Irish Cycling Campaign was well represented at the Climate and Environment hustings held earlier today (Wed 20 November) at the Royal Irish Academy on Dawson Street in Dublin. Dr. Mike McKillen, Colm Ryder and Dr. Damien Ó Tuama attended wearing ICC hats.
The Labour Party, by their Leader Deputy Ivana Bacik
Sinn Féin, by Deputy Darren O’Rourke
Green Party, by Senator Pippa Hackett
Fine Gael, by Deputy Hildegarde Naughton
People Before Profit-Solidarity, by Deputy Paul Murphy
Fianna Fáíl, by Deputy Thomas Byrne
Social Democrats, by Jennifer Whitmore
There was some reference to transport in the contributions, but not a huge amount. Both Ivana Bacik and Darren O’Rourke referred respectively to The Labour Party’s and Sinn Féin’s commitments to public transport, while Pippa Hackett referred to the current Programme for Government’s commitment of the spend ratio of 2:1 for public transport projects versus new roads. Deputy Naughton mentioned her own role in initiating the current Safe Routes to Schools projects. Much of the debate centred on retrofitting, carbon taxes, the Nature Restoration Law, data centres and LNG (Liquefied natural gas).
A YouTube recording of the event can be viewed here:
Irish Cycling Campaign is currently examining all the parties’ manifestos with a view to producing an analysis over the coming days. We will be reporting on this on the Irish Cycling Campaign website here. Watch this space.
In short though, we know that Ireland is still not on track to stay within our national carbon budgets or our EU commitments for 2030. All of the political parties will need to radically up their games if we are to rapidly reduce emission from transport.
Be with us in Ensuring Ireland’s Bike Riders are Lit Up this Winter!
Winter is upon us again and the dark evenings have drawn in. So it’s time to ensure that your bike, and other cyclists are lit up and legally compliant these winter nights!
So come on out and help your local cycle campaigners distribute bike lights over the coming weeks. It’s also a chance to meet fellow campaign members and encourage voters before the upcoming election! This is also an opportunity to encourage people to support and join the Irish Cycling Campaign – https://cyclist.ie/join/!
So why not join us on one of these nights in November!? Check out locally when it is happening via your local Cycling Campaign website or social media pages or via updates below on this webpage!
A BIG thanks for the bike lights’ supply from the NTA and the RSA, and for the support of Cyclone Couriers in distributing the lights countrywide!
The Bike Circus, Clonakilty (Co Cork) – see https://clonakiltybicyclefestival.org/bikecircus/ – will have sets of winter bike lights available Fridays and Saturdays for the month of November. Come by between 10-3pm to have your bike safety-checked and we will provide free lights to bikes that need them until we run out of stock!
The hosts of the previous Erasmus+ Generations Cycling for Inclusion and Climate Action project trips that Irish Cycling Campaign took part in set incredibly high standards with their stimulating programmes and by looking after their guests so well, so we were a little nervous in ICC in devising a Dublin programme that could match the quality of the previous ones. We were keen to ensure that everyone had rich and educational experiences of our capital city and surrounds.
But with the help of many fabulous volunteers from ICC – and, in particular, members of our Local Group, Dublin Cycling Campaign – we assembled a diverse programme that responded to the four big themes of the project: climate action, sustainable transport, social inclusion and intergenerational collaborations.
In this article, four of our active volunteers – Damien, Allison, Phil and Hugh – each provide a summary of the four core days of the programme, with further inputs and photographs shared by other ICC members.
There are many to thank for their support with the programme, but we wish to pay a special thanks to the Lord Mayor of Dublin, James Geoghegan, for his warm welcome to the city, and also to the staff of Dublin City Council for the loan of their Cycling Without Age trishaw which made a massive difference in terms of making our events fully inclusive for all of the Erasmus participants.
Friday 11 Oct [Damien Ó Tuama and Allison Roberts]
The Tailors’ Hall Session The Dublin leg kicked off in the lovely Tailors’ Hall on Back Lane after the visitors walked (and wheeled) their way over from the Generator Hostel on Smithfield Square where the group of 45 persons stayed.
Mairéad Forsythe, Chairperson of Irish Cycling Campaign, gave the formal welcome on behalf of ICC. She was followed by ICC’s National Cycling Coordinator, Damien Ó Tuama, who shared some of the history of the 300+ year old Tailors’ Hall, and introduced the group to the work of An Taisce and Irish Cycling Campaign. He also gave the group some insights into what’s happening with the Active Travel plans in Dublin City, and into the latest news on the development of the capital’s cycle facilities (as shown on the map below, kindly provided by the City Council).
Hugh and Chifly with the latest iteration of the Dublin City Cycle Network map
Following this local scene setting, each of the six partner organisations who had travelled to Dublin gave a mini-update on the latest news from their cities and towns.
Students from IES Alhama introducing their school and the latest news from Corella
Crucial to any visitor landing into Ireland is getting a grasp of the local lingo, and Hugh Raftery from Dublin Cycling Campaign shared some essential Hiberno-English phrases and descriptors of the Irish weather as shown here.
Hugh with the first of his posters listing the essential descriptors for the types of rainy conditions that students might encounter on their trip
The morning session concluded with two very interesting presentations which responded squarely to two of the overarching themes of the project.
Firstly, Przemek and Greg from Merchants Quay Ireland spoke to the students and the teachers about the work their organisation does. In essence, Merchants Quay Ireland, a registered charity that supports people affected by homelessness and addiction, offers food, advice, health care, mental health support and addiction services. It offers accessible and effective services in a non-judgemental and compassionate way.
The second mini-workshop was delivered by Solene from Voice, an Irish environmental charity that empowers individuals and local communities to take positive action to conserve our natural resources. Solene, pictured below, is working on the ”Fabric of Change” project, which is all about helping consumers understand the impact of their clothing choices on the environment, and empowering them to make more sustainable decisions. The attendees certainly came away from her session with a much clearer understanding of how fashion is one of the most polluting industries worldwide, creating major social and environmental issues.
Solene Schirrer from Voice
A Walking Tour of the City with Alita Irish Cycling Campaign was thrilled to have Alita Rivero to lead the walking tour of Dublin City. Alita is an Argentinian Dubliner who produced and edited the monthly Dublin Cycling Campaign newsletter for almost 10 years, and has a wonderful knowledge of the lanes and lore of the city. The group sampled many slices of the city as shown in some of the photos below.
Alita Rivera (on the right) leading the walking tour at St. Patrick’s Park – Photo Credit – Biciclistas De Corella
The walking tour included a quick visit to Drury Street Bicycle Parking Facility – Photo Credit – Biciclistas De Corella
A mini-stop on the Millennium Bridge – Photo Credit – Biciclistas De Corella
The trishaw and Bloomin Crumlin’s e-cargo bike made everything easier for our tour around the city – Photo Credit – Biciclistas De Corella
Dinner in Blas Café (Allison) We gathered at the Blas café (located in an old chocolate factory!) for our evening dinner, and were greeted with Irish tunes played by Brendan (on the uilleann pipes) and Joe (on guitar) – as pictured below. Hassan, our host and chef, put out canapes of little breads with beetroot hummus and then a buffet for us all to dig in. Everyone was hungry! The potatoes, chickpeas and salad (and chicken for the meat lovers) were all delicious, as were the dips, yoghurt and jalapeno. Definitely worth a visit if you haven’t been there! See https://www.blascafe.ie/.
Joe and Brendan entertaining the guests
A live sample from the session – Footage kindly provided by Karen Keogh from Newtown School
After dinner, we headed back to the Generator Hostel, where Ari and I were able to bunk in with Libya and Aroa, teachers from the Estella team.
Hugh and Damien receiving home grown melons from villa Maria and other edible gifts from Corella!
Saturday 12 Oct – Cycle Tour to Howth via Mud Island & Bull Island Nature Reserve [Allison]
On Saturday we woke early and enjoyed a buffet breakfast in the basement of the Generator hostel. Ari & I had brought up Clon Bike Fest t-towels which we had just enough for all the teachers and adults 🙂
Clockwise from front left – Ari, Chifly, Margarida, Edmundo, Tono and Cristina
At 9am we headed outside where rental bikes arrived from Irish Cycling Safaris (thanks Marion!) and River Cycles (thank you Paul!). The students and teachers chose their bikes and took a lap of the square to check the fit and brakes! Between the crew staying at the Generator Hostel and the 15+ Irish Cycling Campaign marshals, we had a full team of around 60 of us on bikes ready for the trip. Ari & I opted to marshall the rear of the bike convoy, along with Paul Corcoran from ICC on his cargo bike.
A brief encounter with Luke Kelly en route! – Photo – Biciclistas de Corella
Alita from Dublin Cycling Campaign – Photo – Biciclistas de Corella
We wove our way east alongside the Liffey and navigated lots of traffic lights, buses and drivers. When we reached the Convention Centre, we headed north towards our first stop at Mud Island Community Gardens. We spent about two hours at the gardens, looking around and learning about the project and the various wild herbs there as well as all around Ireland – from the importance of beauty and roses in treating shock (they were used as decoration for post-traumatic stress centers post war for soldiers), to alder as an important anti-bacterial, nettles as an important activator for the lymphatic system, and plantain as the best cure for nettle stings and good for healing wounds and digestive health!
Ari and I are still talking about the man who gave us the tour (Aaron Foley) and how he rubbed nettles all over his arms saying “they are only painful because we have been taught to think that” while he was covered in stings! After we got back to Clonakilty, Ari got a bunch of nettle stings and tried out the “it doesn’t really hurt it only tingles” tactic and it seemed to work!
Aaron Foley explains the importance of biodiversity in our world – Photo by Allison
Playtime in Mud Island with Danielle and Snoobles (Photo by Denis)
We learnt that the Mud Island Community garden was on an old dumping ground and only after years of appeals to the Council was it handed over to become a community garden. It now thrives as a social and inclusive space run completely by volunteers. After the tour, we had a load of sandwiches delivered from the nearby Cloud Café and set off then to continue onwards on our cycle.
We headed north along the City Centre to Clontarf cycle route and then onto the coastal cycleway. This was a great easy and flat cycle – with one good downpour that soaked us all but then the sun came straight out again! Next stop was Bull Island – an area of particular national importance for its dunes and biodiversity. We were very grateful to have with us Karin Dubsky, the Coordinator of Coastwatch Ireland, and Dave Tilly, a very knowledgeable local man with a particular understanding of how the intertidal zone functions and changes. So many birds and other creatures depend on the dunes there for food and nesting.
Ari and I had to then cut our visit short and we made our way for the last few kilometres to Howth for a Dart to Tara Street, and then cycled back west along the Liffey, and onto the train back to Cork!
Bull Island sea shells – Photo – Biciclistas de Corella
En route on the coastal cycleway – Photo Credit – Biciclistas De Corella
Photo Credit – Damien Ó Tuama
Meanwhile the rest of the Erasmus gang finished up their tour with Karin and David, and made their way to Howth for fish and chips at Wrights of Howth. After the bikes were collected, the crew continued their multi-modal day’s journeys by DART back to the city and then by foot (and tram) to the Generator.
A big thanks from Irish Cycling Campaign to all of our marshals who helped out over the course of the day. They were: Alina, Alita, Allison, Ciarán, Damien, Deirdre, Denis, Hugh, Mairéad, María, Patrick, Paul, Phil, Rory and Siobhán.
Sunday 13 Oct – Wicklow Day [Phil]
Nine AM was our pick-up time to be brought by coach to visit Beyond the Trees in the Avondale Estate in Co. Wicklow. The morning was overcast and pretty cold for a mid October day, so being well wrapped up was a good call.
Avondale House and Estate is the birthplace of Irish independence pioneer, Charles Stuart Parnell. It is also the home of Samuel Hayes, a man ahead of his time. Not only did he write Ireland’s first book devoted to trees, but he also realised that the native forests of Ireland were disappearing. He knew the solution was in afforestation and managing woodlands, so he set about creating a forest park on his land. After nearly 300 years since Hayes’ time, many of the trees survive today and are in a healthy and mature state. It’s through this forest where a 1.4km long treetop walk and viewing tower has recently been built and where we began our guided tour.
Photo – Phil Murray
Beautifully constructed from locally sourced wood, the treetop walk has a gentle gradient but at its peak is 23 metres off the forest floor. It’s designed to be fully accessible for all ages and abilities. One of the elderly members of our party who has mobility issues availed of a wheelchair provided by the guide.
As we made our way along we were told stories of the history of the estate as well as the forest and wildlife. Bats were found living in the attic of the estate house during renovations. As a protected species, provision was made to allow the bats to easily get in and out via small openings in the sloped roof. We also learned of the reintroduction of birds of prey such as the red kite and the return of the red squirrel – the native Irish squirrel that was pushed out by the invasive grey squirrel. It is believed that the hunting skills of the pinemartins have reduced grey squirrel numbers and thus allowed the red squirrel to regain its territory.
At the end of the walkway we arrived at the spectacular 38m high viewing tower. This huge and impressive structure – like the walkway – used locally sourced timber and was accessed by a gently sloping walk-way. 11 levels up to the top and we were met with a beautiful autumnal view of the local Avondale forest, rolling green fields and distant mountain peaks. Wicklow’s highest peak at 950m, Lugnaquilla was easily visible in a north-western direction.
Photo – Phil Murray
There were two options to descend the tower: take the walkway eleven levels down, or else take a high-speed (13 second long) option via a stainless steel tube slide. Needless to say, almost our entire group took the slide including our eldest and least mobile member. Some of the younger members took the slide a few times.
Photo – Phil Murray
Following a delicious lunch on site, a group of us went on a one-hour walk around the grounds. Taking us through mature forests, past an old train line and along the banks of the Avondale River it was a fitting end to a highly enjoyable day immersed in nature.
Aroa, Libia and Phil – Photo Credit – Biciclistas De Corella
The day did not end with the Wicklow trip though. After getting back to the Generator, the crew headed to upstairs in Slattery’s on Capel Street for some traditional grub, Dublin style. After the day outdoors and all the walking, their food went down well.
Monday 14 Oct – Lord Mayor’s Reception / Further City Explorations [Hugh]
Our final day kicked off with a visit to the Mansion House in Dublin and to meet James Geoghegan, the 356th Lord Mayor of Dublin. In what has now become an annual tradition, the Dublin Cycling Campaign presented the Lord Mayor with a bicycle for use over his term of office – see the separate Dublin Cycling Campaign story on this here. The group were delighted to get the chance to meet him outside the Mansion House.
Photo – Dublin Cycling Campaign
Photo – Dublin Cycling Campaign
We were welcomed into the Oak Room of the Mansion House, with an extended meeting with the Lord Mayor. He told us about the history of the Lord Mayor’s office. We then presented him with some gifts from Spain and Poland.
Photo – Courtesy of Dublin City Council
Lord Mayor of Dublin, James Geoghegan, addressing the Erasmus guests
A symbolic gift from Corella – Photo Credit – Biciclistas De Corella
While in the Oak Room, we had a “Science Buzz” presentation by Michael Grehan. Michael is a Science Teacher from Belvedere College Dublin, and he demonstrated how physics is key to getting around by bicycle and to exploring the world around us. His demonstration was a real treat for both the teachers and the students.
Michael Grehan demonstrating the gyroscopic effect! Photo – Carlos Isaba
In the afternoon, the teachers and adults met in the café of the National Gallery for the Coordinators meeting of the Generations Cycling for Inclusion and Climate Action project, while the students had some free time to explore the city further. Later in the afternoon then, we gathered at Foster Place for a Bike Disco organised by An Taisce to celebrate Climate Action Week, and the students had a chance to participate on a multi-person bike bus as shown below.
Photo Credit – Biciclistas De Corella
End of the Bike Disco outside of the offices of An Taisce on Foster Place – Photo – An Taisce
The four day / five night Learning / Teaching / Training trip finished up that night in the Generator Hostel with the awarding of certificates to all of the hard working participants, and with singing and mingling running late into the night.
In Conclusion
Over the course of the four full days, participants engaged with each of the overarching themes of the project: climate action, sustainable transport, social inclusion and intergenerational collaborations. ICC hopes that the activities undertaken will spur both students and adults to explore and act on these topics in greater depth over the coming years.
Another benefit was, of course, in forging stronger bonds and friendships between all of the project partners. It was a pleasure for ICC to host and to reconnect with our friends from Spain, Portugal, Poland, Waterford and beyond! We are already looking forward to travelling to Estella in Navarra in 2025 for the final Learning / Teaching / Training trip.
Irish Cycling Campaign wishes to thank our volunteers for their help with organising multiple aspects of the planning and execution of the programme – and particularly all of our marshals assisting on the group cycle on the Saturday. Thanks also to Dublin Cycling Campaigner Miren-Maialen Samper, who herself is from San Sebastian Donostia, who popped along over the course of the few days to welcome the crew in several languages.
Finally, we wish to pay a sincere thanks again to the Lord Mayor of Dublin, James Geoghegan, for his warm welcome to the Mansion House, and indeed to Dublin City Council’s staff for their support with many elements of the trip.
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Note
A summary video on the whole trip assembled by Biclistas de Corella can be viewed here:
It has been a busy few weeks in Irish Cycling Campaign, particularly the last week when we had the pleasure of hosting our Erasmus friends as part of the Generations Cycling for Inclusion and Climate Action project – and we’ll be posting a story on their experiences here next week.
A few weeks earlier though, Irish Cycling Campaign (ICC) was delighted to be invited to the launch of the Shared Island Youth Forum Outcome Statement in the Printworks Event and Exhibition Centre, Dublin Castle. There were 250 civic representatives from across the island in attendance, and Taoiseach Simon Harris TD delivered the keynote address.
Taoiseach Simon Harris TD delivering the keynote address
The Shared Island Youth Forum comprises 80 young civic leaders from diverse backgrounds born since the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. The Forum met nine times over the last year to deliberate and agree upon a statement of their vision and values for the future of the island, across themes of Sustainability, Opportunity, Wellbeing, Culture, and Identity and Equality, with Irish Cycling Campaign feeding into the thematic session on Sustainability which was held in the Aviva Stadium in 2023.
Dr. Damien Ó Tuama, ICC’s National Cycling Coordinator, was at the launch flying the sustainable transport flag, along with Andrew McClean from Cycling UK Northern Ireland who had travelled from Belfast for the event. We were also delighted to bump into Caroline Whyte from Feasta and Karin Dubsky from Coastwatch Ireland (both member organisations of the Irish Environmental Network) at the launch.
Andrew McClean (Cycling UK Northern Ireland) and Caroline Whyte (Feasta) at the launch in Dublin Castle
Irish Cycling Campaign and Cycling UK Northern Ireland were particularly focused on the Sustainability strand of the vision, and were impressed to read the following (on page 8) within the Vision of Sustainability:
The island is connected by a fully integrated, localised and sustainable transport network, featuring:
a strong rail infrastructure, with a rail line to every county;
more trams, buses and commuter trains, and shared community cars;
safe walkways and improved cycling infrastructure;
a network of joined-up cycle paths and greenways that is a transformational amenity for residents and a driver for sustainable tourism.
Further on then under the section on “Inspiring Actions for a Shared Future”, Sustainability, the following is included:
Scale up investment in local accessible public transport, roads and cycling infrastructure for all; campaign to encourage more sustainable local tourism, through visiting and holidaying across the island (page 16).
It’s reassuring that the Youth Forum included these statements in their vision document. In fact, the values underpinning the report and the statements on sustainable transport above align well with Irish Cycling Campaign’s own values and vision – as can be read in our own statement of values here and in our recent submission on the All Island Strategic Rail Review.
Earlier today (Wed 09 Oct 2024) Irish Cycling Campaign attended the Workday Community Impact Awards in the lovely The Lighthouse Cinema on Smithfield Square. ICC was represented by our National Cycling Coordinator, Dr. Damien Ó Tuama.
While the Campaign’s application was not selected for the finalists’ list, it was worthwhile heading along after being invited to the awards. It’s always very interesting to meet others from the NGO sector who are campaigning and working on social issues, and who face similar challenges to those that ICC encounter – eg. raising the profile of the issues and fundraising.
After hearing pitches from the short-listed applicants, there followed a broad discussion on the role of business in supporting civil society (Community Groups, NGOs Social Enterprises), particularly in an inner city context. There were plenty of references to what’s sometimes (slightly clunkily!) called “the quadruple helix” of academia, business, government and civic society. This chimed with us in ICC as our work intersects with all four of those domains.
The winners of the awards were then announced by Minister of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, Paschal Donohue. They were:
My Mind – whose mission is to positively change lives by providing professional, affordable, accessible therapy to anyone experiencing mild to moderate mental health challenges. https://www.mymind.org/. First place.
Novas – a registered charity and Approved Housing Body working with families and single adults who are disadvantaged and socially excluded; primarily those who are homeless or at risk of being homeless. https://www.novas.ie/about-us/ – Second Place.
The Down Syndrome Centre – which provides crucial services to children with Down syndrome. https://downsyndromecentre.ie/ – Third Place.
Some images from the day are shown below.
Irish Cycling Campaign looks forward to engaging in the future with the attendees we met today!
Minister Paschal Donohue (left) and Graham Abell (Workday)
It was almost 12 months to the day since Irish Cycling Campaign (then known as Cyclist.ie) held its last in-person Gathering, so there were many smiling faces and warm reunions at our 2024 event hosted in The Tailors’ Hall on Saturday (21st Sept).
We were especially delighted to have members travelling from Cork, Limerick, Galway, Clare and Donegal and many other spots to attend the event. Some delegates have been active in Irish Cycling Campaign from the very beginning, while for others it was their very first meeting with campaigners from other counties. And in amongst the delegates were several of our Board Members, Executive Committee Members, and lead activists from our Local Groups and Action Groups.
Mairéad Forsythe (Chairperson of Irish Cycling Campaign) welcoming the delegates, with Damien Ó Tuama (National Cycling Coordinator with Irish Cycling Campaign and An Taisce) in the background. Photo by Henry Simpson
For Irish Cycling Campaign, it was a fruitful, positive and energising meeting – just what we needed ahead of General Election 2024 (or will it be 2025?) for which we are working hard to put active travel and safer roads firmly on the political agenda. We spent the morning session teasing out our Election Asks, and received some excellent feedback on our draft list.
After lunch, with Cornucopia providing some top notch food for our delegates, we explored topics such as Developments on the New Structures of ICC, How to Get Members More Involved, and How to Expand ICC’s Membership. We also had a chance to review three of the concept designs for the new logo for the organisation which generated no shortage of inputs and debate. And on that, watch this space for news over the coming period.
Neasa Bheilbigh, Chairperson of ICC’s Executive Committee, leading the session on Membership and Volunteering. Photo by Henry Simpson
The day finished by looking ahead to our calendar of events, including the hosting of the partner organisations of the Erasmus+ project ICC is participating in (as per this recent web story – https://cyclist.ie/2024/09/irish-cycling-campaign-hosting-erasmus-visitors-in-october-2024/) – as well as reflecting on what was a busy and enjoyable day’s work. The conversions continued into the night as we retired to a local hostelry – and they were picked up again on Sunday morning at Car Free Day on Custom House Quay.
The day was made possible by the organising work of ICC’s Executive Committee, and the Gathering was brought to life by the myriad of insightful contributions by delegates over the full day! ICC sincerely thanks our members for attending, and we also thank Photographer Henry Simpson for taking time out of his own schedule to drop in and take some snaps of our event. For those who attended, we will be back in touch soon with some summary notes from the day and will be informing the wider membership of all of the news in due course.
We are already planning our next Gathering, which – all going well – will happen west of (or very near) the Shannon in Spring 2025!
ICC members midway through the day! Photo – Henry Simpson
Note: (1) The report on our 2023 Gathering, which doubled up as the 30th Birthday of Dublin Cycling Campaign, can be read here https://cyclist.ie/2023/10/cyclist-ie-gathering-and-dcc-30th-birthday-weekend/. (2) Thanks also to Jessica and Stephen from The Right Catering Company for help with the room set-up, and for providing teas/coffees for the delegates.
It’s just over a month before Irish Cycling Campaign welcomes the Erasmus+ partners to Dublin for the local leg of the international project that ICC is participating in.
The project is called Generations Cycling for Inclusion and Climate Action, and “Learning, Teaching and Training” cultural exchange visits have already taken place in Corella (Spain), Azambuja (Portugal), Waterford, and Wodislaw Slaski (Poland) – see the www.irishcyclngcampaign.ie website for stories on each of these.
The project partners will arrive into Dublin on Thursday 10th Oct and leave on Tuesday 15th, with four action packed days of activities in between. This will include a guided cycle for the 60+ visitors along some of Dublin’s brand new cycling infrastructure on Saturday 12 October.
We will be looking out to ICC members, and to Dublin Cycling Campaigners in particular, for some marshalling support for that group cycle, and for other help over the days of the trip. If you think you might be able to help out, please contact our National Cycling Coordinator (Damien Ó Tuama) here. All help very much appreciated so as to give a lovely warm welcome to the visitors.
Irish Cycling Campaign (formerly Cyclist.ie) has been part of the Global Green area of the Electric picnic festival in Stradbally, County Laois, since 2009. In this report, Rory Maguire (Active Travel Officer with An Taisce) shares some insights into how this year’s incredible event unfolded.
Nestled in the Global Green area at Electric Picnic, our stall became a beacon for curious minds interested in sustainable transport, alternative art, and community building. The Global Green area, a wonderland of creative installations, education spaces, and eco-friendly infrastructure, provided the perfect backdrop for our advocacy efforts. It was inspiring to meet so many festival-goers eager to learn more about the Irish Cycling Campaign and the future of cycling in Ireland.
Rory testing out the kit!
I had the pleasure of volunteering alongside an energetic and passionate crew, including Donna, Marie, Joe, Taha and Laragh. In the intensely chaotic and fun-filled atmosphere of Electric Picnic, our team managed to put together various activities and a welcoming space which led to lively discussions about diverse cycling experiences, with insights shared about the cycling infrastructure or the lack thereof in locations all around Ireland and abroad.
The most fun and interest came thanks to Donna’s Penny Farthing and Uni-Cycle. Luckily everyone survived the experience. Only some walked away with potentially bruised tailbones, but worth the laughter and surely soothed by subsequent afternoon pints. Donna also gave an inspiring speech alongside a panel of sustainability leaders explaining the Irish Cycling Campaign’s aims, how we work for you, and the successes we’ve celebrated to date. A very powerful message was articulated on changing the perception of those who choose to cycle, and our hopes to create a safe, affordable and sustainable system of transport for people of all abilities.
The feedback we received throughout the weekend was overwhelmingly positive. Many festival-goers signed up for our newsletter to find out more about their most local cycle campaigning groups and to stay informed about events and more. Even those rare few who expressed scepticism or negative opinions about cycling or new infrastructure found themselves engaged in meaningful conversations, often softened by their time on the Penny Farthing (which I suspect may be the key to winning the hearts of the non-believers).
Donna in full flight representing Irish Cycling Campaign (Photo by Miren-Maialen)
A recurring theme in our conversations was the high regard many people held for the cycling infrastructure and bike culture they had experienced during Erasmus+ exchanges across Europe. This exposure had given them hope for what is possible in Ireland, a sentiment that aligns well with the vision and goals of the Irish Cycling Campaign.
As we packed up our stall at the end of the festival, we left Stradbally with a renewed sense of optimism. The enthusiasm and support we encountered at Electric Picnic underscored the growing momentum for cycling advocacy in Ireland.
Irish Cycling Campaign, formerly Cyclist.ie, has been sending delegates to ECF’s Velo-city International cycling planning conference since the 1990s, and we were delighted to be represented at its latest edition held in June 2024.
It took place in the wonderful bicycle friendly city of Ghent in Belgium and was the largest Velo-city yet held with over 1650 registered delegates from 60 different countries. In this report, Mairéad Forsythe (ICC Chairperson), Will Andrews (ICC Exec Committee member) and Damien Ó Tuama (National Cycling Coordinator with ICC & An Taisce) share some reflections on the four day event.
Just some of the delegates’ parked bicycles at Velo-city 2024
Opening ceremony and plenary
Henk Swarttouw, President of the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF), stressed the value of the European Declaration on Cycling that was adopted in April 2024 (as reported on by ECF here). This declaration will impact how global bodies such as the World Health Organisation, World Bank and the International Monetary Fund see cycling infrastructure as an essential part of transport. The declaration sees cycling as “the most sustainable, accessible and inclusive, low-cost and healthy forms of transport and recreation, and its key importance for European society and economy”. Kudos to the ECF for its incredibly valuable lobbying work on this over several years.
Mairéad, Damien and Henk (from ECF)
Janette Sadik-Kahn’s (former Transport Commissioner for New York City) gave an inspirational opening speech. She clarified that there’s an ongoing ‘fight’ for space on city streets – but, additionally, that New York City’s Mayor gained great popular support for the bike lane / pedestrian plaza / bike-share measures that were introduced. She shared statistics showing that in New York improved bicycle infrastructure was responsible for a 49% increase in retail sales; the corresponding figures for London and Tokyo were 30% and 20% respectively. She referenced the cities of London and Paris where, in both places, more people now make journeys by bike than by car. This certainly wasn’t the case a decade or two ago. Further (less obvious) leaders are cities such as Bogota, Bratislava, Tirana, Brussels, Arnhem and even Austin in Texas. Cities are seeing cycling as essential infrastructure.
Janette Sadik-Kahn speaking in the main plenary session venue
Will Butler Adams, Brompton’s CEO for the last 18 years, spoke about the utter inefficiency of individuals in ever larger cars moving about (very slowly) in cities within 2.5 tonnes of enclosed metal boxes. He argued for cycling to be sold as a fun, diverse and interesting way to experience urban travel.
There was also a lovely suggestion (by one of the plenary speakers) for engineers to use periscopes in a reverse orientation so as to be able to see the street from a child’s perspective – particularly in the context of ever larger Sports Utility Vehicles dominating many city streets.
Ghent Deputy Mayor
Ghent’s deputy mayor Filip Watteeuw explained how the 50% of through traffic was discouraged in their 2017 circulation plan and that the city is now greener, safer and more liveable (see below). This came after decades of car dominance where only the residual space was given over to cycling. He told us how new improvements in the infrastructure had led to a significant increase in the cycling modal share (see also below). And that there is a new word in the Oxford dictionary “Ghentify” meaning to improve the quality of life through cycling infrastructure. He posed the rhetorical question: how would Ghent look if the 30%+ of trips currently made by bike were to be made by private car?
In regard to Velo-city itself, he argued that it’s about gaining strength and stubbornness for the next battles for street space!
Ghent Circulation Plan Technical Tour by Tim from City admin
Each year at Velo-City, there are ‘technical tours’ of local places and of new infrastructural interventions of interest. One of the most popular this year focussed on Ghent’s Circulation Plan which reduced through-traffic in the city. The plan was initiated over a weekend in 2017, with 80 streets changing the direction of traffic and 2,500 signs changed within the central area bounded by the F40 peripheral road. The parallels with Dublin’s currently debated City Centre Transport Plan were striking.
The photo (below) shows Tim, the municipality employee and leader of the technical tour, with his diagram of how the city works for private motor traffic before and after the implementation of the Circulation Plan. On the diagram to the left in his hand (under his jacket sleeve), you can see that motor traffic could – beforehand – go from the outer ring towards the centre of the city and onto a central ring, which could be circled fully; Tim’s right-hand diagram – now – shows motor traffic that enters from any point in the outside peripheral road, the F40, is unable to go around the inner ring; you can only go a little way round before being diverted back out again. The city is divided into six ‘sections’ and, as a motorist, you only have access to one of these from the outer ring. But as a public transport user or cyclist or pedestrian, there entire city centre is permeable and quick to traverse.
As part of the Circulation Plan, the existing pedestrian area of 25 hectares, created in 1997, was doubled in size. Additionally, months before the plan’s introduction, in 2017, a 30km/h limit was introduced in the wider city area. The Circulation Plan itself saw the approximately 50% of motor traffic, that was just passing through the centre, stopped. Cameras log the registration plates of cars and fine those not permitted (loading, taxis etc. are exempted) €58. This is a traffic fine, rather than a congestion fee. The photo here shows one of the cameras complete with a warning sign.
Tim told us that in the years since the plan was introduced, car sharing schemes have been ‘booming’, and car ownership levels consistently dropping. Priority has been retained for bicycles, leading to a 50% increase in cyclists in the central, F40-bound area.
Traffic, tram and bus monitoring was carried out 6 months before and 6 months after implementation, and is repeated every 3 years accompanied by transport surveys and user diaries. Tim told us that users still report some delays and slowness for trams + buses. On some narrow streets, cycling is limited to before 11am and after 6pm. The photo here shows the signs mandating this.
After the implementation of the plan, there was 96% drop in motor traffic levels at one particular junction, and 92% at another. We visited these places, and the quietness and peace was remarkable; it must be lovely for the residents overlooking these pleasant streets.
Furthermore, there has been a 50% increase in cyclists in the central, F40-bound area. Collisions and injuries also both decreased. Finally, since the zone is also a low-emission zone, enforced by camera, air quality – measured at several stations throughout the zone – has improved by 32%.
It’s the biggest car-free area in Belgium, and benefits from very proactive parking management. Ghentians are naturally very proud of their circulation plan.
And this is all very relevant for Dublin, of course, where a much more modest traffic circulation plan has been agreed by Dublin City Council but is now under threat from vested interests (mainly in the form of car park owners). For more on the relevance of the Belgian example for Dublin, see this article on the Dublin Cycling Campaign website https://www.dublincycling.com/cycling/ghent-diverted-massive-through-traffic-dublin-can-too.
A photo taken on technical tour showing the covered-over / infilled canal that was contrasted with the current situation with the canal exposed / in place again – and with the old office building now being converted into social housing.
Leading Cycling Campaigning Organisations
For Damien, one of the most inspiring talks was given by Roxanne de Beaux, the CEO of Cambridge Cycling Campaign. Roxanne (pictured below) is one of eight employees in the organisation and they are soon to grow to (at least) 10 staff members. The organisation has around 1700 paid members, but with a very effective fundraising committee that has allowed the organisation to grow its paid professional staff complement over the years. Their mission is to build influence and authority with expert knowledge. She described the organisation as being “relentless” in delivering high quality submissions on all of the relevant consultations in Cambridge, and in developers being extremely keen to talk to them before submitting planning applications so that the active travel elements have been thought through carefully before proposals are finalised and sent to the local authorities.
Plenary session on communcations and messaging
There was an interesting concluding discussion about how we communicate and think about promoting cycling. Brian Bell from Strava, Grant Ennis (author of ‘Dark PR – How Corporate Disinformation Harms our Health and the Environment – and you might like to check out this web discussion entitled Dark PR: how the road lobby has framed death as normal), public engagement specialist Jamie Clark and Sarah Mitchell, CEO of Cycling UK, had varying views on what messages to emphasise.
All agreed that fighting mis- and dis-information needs our focus and ongoing learning. While it’s impossible to predict which myths and stories will ‘catch fire’, we can be vigilant in counteracting myths with evidence and clear communications.
We need to investigate the stereotypes. To include non-traditional cycle users and those outside our usual culture is critical, while understanding the cultural conversations going on: Culture leads while politics and policies follow (although we note that all four panellists were from the English-speaking world!). Advocating without understanding the audience is futile, so listening is just as important as putting out our messages.
Grant concluded by reminding us we need to keep publicising and communicating our specific demands, seeking real political change, keeping going, and repeating as long as necessary.
Giant Bicycle Parade
An annual feature of Velo-City is a huge parade made up of the delegates and local people.
This year the Parade had 3,000 participants with much enthusiastic participation by local cycling groups and engagement along the route including dancing, a brass band, and even a mock ‘anti-cycling’ protest reminiscent of those against immigration. You can get a sense of the event from the Street Films produced short film here:
And with some further images here:
Mairéad getting ready to be chauffeured around at the parade!
We are not sure what the correct technical name is for this semi-reversed tandem recumbent that seems uniquely designed to make for easy chats between the riders – but lovely to see such a diversity of cycles and cyclists on the parade!
It was also lovely to see this piano and pianist bearing quadricycle on the parade
Further sessions
Other sessions covered bike theft (and bike registration), funding for cycling, health benefits of cycling, including a Dutch group who believe and work to achieve “safe cycling until you’re 100”. There were lots of mentions of cities who had introduced 30 km/h speed limits to make their streets safer. There was an interesting talk from Belgium where the Cycling Policy provides for every Minister to promote cycling, with 52 cross-Departmental actions to improve cycling (including getting more bikes on trains).
Our National Cycling Coordinator Damien contributed to an interesting discussion touching on politics and cycling (pictured). Eline Oftedal, CEO of Norwegian Cyclists’ Association, told us to reach out to those with more right-wing beliefs, emphasising the individuality of cycling, and keeping doors open for discussion and debate. Emil Christensen of Denmark agreed that both left and right wings of politics support cycling as a policy, though it can compete with other priorities. There was agreement that we must live with the current political reality. Meanwhile Duncan Dollimore, Head of Campaigns with Cycling UK, stressed the need to emphasise the wider benefits that cycling friendly places give rise to — such as improved public health for all and lower health care costs for society, reduced congestion that everyone benefits from and more liveable towns and cities – rather than talking so much about cycling per se.
Panellists at the session on ‘Making the benefits of cycling an election issue’, moderated by Froso Christofides, ECF’s Director for Members & Networks (on the left)
We were intrigued to hear hand-cycle user Isabelle Clement of Wheels for Wellbeing whose disability doesn’t keep her from advocating for active transport. She claimed that the world of disabled people has been told that the car is the ‘only way to travel’ and further said this was a form of ‘brainwashing’ and that, in the UK, anti-LTN (Low Traffic Neighbourhood) groups had ‘used and abused’ the disabled community in their efforts to maintain car use. Interesting to hear. Isabelle called on us to listen to the most excluded when planning or advocating on transport measures.
The best aspect of Velo-city was the opportunity to network and meet people from around the world, both cycling advocates and officials from local and national governments. We also met old friends and made new friends among the strong delegations of officials from the National Transport Authority, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, Fingal, Dublin City and Cork County Councils (amongst other delegates from Ireland). Michelle Murphy of Dublin City Council set out the vision here of 95% of the population living within 400m of high-quality cycle network. Bring it on, we say!
The central reception area had stands representing everything from the Dutch Cycling Embassy, to ECF, commercial commodities and e-bikes, e-bikes, and more e-bikes. The future seems to be in e-bikes, with more e-bikes than acoustic bikes sold in Europe in the last few years.
That said, one of the main themes of the conference was around the challenges of accommodating different types of cycles and cyclists on our infrastructure. There is is a fast-growing cohort of quick-moving e-bikes and other forms of mobility, but we must not forget the value of slow-moving, non-powered cycles. A related overarching theme of the event was inclusivity – we must strengthen efforts to include those who are less able, whether through different ages, income levels, physical or mental ability, ethnicity or choice of cycle.
Final Comments
Our Irish Cycling Campaign team from Velo-city is still digesting the mountains of knowledge and ideas garnered at this year’s conference. After further reflections, this will feed into additional articles to be posted here over the coming weeks and months, including perhaps some observations from the rail and sail and Eurostar Brompton journeys of Damien and Will to travel to and from Ghent. We might also convey the Velo-city 2024 ideas via a special online webinar where we will invite more of the Irish delegates attending the conference.
In the meantime, you can find more information on the Velo City website which lists speakers, session themes etc. And you can read the daily reports from the four days of Velo-city here:
The next edition of Velo-city will take place in Gdansk in Poland in 2025 and we hope to be able to send an Irish Cycling Campaign delegation there. More again about this.
For the first time in our history, Irish Cycling Campaign formally took part in National Biodiversity Week. The week itself is organised by the Irish Environmental Network (IEN), with their funding for it coming from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).
We received a lovely positive response from our Local Groups when we contacted everyone back in February about the idea of running biodiversity themed cycles. The bicycle is a gentle way by which we can explore nature – and the near silence of cycling means we can hear the birdsong and sounds of the sea while on the move, which is quite unlike the experience of motoring.
In this article, we have reports from nine of our Local Groups who ran a total of eleven events (with further details on one of the events to be added). A sincere thanks to all of our volunteers who helped to organise everything and who sent the reports below afterwards. Much appreciated!
And a sincere thanks also to the Irish Environmental Network for their support in running these biodiversity themed cycling events. It’s great to be a part of the IEN network.
Clonakilty Bicycle Festival
Clonakilty Bicycle Festival ran three events as part of National Biodiversity week. We had a lovely turnout with lots of new faces and lots of sunshine. Photos below taken by Allison Roberts.
On Saturday 17th June a sunset cycle of the estuary was co hosted by Birdwatch Ireland – we saw a baby heron in its nest, heard chif-chaffs, curlews, whimbrels, a cormorant, teal ducks, baby ducks and more.
25 people attended
Attendance met our expectations, and was especially great to have a user for our ‘Cycle without age’ trishaw attend
Always a very popular event and great way to show off the beautiful biodiversity of our estuary
On Sunday 18th we had a morning lap of the town on bikes and arrived at Bennett’s Field Biodiversity Garden where Justin Grounds hosted a special biodiversity themed session of his weekly ‘Stop Look Listen’ event. He spoke about the links between human, animal and natural sounds and the evolution of music and we listened to three pieces of music: ‘Oiseaux Tristes’ by Maurice Ravel, ‘The Night the War Ends’ by David Rothenburg and ‘The Voice of the Whale’ by George Crumb.
15 people attended
Attendance was lower than we anticipated, but we had a great mix of new people
It was a lovely event, one we would like to repeat.
Later the same day we had a family river cycle out into the forest to stop and study the river Feagle. Co-hosted by local river group ‘Clochan Uisce’ (see this report about them in the West Cork People), we did kick sampling to identity critters living in the river as well as doing water testing to send in to the EU ‘drinkable rivers’ database. We also stopped at a natural reed filtration field and spoke of the important roles plants have in keeping our rivers clean.
We had a local man come that was a bit of an expert on reed beds for water filtration, so we were also able to work that in to the event and that was a great extra talk about biodiversity
Cloughjordan Cycling Saturday 18 May 2024 Cloughjordan Bike Week / Biodiversity Week cycle to Scohaboy Bog.
Cloughjordan Cycling hosted a `Nature Cycle` – a guided looped cycle to natural heritage locations in the wider Cloughjordan area. The cycle included a visit to a small family run organic farm to learn more about their diverse agri-ecosystem. We saw a woodpecker’s home in a tree along the way!
Further details to be added here.
Cork Cycling Campaign BikeODiversity Meets Biodiversity at Tramore Valley Park, Cork City – 26th May 2024, 11am – 1pm
The Tramore Valley Park Biodiversity cycle was a truly fascinating event. We learned how the former city landfill site (known in Cork as De Dump!) is being transformed by Cork City Council and local volunteers into a biodiversity-rich park. Huge thanks to Biodiversity Officer Rosemarie McDonald and to the volunteers at the KinShip EcoLab for their generous insights. Thanks also to City View Wheels for providing Rosemarie with an e-bike and for acting as our canteen in the rain! 14 people attended and feedback was very positive.
Dublin Cycling Campaign Community Garden Cycle focused on Biodiversity, Dublin, 18th of May 2024 – Report by Miren-Maialen
The Community Garden Cycle focused on Biodiversity, co-organised by Dublin Community Growers (DCG) and the Dublin Cycling Campaign, was a great success.
On the southside route there were 15 participants and around 20 participants in the North Side route. We arrived at Mud Island Community Garden at around 1pm. Aaron Foley, Biodiversity Officer with DCG, gave a talk about urban biodiversity and the role of urban gardens in protecting biodiversity and how we can help by leaving compost heaps, building small ponds and planting native wildflowers.
The talk was well received and we had some sandwiches by Cloud Cafe and refreshments. Thanks to Miren-Maialen and John O’Donogue from DCG, Will, Donna, Hugh, Siobhan, Christina and all the stewards and hosts in the Community Gardens, as well as Maeve and Nathalie from Mud Island Community garden. A great event – and thanks to IEN for the support!
Gorey Pedestrian and Cycling Association Biodiversity Ride
Gorey Pedestrian and Cycling Association (GPCA) has held its first ever “Biodiversity Bike Ride”
on Sunday 19th May from 11am-1pm which brought together 15 community members to explore and appreciate the biodiversity in Gorey town.
The bike tour was guided by Natasha Ariff, a biodiversity and landscape consultant based in North Wexford. Natasha led participants through the town, making informative stops at several key sites. Attendees learned valuable insights into how they can help protect and appreciate the local environment.
A significant highlight of the ride was a stop at the River Banogue. Natasha emphasised the critical importance of safeguarding this river, which is often mistakenly treated like a drain. Recently, fish were spotted in one area of the river, a positive sign that highlights the need for continued conservation efforts.
Overall it was a great event, was well attended, and we had positive feedback. On the back of it, two members of our cycling group will complete Community Bike Ride Leader Training (see here) in order to facilitate further similar events.
Kerry Cycling Campaign Nature cycle along the Tralee to Fenit Greenway Date: Saturday, May 18th
Attendees: 15 – less than expected
Kerry Cycling Campaign ran a nature cycle along the Tralee to Fenit greenway, the group met opposite the train station and cycled approximately 4 km along the greenway to Fenit and back to Tralee.
The event was led by local nature educators Cathy Eastman of Biodiversity Partners and Niamh Ní Dhúill of Natural Wild Gardens/Transition Kerry who highlighted the differenrt plant and animal habitats along the way.
The event was engaging and enjoyable but attendance was less than expected.
Leitrim Cycling Festival & Leitrim Hawthorn Project
Event title: Hawthorn Cycles Date: 18th May 2024 Time: 2pm Attendees: Approximately 30 – exceeded expectations
As part of the 2024 Leitrim Cycling Festival in Keshcarrigan (see https://leitrimcyclingfestival.com/), the event celebrated the natural and cultural heritage of the Hawthorn tree through music, storytelling and sharing the folklore and medicinal properties of the tree and discovering its key role in supporting biodiversity. It was facilitated by Tara Boath Mooney, an artist, singer and facilitator who has helped to lead the community heritage project and its research into the Hawthorn traditions throughout Leitrim.
The hawthorn was bursting into blossom just in time for our celebration in sound and word of its magnificence. We gathered under a hawthorn tree to drink its precious infusion of heart helping tea. We listened to Tara Baoth Mooney and Gerry Bohan speak of its magic, lore and healing properties accompanied by guitars and gongs.
We then sang the hawthorn together through the hagstones and co-created and spoke our own short haikus in communion as a celebration and acknowledgement of its majesty.
It was a beautiful event. We all hope to do more next year.
Sligo Cycling Campaign – Coastal Biodiversity Cycle to Strandhill May 23rd, 5.30pm to 9pm
Sligo Cycling Campaign held its Coastal Biodiversity Cycle on the evening of May 23rd with a total of 10 cycling participants. Five of these had not cycled with us before so we were very pleased to attract new attendees. Two further participants who were unable to make the cycle joined us in Strandhill.
The cycle and subsequent exploration of the sand dunes made for a hugely enjoyable and informative event. The sunny evening coupled with a strong North West wind meant both sunglasses and woolly hats were required! We stopped en route to look across Sligo Bay towards Ben Bulben and learn about this unique marine and coastal environment, protected by EU Environmental law. Our guide, ecologist Will Woodrow, indicated the high cliff areas which are popular nesting sites for birds of prey.
Once in Strandhill we made our way into the dunes via the Shelly Valley. Will was a fount of knowledge and a great communicator! He explained about fixed dunes and gray dunes. He identified: speedwell, milkwort, ladies bedstraw, yellow rattle, mouse ear and spotted, bee and pyramidal orchids for us. Alas, the orchids were not yet in bloom! We walked up onto a high dune so that we had a view of Ballysodare Bay, another protected area and home to large numbers of harbour seals. From time to time Will reminded us to be silent so that we could hear the skylark and meadow pipit.
The return cycle was as exhilarating as the outward one with thankfully a few more downhills! Thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Irish Environmental Network we were able to reward ourselves with coffees and welcome pizza slices from Bianconis on our return!
Future visits to the dunes will see us so much better informed and more aware of the fragility of our coastal eco-system.
If we were to do a Biodiversity Cycle again next year we would consider doing it on one of the weekend days during Biodiversity Week. Due to the length of the cycle (17km for the round trip, plus the distance from home to the start point) and the lack of a protected cycle route, the group was self-selecting not just in terms of interest in biodiversity but in terms of being able to cycle confidently in traffic. In retrospect, a shorter event on a weekend day might have attracted more participants. However, for those who did participate it was a hugely enriching experience and we are most grateful to the IEN for the sponsorship and the idea. There was something special about being part of a larger web of biodiversity cycling events being held around the country in the same week.
WexBug (Wexford Bicycle User Group) Biodiversity Cycle to Wexford Wildfowl Reserve
Date: Sunday, May 19th
WexBUG hosted a cycling tour from Ferrybank to Wexford Wildfowl Reserve. We had coffee and cake on Wexford quay afterwards. We had 10 attendees and the weather was great.
We headed off from the quay and traveled down a beautiful country lane, reaching the Wexford Wildfowl Reserve. The group had the opportunity to meet either a National Parks and Wildlife Service Ranger or a member of the Wexford Naturalist Field Club. The guided tour of the North Slob facility gave insights into the diverse and captivating life within this Special Protection Area.
We were prepared for more attendees (18), but did not have full take up in the end.
Cormac Mac Gearailt Chair of WexBUG & Georgina Gaul (WexBUG Committee member) www.Wexbug.org
