By Richard O’Gorman
For those of us lucky enough to live out in the Irish countryside or in the heights
of rural East Clare the wonder of nature is all around and within a few strides
from the front door you can find yourself immersed in the wilderness and wonder
of hills and valleys. This was the life of our dear friend Bob Wilson, a resident of
the beautiful locality of Flagmount. Bob was right where he belonged, right where
nature needed him to be.
I recall my visits to his house, usually to meet up in preparation for a journey up
to Leitrim to teach dry stone walling, or to go on some other expedition. Bob
would close his door and stroke his cat reassuringly knowing a neighbour would
be over later to feed her. As we drove along the narrow track out of Bobs land the
sound of birdsong filled the air and the growth of bushes and trees seemed to
close in behind us to cocoon his home protectively.
Our conversations in the car were usually about the environment, CELT or music,
but there would be long periods of silence as the road trip progressed. Reflections
and possibilities for the future of CELT were shared and mulled over.
I met Bob back in the late 90s when we both worked at Coolinbridge School as
Maintenance workers. We would spend much of the time tidying around the
woodlands under which the classroom buildings were tucked, and on hearing the
children emerging excitedly for their break we would retreat down to the tool
shed which was a long shipping container and sit near the doors drinking our tea
and having a sandwich.
From the very first day I met Bob, I found him easy to talk to. We would talk
about the school and its beautiful location, or about nature, but the regular topic
of conversation was about biodiversity and the environment. It was one sunny
afternoon as we enjoyed our tea break that the conversation drifted back to the
environment and the need for some kind of platform for training and education. It
was a discussion much like many discussions we had had before, but this time
quite unexpectedly, we found ourselves exploring the idea of a centre. Then
before the tea break was over, we had decided to book the Ralahine Room at the
Community Co-op and advertise a meeting to discuss the possibility of setting up
a centre for skills training and environmental education.
As the night of the meeting arrived, we both kept our expectations low. If a few
turned up then that might be a starting point for moving forward. By the time we
were ready to start the meeting there were at least thirty people in the room. The
energy was amazing and the enthusiasm uplifting. This was the first gathering of
the founding members of CELT. It was decided that over the following weeks that
charitable Status would be applied for and the process of putting together
committees, directors and so on would begin.
Before we could register as a charity we needed a name. That side of
things had not been discussed at the first meeting and with the paperwork
underway a decision was needed quickly. I invited Bob over to our house for an
evening meal and after food myself, Bob and my wife Rose sat to have a chat
about the name. Discussion about the name drifted back and forth between us,
none of which had the right feeling. Then I thought about biodiversity and plants
and the word CELL popped into my head. As Rose and Bob chatted away I sat
quietly turning the word CELL over in my mind, and came up with Centre for
Environmental Living and Learning and cautiously announced my inspired idea to
the room. We all looked at each other but knew that the word was not right, it
was then that Rose suggested maybe changing the last letter so the word became
CELT and that was it, we had our name, CELT: The Centre for Environmental Living
and Training.
With that, the evening ended and Bob got up to leave. I will never forget the
energy that night as Bob walked out of the kitchen door and looked back at us
with a smile, we all knew in that silent moment that something significant was
about to unfold.
That following week we proposed the name to the members and it was received
with enthusiasm and approval, CELT was born.
Leaping forward several months, all the legal requirements were put in place and
subsequent meetings of the founding members came up with idea of workshops
and Del Harding generously offered his woodlands as a venue to what would
become The Weekend in the Woods. The rest as they say is history.
As I write this, my thoughts turn to the hours that Bob dedicated to ensuring the
smooth running of the charity, from organising events, writing reports, applying
for funding to making phone calls, forging connections with other organisations
which are now affiliated with Celt, as well as communicating with all involved in
the day to day running of things.
Bob had an encyclopaedic understanding of plants and fungi, and sharing a walk
with him was always a fascinating experience as he pointed out various flowers
and mushrooms along the way. His enthusiasm would draw you in and engaged
your attention. He loved working with young people and engaging them in
exploring the natural habitat around them.
As a skilled Dry Stone Waller, Dry Stone Walling was another thing we both had in
common. With me gaining my experience working in Wales and Bob honing his
skills leading a Rural Development Scheme in Scotland, that involved a lot of dry
stone-wall work. We joined forces on many occasions working together delivering
workshops for CELT and for the Organics Centre in Leitrim as well as doing private
jobs.
I fondly remember the stone walling job we did up in Terryglass a few years ago,
especially when Andrew St Ledger joined us, to help out, we were the Three
Musketeers driving up to the site, discussing trees, biodiversity, climate change
and all manner of political, social and environmental issues.
Bob was a colleague and friend to many in CELT and the wider community, calm
and patient, he always gave you his full attention. I know that CELT was Bobs life,
and I do not think he had any plans to retire. He was passionate about nature and
understood deeply the importance of community and drawing people together in
environmentally based activates.
Not long ago, I attended the Weekend in the Hills, such a special and unique event that generates a feeling of stepping back in time to days of old. Workshops that are timeless in the sounds of pole lathes, draw knives with hammers, with laughter and joyous conversation and the day ending in the sharing of food, music, and sunsets. While walking among the stalls,
mingling with the tutors and attendees, I can still see Bob, a man whose heart was
filled with satisfaction and joy. He felt fulfilled in seeing others happy and engaged in learning new skills.
And now my friend, you are one with the earth, trees, flowers and breeze, flying
free with Andrew, two great Eagles flying side by side. Fly swiftly and fly true
through the vast sky and somewhere within the music and the sunsets you will be
there.
Lovely tribute, I remember that meeting attending with my husband Gary who became a good friend of Celt and Bob as I did myself. Bob and Anja were my COVID bubble and got me through that time with friendship, humour and of course a good bottle of red. Met him last weekend doing the thing he loved, promoting Celt and chatting to people round a fire, he was happy out. RIP dear Bob