Trim, Co. Meath To Go Carbon Neutral….?

I got a note on Monday from a good mate Darragh Doyle. He’d suggested that another [nice] guy [and genius photographer] Danny O Brien talk to me. He put me in touch with Martin Tighe who then put me in touch with another photo genius Enda Casey.

So why am I noting all of these people… well imagine this conversation

P: Hiya Danny, Peter Donegan here, Darragh asked me to give you a call…
D: Great stuff Peter yeah… we’ve a rock festival gig on in Trim… with some great bands like The Magic Numbers…
P: But… eh…. Danny…
D: Yeah and its in the Trim GAA hall…
P: What the f… eh… Danny…
D: …..And yeah basically David Mc Williams will be there
P: Hey! Danny…..!
D: yeah…?
P: What are you doing on the phone to me…?
D: Oh well…. you know the Copenhagen 2020 climate change conference….
P: what on….
D: well we want Trim to go carbon neutral by 2025
P: Holy fock [silence] is this some sort of focking wind up….
D: [silence…..] no mate, very serious…. it’s on this Friday… can you drop down… in fact i’ll get Martin to call you…. cheers.
P: who….?
D: [silence] ………………laters

5 minutes later my phone rings…. it’s Martin

M: hiya Peter, yeah got your details from Danny so we’ll see you Friday…?
P: yeah… listen Martin… is this a focking prank call…
M: no. its serious stuff. We’ve got Ham Sandwich and The Magic Numbers and David…
P: …..no Martin… the carbon neutral thing is it serious…
M: Jesus yeah. Sure why not… we’ve got great support locally and…..
P: …..so you’re a concert promoter with a GAA hall and….
M: no…. I’m a chemist by trade and I work in trinity college…
P: what the faaaaaaaaaaaaaawk……… Martin? Martin?
M: listen my phones gonna go dead i’ll get Enda to give you a call…..
P: who the what……………….. [line is cut……………]

But turns out Martin and his possé are serious. He explains that this is a not for profit gig. Although he is responsible personally if it loses money. He tells me the GAA hall will take several hundred people and they’ve literally gone all out…. He’s starting to remind me of the dreams I had that almost lost me literally everything. I’ve called him a mentalist twice already and this is my third time…. And it was at this point that I now understood why so many people had signed themselves up to help this guy out…. 

As I said over on Culch.ie

Ever heard of the the Mahons Carbon-Neutral Stage…? Mahons [as a btw] are the local waste recycling business who are the main sponsors of the event. Blah, blah, blah sponsors etc you say….? When a young man decides to put on a rock gig…. Goes knocking on doors and is [in my experience anyway – with all the odd ball stuff I’ve done I would know] told to get stuffed supported by the local business…. they deserve a standing ovation. Fact. And if the organiser[s] is gonna make a loss…. then once again, that would be my experience, I would know, especially with all the odd ball stuff that I have done…. Then fair plays to The Mahon family and The Priory Inn [a great music venue and decent pint by the way] and also emission Zero.

Want to know more….. I certainly do. Wouldn’t it be simpler if they could just forward me on the press release. I’d write a blog post. Job done. But then….. whats the fun in that. Like the Irish Conker Championships…. I’m in. See you there…..

So what else is there on – apart from transport Minister Noel Dempsey….. ? Noel Forking Dempsey…..? In saying that, I’d much rather Noel than the green party….? Who I guess aren’t going. They could do with the PR. In which case fair play Noel for turning up.   

• Opening Ceremonies: Trim GAA Club, Friday Dec 4^th at 3.30pm. Admission Free.
• David McWilliams: Trim GAA Club, Friday Dec 4^th at 5.00pm. Admission Free.
• Launch Concert: (The Magic Numbers, Ham Sandwich) Trim GAA Club, Friday Dec 4^th – Doors open 6.30pm. Tickets €20 Euro from www.tickets.ie