaineering Ireland gives us, so that we could pursue our hobby in areas that would have been inaccessible to us in the past. I think that it is fair to say that Bushcraft in Ireland would have remained an underground activity without Donals determination and persistence. An activity that may have once been regarded with some suspicion is now photographed and recorded on a public forum thanks to Donal and BCUK etc. and is generating more legitimate interest than ever. This is to Donals credit.
I think it was fitting that on Donals last Irish Bushcraft Club meet for now, in Cavan, over the weekend, that we had a particularly impressive turn out of experienced as well as potential new members to the club. At this meet Donal handed over the keys to the woods to our new President ... duly elected etc ...
Im sure I wont be alone in wishing ye both a safe journey and a great time away on your travels. Ye will both be missed and we look forward to seeing ye both again soon...
Take care
Andrew
PS .... Its our Club now
