The Irish Ocean Literacy Network’s (IOLN) latest community dialogue takes place in Tramore, Co. Waterford, this week, themed “marine identity- tides of change”.
Coastwatch co-ordinator Karin Dubsky will deliver the keynote address at the event, which IOLN is hosting with Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) as part of an all-island initiative, “Shared Island and Ocean”.
As the organisers state, “the sea has long been central to the identity of the coastal communities of the south-east —shaping landscapes, livelihoods, recreation and a shared sense of place”.
“Today, that relationship is entering a new chapter, with changes to how the marine environment is used, understood and experienced,” they state.
Coastal Connections – Clean Coasts' Róisín Fitzgerald will join discussions in Tramore on how community action and public engagement can help shape the future of Ireland's coastal environment
The community dialogue event in Tramore will explore “the evolving marine identity of the south-east coast, and the ways in which communities, organisations and individuals can engage with the changes taking place in their shared marine environment”.
“Waterford’s relationship with the sea is rooted in generations of connection, from fishing and maritime heritage to swimming, surfing, tourism and everyday enjoyment of the coast.
As the marine environment and its uses continue to change, Tides of Change invites us to consider how these connections might evolve, what remains constant, and how people can help shape the future of the sea they know and value,” they state.
Michael Connors and Micheál Ó Cinnéide of the IOLN will participate in a “keynote conversation”, and afternoon panel discussions will focus on how education, engagement and community action can build the knowledge, confidence and capacity people need to help shape the future of their marine environment.
Turning Tides – Micheál Ó Cinnéide of the Irish Ocean Literacy Network will take part in a keynote conversation exploring marine identity and the changing relationship between coastal communities and the sea
Moderated by Dr Noirin Burke of the IOLN and the Explorers Education Programme, the discussion will include panellists Patrick Kirwan of Ardscoil Na Mara in Tramore, who set up the Irish Schools Sustainability Network; Richard Daly of Waterpark National Schools, Waterford; Patricia Comiskey of the ESB; and Róisín Fitzgerald of Clean Coasts.
