Politics

Politics festival provides lots of food for thought

Plenty to whet appetite at Limerick’s inaugural Spring Festival of Politics and Ideas

“We get to vote in the Euro elections once every five years, but every week we get to vote with our money and we get to support local growers.” Photograph: Frank Miller/The Irish Times
“We get to vote in the Euro elections once every five years, but every week we get to vote with our money and we get to support local growers.” Photograph: Frank Miller/The Irish Times
Kathryn Hayes
Sun Apr 13 2014 - 20:23

From climate change to food shortages, there was plenty to whet the intellectual appetite at Limerick’s inaugural Spring Festival of Politics and Ideas.

This was the city’s first year of the five-day festival, which invited citizens and guest speakers to delve deeper into the political structures and systems that influence our lives.

The ancient Milk Market was the venue for a lively debate on Saturday, which highlighted the importance of supporting home growers.

Mairead Lavery, editor of Irish Country Living, described food politics as "the most important politics in the world", while food writer and historian Frank Armstrong highlighted the need to focus on the fact that two billion people in the world were overweight.

READ SOME MORE

“We need to address the issue of pathological overeating and the issue of distributing the resources of the planet.”

Lisa Duncan, project manager of Irish Seed Savers, and Jim McNamara, from Dromcollogher Organic College, focused on the need to support local growers. "We get to vote in the Euro elections once every five years, but every week we get to vote with our money and we get to support local growers," said Mr McNamara.

Over 15 volunteers were involved in making the festival happen and among the highlight was Saturday evening's Limerick Spring Assembly, chaired by broadcaster Vincent Brown.

More than 150 people attended the event, which saw 11 motions put to the floor including the use of social media in politics and Ireland’s tax haven status.

The festival concluded with a Speakers Corner on Thomas/Anne Street, otherwise known as the Limerick’s “urban garden”, where locals were invited to randomly discuss whatever was on their mind.

“Limerick has a long tradition of political activism and has played a leading role in the development of the Irish State. However, many citizens feel disconnected from politics,” explained festival co-ordinator Jennifer Moroney-Ward.

“The level of engagement over the last few days was really high - every event was sold out. People are interested in engaging, so you have got to find what connects people to politics and then they are engaged.”