What is the Irish green gathering?

The Irish green gathering is essentially a festival (max capacity of 4999 for this year). Our main objective is to bring environmental and sustainable living and to put on the festival in a sustainable manner.

The market area of the Gathering will have workshops and stalls displaying 100+ stalls of environmental and sustainably living product and companies providing services. We then wish to bring this market to other parts of the country to bring this much needed environmental and sustainability information to local areas.
Think of the Irish Green gatherings a walk through a sustainable community. It begins with finding solutions to help make our lives healthier—socially, economically and environmentally. Individuals along with business and community leaders come together to discuss critical issues that impact us at home and abroad. Organizations and businesses showcase programs and products that restore the planet and all that inhabit it. Neighbour-to-neighbour connections are formed, and skills are shared to empower people to create positive change in the world.
Join us at the country’s premier sustainability event, where you will see the best in green. Enjoy leaders and educators; great how-to workshops; cutting-edge films; fun activities for kids; beer and wine; delicious vegetarian cuisine and diverse live music. Shop in our unique marketplace of more than 100 eco-friendly businesses—everything from all-natural body care products and organic cotton clothing to Fair Trade gifts
See the most recent developments in renewable energy and green technology; sample Fair Trade chocolate and coffee (yes, they really do taste better); and learn how to invest in your community, green your home and avoid products made in sweatshops.
Recharge your batteries with all the hope, inspiration and practical ideas you’ll find at the one and only Irish green gathering.
Irish green gathering is the only green event that screens exhibitors for their commitment to sustainability, ecological balance and social justice.
Irish green gathering offsets 100% of its electricity emissions with clean, renewable energy. Irish green gathering walks its talk: each year it gets closer to being a zero-waste event.
• Everything that can be recycled at the event is recycled. Enthusiastic volunteers and staff are available to assist attendees in this process.
• Event signs have been designed with reuse in mind. Each piece is made from environmentally friendly materials.
• Irish green gathering 100% of its electricity emissions with clean, renewable energy.
• Every plate, fork spoon, knife, cup, bowl, napkin, coffee stirrer and sample cup is 100% biodegradable and will be collected with all food scraps to be composted.

Who we are:
The irish green gathering board of directors are:
Giles Fitzherbert: the father of the Irish green gathering, the man who set it up in 2007 and 2008 with no event experience and little money of his own but a desire to see people come together in a sustainable way

Davie Philips; cultivate head man and responsible for many environmental projects including cloughjordan eco village and the transition towns projects

Feidhlim Bryan: worked in festivals starting with Glastonbury back 1992 for 15 years and then electric picnic here. was involved in developing the recycling strategies of Glastonbury and other independent festivals.

Kaz Balinski; owner of glendalough estate and has committed to turning the site into a permanent festival site and home for the Irish green gathering, a successful business man in hi own right.

Tony O Brien: marketing and communications man with a wealth of experience in green business's and promoting them

Michael ; ecohomesandgardens website owner and winner of the social business award

Kevin daly: marketing and equestrian company owner

with this team in place we now feel we have the right people in the right places to make this happen

To create a festival

To create a festival in Ireland that is going to develop the community values that I have seen develop at festivals in the uk where the festival culture is alive and kicking we would firstly need to establish a base common ground which in all likelihood will be the love of nature mixed with concern for the future of the environment. Bringing together the alternative lifestyle peoples of Ireland and giving them a playground to express them selves and to meet with other like minded people. Mix that with high quality entertainment and you have the groundwork done to create a festival with substance that will stand the test of time.

A festival can be a whole lot more than a day out with music and drink. A festival can be (and was originally) a coming together of people to celebrate and communicate.

The native American Indians always had seasonal gathering where many tribes would congregate to meet and discuss the forthcoming year, what troubles people were experiencing, trade and of course where you have a gathering of many people you have partying and celebration.

The events industry in Ireland over the last 25 years has been one of the most difficult event markets to operate with two main companies vigorously defending their market place

In the last 7 years we have seen a new festival promoter start putting on gigs (john Reynolds and the pod and then joined by festival republic to become ep republic) and we have all seen the great success that the electric picnic has had. The electric picnic is fundamentally a transplant of English festival culture to an Irish location. It is a fantastic event and its organisers have to be commended on their efforts.

, it will never develop a community that will build around it as it fails to incorporate any common ground for people to unify on and has now surpassed its ideal size to facilitate this.

On the other hand if you give people a common ground to express themselves to each other and for each other’s benefit then you will truly see how inventive, resourceful and proud people can be.

How we tick the boxes:

We are providing a common ground (environmental awareness and alternative living) for people to come together and participate.

We are incorporating Irish culture.

We are not just a party in a field but have a serious agenda in promoting environmental awareness.

We will allow people to be free to express themselves.

We will be truly a family orientated event with kid’s areas, kids discos and educational events

There is a gap in the market for the type of event that we are proposing and the trend in Ireland at the moment is that there are a lot of small events cropping up filling the needs of people to come together.

I feel at this point in time we have a unique opportunity to take centre stage and facilitate a grass roots movement in Ireland.

All in all I feel it is important for this event to happen preferably in this next year.

My thoughts

Feidhlim