Environmental protection festival, ‘The Gathering', set for Strabane in June

An environmental protection festival, ‘The Gathering – The Sperrins / Na Speiríní’, will be held at Silverbrook Mill, Strabane on June 20.

The theme of the event is “Bogland, Water, Mountains”, designed to reflect the beauty of the surrounding landscape and highlight the importance of environmental action.

Set against a backdrop where this beautiful area is under threat from mining, the festival will focus on protection of peatlands, rivers, upland landscapes, biodiversity, cultural heritage and community resilience – all of that to be followed by an evening of live music.

The event will also celebrate the Sperrins as a living landscape and a special place of heritage, ecology, music, language and community.

The "Save Our Sperrins" campaign is a community response to the threat posed by plans for a vast gold mining toxic dump that, should it go ahead, will destroy the mountains and water sources.

“It is about building relationships between campaigns, communities, activists, artists, environmental educators and people who care deeply about the places they live”, read a statement from the event.

“The Gathering grew out of compassionate campaigning. It was created to support grassroots citizens and community campaigns working on urgent environmental issues. The idea was to create a space where people could come together not only to campaign, but to do so with compassion, care and connection at the centre”.

“It recognises that people and nature are interconnected, and that communities need shared voice, practical skills, emotional resilience and strong networks when facing environmental threats. The Gathering has become a platform for those voices and a place to learn, connect, support one another and build momentum together.”

Among those speaking at the event is Gerry McGovern, the author of  ‘99th Day: A Warning About Technology’, a book that powerfully critiques techno-optimism. Other contributions will come from Save The Moat, Save Our Sperrins, Damien Devine and Alex Sloane. Resilience and Connection sessions will be led by Áine Abbott, Orla Haberlin and Emma Rotherham.

Gerry McGovern is also the CEO of Customer Carewords, through which he has consulted for global technology companies and national governments, as well as hosting the After the Goldrush podcast which covers environmental preservation and mining across Ireland.

Tickets are free and available through Eventbrite. The organisers encourage people to book in advance, so that plans can be accurately made for walks, workshops, food and camping.

The programme of workshops runs from 10:30 until 5pm with dinner and live music afterwards.