Gathering

It is West of Ireland thing, apparently, marking St. John’s Eve (June 23rd) as a mid-summer festival. I had not heard about it before, so when an invite came to join a group on the grounds of the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) for a dusk gathering, curiosity peaked and my social side put its hand up for an evening out.

There is an old right of way on the grounds. It marks a route from what once was a monastery, through a little valley, and then on down to the Liffey. Now a motorway and apartment blocks get in the way and so you can no longer directly access the river.  However a section of the walk is preserved and so, in the middle of the city, you can find yourself in long grass with a degree of space that is usually reserved for the countryside. Watching the sunset here is a treat. (As too is watching in it the Phoenix Park, which is on the other side of the river, and an amazing open space).

The St John’s Eve tradition was a point in the year for local communities to gather and say prayers to bless their summer crops. It was a chance to sing, gather and make music. Apparently when the fire had died the ashes would be scattered over the crops to help spread the blessings.

Last night, there was no big bonfire but there were sparkling flares, a bar-b-que to roast marshmallows, and a nice bunch of people making their way into the grounds for the simple act of gathering. It felt like marking something ancient. It felt like keeping a good tradition alive.

We need more of these things in the city- gatherings, communal traditions. My friend Samuel Bishop is a little engine behind Street Feast, ‘a day of local lunches’ across Ireland’ which will be coming up again on 28th August. And in Dublin,Peter O’Brien is helping lots of great thing to happen over in Dartmouth Square in Ranelagh including weekly outdoor yoga (donation based), picnics and film screenings. You can read more about  them here

(Photos again taken with my little 50mm lens. That rummage in the bottom of the bag was worth it).