Olympic boxer to launch new children's book in Tullamore
A children's book which was inspired by a novel peatland conservation project undertaken by Tullamore and Birr Lions Club is set to be officially launched as part of the Hullabaloo! Offaly Children's Arts Festival tomorrow afternoon (Thursday, October 31).
The launch of 'The Birds, the Bees and the Bogs' which was written by Midlands-based children's author, Dolores Keaveney, will be performed in the Esker Arts Centre in Tullamore at 2pm tomorrow by Olympic boxer and Team Ireland athlete, Grainne Walsh, who has also written a testimonial for the new book.
The book tells the beautiful story of a busy bee's adventure with a mighty lion on a bog in the heart of Ireland.
With the help of some magic pollen dust, the bee brings the lion on a magical journey all the way from the plains of Africa to Clonbeale More Bog in Offaly.
During this adventure, the lion learns how bogs were formed and how important they are. The bee explains to the lion how causing damage to our bogs can badly affect our climate. Luckily, many of these bogs can be restored which will be a big help to our world in the future.
Tullamore Lions Club, which received financial assistance from Offaly County Council and Creative Ireland towards the production costs of the book, is hoping that the adventures of the lion in an Irish bog will raise awareness of sustainable life practices and inspire today’s youth to become guardians of the environment in the future
The Lions Club is donating copies of the book to every primary school across Offaly as a means of spreading the message about climate change and biodiversity and the important role that our bogs play in this.
The book, which is beautifully written and illustrated by Dolores Keaveney, will also be available for sale, at €9.99 per copy, in local bookshops, and would make an ideal Christmas gift.
The book project was inspired by an a Peatlands Conservation Project undertaken by members of Tullamore and Birr Lions Club members, in collaboration with the Grennan family. Phase One of which is currently being completed at Clonbeale More Bog near Rath.
Brian Gorman and his team from Gorman Earthworks are implementing a series of conservation measures that will reduce the carbon emissions from the site and significantly improve the biodiversity of Clonbeale More.
Completing this phase of the project is the culmination of 18 months of preparation. During that time the Clonbeale More Peatland Conservation Group was formed to manage the project and a feasibility study was carried out by Blackthorn Ecology.
Earlier this year, an application to the Community Climate Action Fund via Offaly County Council, for the necessary funding to complete the plan was successful.
The conservation measures being implemented include building peat dams, peat bunds, and plastic dams to stabilise the water table across the site and the removal of invasive rhododendron. When these measures are completed, Clonbeale More has the potential to return to Active Raised Bog status which will provide carbon and biodiversity benefits into the future.