Over the years a good few seakayakers have attended the annual Sea Week in Letterfrack,Conamara run by Leo Hallissey and his team from the Conamara Environmental Education Cultural Centre, (CEECC)each October.
For those that havent ( most of you, I'd say) it is an amazing mix of lectures, poetry,song and outdoor events, all about the sea, its wildlife, its role as a natural resource and its place in our culture.
Leo and his team also run the annual Bog Week,in May, and the Inishbofin Summer School every July, which explores the wildlife of the Co Galway island.
All are to be thoroughly recommended , but in the meantime, the CEECC's funding has been cut and they are launching an urgent appeal for donations.
A copy of the appeal is below, which has links to the CEECC's own website, and to the funding campaign and anybody who is interested is invited to make a donation.
And if you think the name Hallissey is familiar, you are dead right..Leo's son is a certain Oisin who has given training and mentoring to many a kayaker up in Tollymore over the years.
So hopefully some of you will feel able to help out, and maybe more of you will join me and Leo and all at Sea Week next October.
Many thanks
Conal
Conamara Environmental Education Cultural Centre Appeal
• The Connemara Environmental Education & Cultural Centre has being running for over 30 years, with a necklace of annual events starting with Bog Week in May/Jun, the Connemara Summer School in July, Connemara Sea Week in October culminating in the Mol an Oige Concerts on Dec 21st, which showcases the best of young talent throughout Connemara.
Due to cut backs, funding from Arts Council is axed and Leader will not be up and running till end of the year so we are urgently seeking funding for our Bog & Sea Week festivals. Both festivals have many aspects - a family fun day with great food and music, pub gigs, concerts in the Kylemore Abbey, art exhibition in Connemara National Park, a vibrant schools programme, demonstrations & workshops, guided daily treks across the landscape/seascape. Letterfrack becomes a pulsating village at festival time, where some of the finest poets, painters, musicians and scientists rub shoulders and make magic. Our 'After the Light' parade in Sea week is a spectacular family night time event involving hundreds of people.
We will have to either downsize the festivals or not run them at all if we cannot raise some funds, so we are looking for your help with our crowd funding campaign
We have some amazing rewards on offer :
• CDs from past festivals
• - a weeks holiday in a Connemara Cottage
• 1 to 1 tuition with some of Irelands best musicians
• a private concert with Sean Tyrrell,
• a guided shore walk with top marine biologist for you & 7 of your friends
And much more!
Please check out the campaign.
fundit.ie/project/conamara-bog-- ... -festivals
Any support would be greatly appreciated. Please spread the word.
Warmest regards
Leo Hallissey & CEECC.org Committee Members.
ceecc.org/ 
