Enniscorthy

kneemos wrote: »

The origin of the Strawberry Fair.

https://www.rte.ie/archives/2018/0529/966791-enniscorthy-strawberry-fair/

"They expect it to grow from year to year".... Until recently when it turned into a glorified field day.

I remember last year when a visitor from Cork asked me "is this it?" Unfortunately all I could say was yes.
The travellers don't even bother with it any more. They were a big part of it before with lines and lines of stalls selling stuff.
A huge rethink is needed or it's bye bye Strawberry Festival.

The origin of the Strawberry Fair.

https://www.rte.ie/archives/2018/0529/966791-enniscorthy-strawberry-fair/

Latest news here: http://vinegarhill.ie

If you're not happy with this festival,just wait a while,there'll be another one along shortly.

Del.Monte wrote: »

The Chamber of Commerce can't even put a decent website together - look at this mess: http://enniscorthytourism.com I've sent them numerous corrections over the years but have now given up. Horse to water and all that.....:(

The first page for Shopping http://enniscorthytourism.com/directory-category/shopping/ is one of many that takes some beating - and bear in mind that the site is aimed at tourists!

The shopping pages are a laugh,how many of those places are closed down?

Regards the festival,the organisers tried to incorporate events that go on every week as part of the festival as if they were put on especially. It's nearly at Father Ted levels now and when someone tried to bring up the standards they got no help. Same old story in Enniscorthy.

The Chamber of Commerce can't even put a decent website together - look at this mess: http://enniscorthytourism.com I've sent them numerous corrections over the years but have now given up. Horse to water and all that.....:(

The first page for Shopping http://enniscorthytourism.com/directory-category/shopping/ is one of many that takes some beating - and bear in mind that the site is aimed at tourists!

Rackard

TheChevron wrote: »

Re the Strawberry Fair/Fest/Roots/Rhythms Festival, people ran it into the ground a few years ago when they tried to make it a proper go of it, booking international acts etc. People now running it into the ground as its not good enough. You really can't win.

Strawberry Fest got no help whatsoever from Enniscorthy Chamber. None!
Yer man went ahead and funded it himself (don't know how the hell he did it - Status Quo, UB40, Coronas etc) cost him a fortune I'd say.

His idea was to get it up and running and for it to become a thing in the future - there was a big buzz around I remember.

Only thing that scuppered it I remember was that the weather was abysmal - it poured rain both years. Probably lost a fair bit of money with that. Died a death then.

Again - like I say - they got ZERO help from the organisers/Chamber of Commerce.

And here we are now with what used to be one of the most famous festivals in the country - and nobody knows, or wants to know about it.

Only in Enniscorthy :rolleyes:

jca wrote: »

Nobody knew it was on which didn't help their cause.

I made that point to people, even in the week leading up to it many that I spoke to didn't even know it was on.
The Rocking Food Festival has overtaken it.
The crowds attending were similar in number to a field day. Perhaps the big acts should have been persevered with for another year. Yes the final year of that iteration of the festival lost money, mainly due to horrendous weather but I felt it was an opportunity missed to have a decent annual festival for the south east. Other places without the tradition of a festival seem to be able to do it around the country.

What happened to Monday? There was nothing happening.

Thought the idea of having it on a bank holiday was to take advantage of the extra day. Or was that just a coincidence?

jca

TheChevron wrote: »

Re the Strawberry Fair/Fest/Roots/Rhythms Festival, people ran it into the ground a few years ago when they tried to make it a proper go of it, booking international acts etc. People now running it into the ground as its not good enough. You really can't win.

Nobody knew it was on which didn't help their cause.

McLoughlin

TheChevron wrote: »

Re the Strawberry Fair/Fest/Roots/Rhythms Festival, people ran it into the ground a few years ago when they tried to make it a proper go of it, booking international acts etc. People now running it into the ground as its not good enough. You really can't win.

From what i understand its a culture/generation clash one group of people want it small and local based the other see the potential of a large festival in the south east to bring tourism to Enniscorthy but due to various issues and arguments between the two groups nothing is really achieved.

TheChevron

Re the Strawberry Fair/Fest/Roots/Rhythms Festival, people ran it into the ground a few years ago when they tried to make it a proper go of it, booking international acts etc. People now running it into the ground as its not good enough. You really can't win.

Graffitii gone at last - I'd like to think that it was down to me but who knows.

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Eggs For Dinner

blindsider wrote: »

Great to see that they won the All-Ireland soccer title - great stuff!

Re rugby and other sports - I was there in the Principal's office with 2 others in 19XX (no names, no pack-drill!) and told that if we asked about rugby again, we'd be suspended - "No Garrison games, what's wrong with hurling?"

Good to see that things have changed a bit....

Same with St. Peters, Wexford in the late '00's. Players there capable of winning all around them, many with League of Ireland experience, even at that age.

blindsider

Cantona's Collars wrote: »

Enniscorthy CBS are all Ireland soccer Champions. The first time they won it,fair play.

Far removed from my time there when soccer wasn't allowed as it was a "foreign sport", yet rugby was played.
Progressive Ireland.

Great to see that they won the All-Ireland soccer title - great stuff!

Re rugby and other sports - I was there in the Principal's office with 2 others in 19XX (no names, no pack-drill!) and told that if we asked about rugby again, we'd be suspended - "No Garrison games, what's wrong with hurling?"

Good to see that things have changed a bit....

Enniscorthy CBS are all Ireland soccer Champions. The first time they won it,fair play.

Far removed from my time there when soccer wasn't allowed as it was a "foreign sport", yet rugby was played.
Progressive Ireland.

BuboBubo wrote: »

Was in Enniscorthy today, some nice craft stalls along Rafter St, wood turned stuff looked nice (And the ubiquitous Aloe Vera stalls), lots of people milling around. Kids entertainment of some sort in the Market Square.

I've no idea if there's a fun-fair, I wasn't over at the showgrounds. Hopefully it gave the shops a boost.

No fun fair, same as last year. 99% of people milling around had kids and brought them to the entertainment set up for them. Apart from that there was no indication that a festival was even going on in the town.
It's really fallen out of grace,so much so that many didn't even know it was on this weekend. I was down there today and was told that the crowd last night was very sparse. Long gone are the halcyon days of the fair when you could barely move for the crowds.

BuboBubo

McLoughlin wrote: »

I guess the lack of talk about the Strawberry Fest/Fair is a reflection of how fair it has fallen ? I thought it was improving for a few years but seems to be no chatter about it. I think the headlining band is a Bob Dylan cover band.

What happened to the old days of the "I do hope its them and not another Ex Singer and his new band playing cover songs and using the original bands name in a roundabout way to gain popularity." debates.

Was in Enniscorthy today, some nice craft stalls along Rafter St, wood turned stuff looked nice (And the ubiquitous Aloe Vera stalls), lots of people milling around. Kids entertainment of some sort in the Market Square.

I've no idea if there's a fun-fair, I wasn't over at the showgrounds. Hopefully it gave the shops a boost.

McLoughlin wrote: »

I guess the lack of talk about the Strawberry Fest/Fair is a reflection of how fair it has fallen ? I thought it was improving for a few years but seems to be no chatter about it. I think the headlining band is a Bob Dylan cover band.

What happened to the old days of the "I do hope its them and not another Ex Singer and his new band playing cover songs and using the original bands name in a roundabout way to gain popularity." debates.

The band is woeful compared to the "Gentlemen Callers" last night.

TitianGerm

McLoughlin wrote: »

I guess the lack of talk about the Strawberry Fest/Fair is a reflection of how fair it has fallen ? I thought it was improving for a few years but seems to be no chatter about it. I think the headlining band is a Bob Dylan cover band.

What happened to the old days of the "I do hope its them and not another Ex Singer and his new band playing cover songs and using the original bands name in a roundabout way to gain popularity." debates.

The Rocking Food Festival is by far the better event in Enniscorthy now.

McLoughlin

I guess the lack of talk about the Strawberry Fest/Fair is a reflection of how fair it has fallen ? I thought it was improving for a few years but seems to be no chatter about it. I think the headlining band is a Bob Dylan cover band.

What happened to the old days of the "I do hope its them and not another Ex Singer and his new band playing cover songs and using the original bands name in a roundabout way to gain popularity." debates.

BarryD2

Del.Monte wrote: »

It's going to wreck the place. Cheaper to dredge the river and compensate/CPO properties that are regularly affected but engineers and politicians love spending taxpayers money like water.

+1 on the engineers. Instead of seeking ways to live with a problem they are driven to try and solve it, sometimes at all manner of unnecessary costs and with unforeseen implications.

kneemos wrote: »

Dredging and widening the banks might have been sufficient.
The Quay is a kip anyway,whatever they do down there won't detract from it.

Some of the buildings may be kips but the walk along the river isn't and is popular with walkers, visitors, artists etc.

Dredging and widening the banks might have been sufficient.
The Quay is a kip anyway,whatever they do down there won't detract from it.

Del.Monte wrote: »

It's going to wreck the place. Cheaper to dredge the river and compensate/CPO properties that are regularly affected but engineers and politicians love spending taxpayers money like water.

Back in the day, dredging the river was a business and gravel was brought by the boatload to Wexford and used in construction.
The big bank of it just below the "old bridge" only appeared after that area was excavated during the original town drainage scheme.
Of course there were floods in the town over the years but it's become an all too common event as the riverbed is way higher than it ever was.

Unintentional humour - I really should give up!

On a more positive 'note' the band "Gentlemen Callers" just finishing up in the Market Square (it's so loud it's like they are in my sitting room) but I'm not complaining as it's a Black Sabbath track. Takes me back to my youth in the '70s - the decade the music died. A great set tonight everything from Bowie, Johnny Cash, James Brown. Final song just going out now Freebird by Lynyrd Skynyrd.

jca

Del.Monte wrote: »

It's going to wreck the place. Cheaper to dredge the river and compensate/CPO properties that are regularly affected but engineers and politicians love spending taxpayers money like water.

Like water.... Ha ha.

theyoungchap

Del.Monte wrote: »

It's going to wreck the place. Cheaper to dredge the river and compensate/CPO properties that are regularly affected but engineers and politicians love spending taxpayers money like water.

Damned if they do dammed if they don't.....

kneemos wrote: »

The flood defence scheme is going on display finally.
God knows when they'll actually get around to starting it.

http://enniscorthyfds.ie/index.php/2016-public-display/

It's going to wreck the place. Cheaper to dredge the river and compensate/CPO properties that are regularly affected but engineers and politicians love spending taxpayers money like water.