UCD Canoe Club
General => Kayaking => Topic started by: Tiny Tim on April 27, 2010, 21:53:29
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so guys im bored of study and need something to look forward to. so im just wondering whats the story with easkey? when is it? whos going ect? i need paddling paddling paddling on big waves!!!
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I don't know mr. committee man - when is it ?? :P
(It's normally the June Bank Holiday which is the Saturday 5th to Monday 7th this year)
Unfortunately I'll have work that weekend so can't head up :(
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Missing Easkey funsies... :C
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Check this (attachment) out, tiny.
from last year.
great wkd a bit boring towards the end of it.
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Oh, you can't see my tent mermaid!
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A fine mermaid for a fine wendy house.
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Nuala has banned it from the Alps....
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How odd.
Must be the mermaid.
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Or the fact that it turns inside out in a stiff breeze...
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EASKEY!!!!!!!!
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs119.snc1/5199_92132639582_835564582_1781765_6365713_n.jpg)
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs097.snc1/4724_87388907522_695237522_1872315_2567654_n.jpg)
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs099.snc1/5199_92132629582_835564582_1781763_455830_n.jpg)
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs099.snc1/5199_92132689582_835564582_1781775_1218446_n.jpg)
Good times....................
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i'm just fated never to get to easkey..... ah!!! I'll just have to settle for paddling in the Alps.....DARN! :)
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how many pictures are there of leighton and aengus staring lovingly into one anothers eyes?......
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Quite a few!
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If you are going to easkey, get in a car because it's bloody akward trying to pick people up from various spots around sligo. Bring a tent or at least bring a sleeping bag. Rain gear and wellies or manly shorts and bare feet. I haven't made it to easkey for the last two years, first time was the fact I was moving away from dublin and last year I just couldn't turn down a weekend away in kinsale in a four star hotel.
If you search the website you will find a few posts on easkey, it is a beautiful piece of countryside and we should try and leave it as we found it or better yet cleaner.
A few years ago Allio brought a trailer and we did a big cleanup on both the sunday and the monday, hell we even cleaned the toilet block. I still have nightmares about the girls toilet <shudder>
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Easkey is savage! Last year was probably the best surf I've ever been on. It's such a good weekend. If it's looking rainy the Easkey I've heard is a good river but you'd want to find someone who knows it.
Yeah, it improves the weekend for everyone if ye bring some cleaner and just clean the toilets at the beginning. And a saw or axe could come in handy for wood. Beach combing is fun and it's advisable to have wood gathered before you light the fire - difficult to find in the dark.
And if you haven't been there before don't go inside the castle till after dark! More fun that way.
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And if you haven't been there before don't go inside the castle till after dark! More fun that way.
More fun for us, not you, more concussions for you!
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Concussion, fun - same thing really.
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Concussion, fun - same thing really.
your gona make a brilliant doctor!
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Easkey is the happiest place on Earth! I shall of course be there :)
(http://i4.bebo.com/043a/14/large/2008/06/09/14/253685907a7977689722l.jpg)
(http://i3.bebo.com/043a/7/large/2008/06/06/12/5811905981a7951010766l.jpg)
(http://i4.bebo.com/043a/14/large/2008/06/09/14/253685907a7977689866l.jpg)
(http://i1.bebo.com/028b/8/large/2007/06/05/21/187781882a4598774200b35098250l.jpg)
(http://i1.bebo.com/034b/5/large/2007/06/06/00/256066740a4599540586b11176569l.jpg)
(http://i4.bebo.com/008a/large/2006/06/19/11/228926675a1134421481b670897695l.jpg)
(http://i2.bebo.com/008a/large/2006/06/07/12/4341576a1031874810b78652539l.jpg)
(http://i4.bebo.com/010a/large/2006/06/19/12/228926675a1134926574b686916510l.jpg)
(http://i1.bebo.com/009b/large/2006/06/06/11/40693952a1022695179b728509833l.jpg)
(http://i1.bebo.com/034b/6/large/2007/06/06/00/256066740a4599557100b272669149l.jpg)
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Awww wow Asho.... good selection of pics :)
Some of Easky's finest moments there :)
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my favourite has got to be the buccfast juggling! AMAZING :D
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NAWH I really wanna go now!!!! :(
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I LOVE EASKEY!!!!!!!!!! It's like ........ just........... oh god there isn't words its THAT FRICKING EPIC!!
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Easkey is actually the best thing of the year. I'm going to say something controversial here: It may even be better than Kerry. nobody should miss it for any reason, including the alpes.
some tips:
bring a folding camping chair or something. there's a lot of sitting and nowhere to sit.
it's freezing at night but sweltering when you wake up. pack clothes that will keep you warm in a sleeping bag, but that can be pulled off in your sleep with one hand with a hangover when it's 30C in your tent at 10am.
you're not allowed go up the castle until it's dark, and then you have to be drunk and can't use any light including the glare of your phone. sorry, them's the rules.
bring a torch.
bring plenty of fleeces, hats, etc. you will be up late, outside, and it will be cold.
if you smoke, bring plenty of cigarettes, the choice of brands in the village is limited.
likewise alcohol.
go to Inniscrone at least once. it's a lovely beach.
stay away from Easkey beach. it's awful.
be prepared to get very very little paddling done. I've only once seen surf there in the June bank holiday.
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Oh bring you're swimming togs a good swim in the morning will make that hangover a hell of a lot easier to handle :D
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Beach combing is fun and it's advisable to have wood gathered before you light the fire - difficult to find in the dark.
Especially if its in the middle of the river easkey in the middle of the night on the way back from the pub, NUALA!
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EASKEY IS AMAZING!!! My first real introduction to the club, Haven't been able to go since my first time and not going this year either...
BUT HAVE A BALL!!!!
Sun, surf, and booze, what more could u ask for?
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Sun, surf, and booze, what more could u ask for?
real Sun and Alpine whitewater?? :)
it looks savage! NEXT YEAR!!!! :)
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some tips:
bring a folding camping chair or something. there's a lot of sitting and nowhere to sit.
it's freezing at night but sweltering when you wake up. pack clothes that will keep you warm in a sleeping bag, but that can be pulled off in your sleep with one hand with a hangover when it's 30C in your tent at 10am.
you're not allowed go up the castle until it's dark, and then you have to be drunk and can't use any light including the glare of your phone. sorry, them's the rules.
bring a torch.
bring plenty of fleeces, hats, etc. you will be up late, outside, and it will be cold.
if you smoke, bring plenty of cigarettes, the choice of brands in the village is limited.
likewise alcohol.
go to Inniscrone at least once. it's a lovely beach.
stay away from Easkey beach. it's awful.
be prepared to get very very little paddling done. I've only once seen surf there in the June bank holiday.
Try to avoid pitching a tent in the middle of the night when your blind drunk and have never had to pitch it before.
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Try to avoid pitching a tent in the middle of the night when your blind drunk and have never had to pitch it before.
Sure didn't you manage grand! It stayed standing, didn't it...?
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I've found that my drunk tent pitching skills are amazing.
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But a popup tent!
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Next time you're talking to Brendino ask him for the footage of me trying to pack a pop up tent! Takes me the better part of twenty minutes including help from one of my friends and me splitting my pants.
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DCU Ken: there's a video of him attempting to put his tent. It's the best part of an hour long. We stopped filming when the camera ran out of batteries.
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Poor boy
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you're not allowed go up the castle until it's dark, and then you have to be drunk and can't use any light including the glare of your phone. sorry, them's the rules.
....
bring a torch.
Bring a torch so that you lose it the first night, miraculously find it in a ditch on the 2nd night, and realise you never brought batteries. stumble home through several nettle patches, and eventually get to show off how smart you are on the third night when ur 3euro lidl torch eventually works...
Its worth it...
and who ever said about bring swimming togs.... SHAME. Easkey is all about the 5 am skinny dipping.
p.s Asho, EPIC pic of billy and those speedos!
(last year was sunny so people went day-time swimming as well)
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ah looks awesome! hopefully i can go. although i have to say now that my tent pitching skills arent the best, but granted i was a tad rat-arsed the last time i tried to pitch one and could only just about figure out how to get it out of the packet. i just kinda flattened it and slept under it-which works surprisingly well actually. but this also was in my mates garden during a sesh when we all decided to go "camping", so dunno if it would work as well in easkey. hmm
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This is why we pitch them when we arrive, for ease of falling into later.
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i think id be well able 2 pitch a tent locked, id say itd be a very efficient job, i do highly efficient drunken clean ups
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Guys just a heads up there are no longer toilet facilities available in Easky, so keep it in mind when you're planning this.
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What happened to them?
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yeah caz what did you do to them!!
(where is the angry smiley face??)
Im sure we can figure something out!
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Man, those toilets were never that pleasant.... but better than nothing. Are they just locked or totally gone? They were locked before & we managed to source the keys, in fact i think Allio got copies made too.
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Ok I stand corrected had a look around today the male toilets are boarded up and totally out of bounds, the female ones are accessable but wont flush and ... dare I say it.... in roughly the same condition as my first year Easky :-[ The toilet situation could prove to be a problem if there is going to be a big gang heading down, any suggestions as to what could be done?
The place has obviously been used alot for parties and sadly it's in a pretty sh*te condition with fires and litter etc Which is a real shame after all the effort we put in to leaving as little trace as possible. It really is a beautiful spot.
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That sucks, it was a lovely spot.
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Hey guys,
I was talking to Caz on facebook tonight and she described the situation with the campsite to me.
The details appear to be:
Gents toilets boarded up.
Ladies toilets open, but:
one toilet has no flush handle
toilets are severely backed up
presumably, the rest of the bathroom is in a bit of a state too
The castle has litter and smells as if someone's gone potty in there too
The campsite has lots of litter and the remains of numerous fires.
It is out of the ordinary to have problems with the campsite on arrival, usually it's just the toilets that are nasty.
So some questions / items that come out of this:
1) Does anyone think it's worth moving? Does anyone know of anywhere better? (the only place I can think of would be Teletubbyland)... if Easkey is so trashed that it's not worth going, then we need to make alternative plans pretty sharpish.
2) failing that, can we organise the cleanup in advance so that we have all the stuff we need... there's no point in people showing up with black bags and bleach but no mops or buckets, you know?
3) is anyone a plumber or does anyone know anything about plumbing? how easy is it to fix a busted toilet handle? Even if we just take the cistern lid off and post up a sign saying to lift the stopper by hand, we should be able to get that other toilet working... I can't imagine 1 toilet for 150 people is going to work otherwise.
ps I know I'm not usually one for being gung-ho about or even participating in cleanup, but Easkey is a really nice spot and it would be a shame to have to spend the weekend somewhere that looks like Oxegen. I'll do my part, I've seen the rest of you often enough to know you all will too, but let's be organised and prepared about this, that's all.
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Easkey is so nice! Who trashed it!!?!?? >:( >:(
I'm not sure moving it is really feasible, given that other colleges and clubs come, you would have to spread the word and make so many people agree.
However, getting in touch with the other colleges mightn't be bad idea to get them to help. I remember rounding up some trinners last year and roping them into toilet cleaning.
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Trying to move the whole "event" of Easky elsewhere wont happen easily... anyway why go trash somewhere else? If its possible to get the facilities back up & running to some extent before the main crowd arrives that would be great.
Alternatively go somewhere else as a small group, maybe just UCD & Trinity??? Might be a good idea as it seems UCD get blamed for any crap that goes on in Easky anyway despite whether its down to teh club or not >:(
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I think UCD has a tendency to overestimate how much UCD brings to the table. In Easkey, as in Kerry and Varsities (and lately even Colours, unlike back in the days when Trinity were douches :P ), the presence of the other colleges and the vibe that brings is, I think, really important. So I would say either we move together or not at all.
Also, we'd need to be moving to somewhere with nice toilets, because that's basically all this is about. So unless someone knows where that might be, moving probably isn't the option.
It just might be a suckier cleanup than usual this year.
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If there are no toilet facilites I would say I won't go. However if we could have some photos of exactly how bad it is we might be able to round up people to do a clean up.
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How Diarmaid described it is pretty accurate. The toilets are there and there is water, the only problem is they are blocked up and one of them has no handle. I do think it's something that can be fixed, and I will try get out there as soon as possible to suss out what needs to be done. But as I said to Diar already, it's really just a case of unblocking them, which could be a simple gloves job, unpleasent but there ya go.
The rest of the campsite is pretty nasty, there was a lot of litter, to the extent we had to do a bit of a clean up to make room for three tents. Broken glass could be a real issue there. I suspect the castle has been used as a toilet, judging by the amount of toilet paper, a couple of nappies and the smell. I cleared out the worst of it but it's still pretty rank.
I've also heard, from talking to a couple of people, that the beach has lately become a real hot spot for local kids' drinking and having parties. This raises another issue because you will more than likely have to share the campsite this June. Are you willing to leave so much expensive equipment hanging around people you don't know/trust? And as Jody summed it up - we will more than likely get the blame for any problems that arise there, and as the 'blow ins' I suspect it will only take one incident and a few pissed off locals to have a big fat 'no camping' sign erected there, like there is in every other beach in Sligo.
If this does go ahead there will have to be a clean up before the party this time, which will mean nominating someone with a van/trailer and taking the rubbish /recyclables to Enniscrone. I don't see this being a problem if everyone is willing to help out, it could be done in no time and make camping alot more safe and pleasent. As for the toilets, if we even manage to fix one, will this be enough for the amount of people camping?
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Given the large numbers of us camping without proper toilets would be a 3rd world experience that I would rather not attend. I say move to a new location or cancel the trip.
Any chance the council will fix the bathrooms for the start of the bathing season?
Castlegreggory beach has a place you can camp with bathrooms and is walking distance from a pub.
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This is terrible news, all good things ey...
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I LOVE EASKEY and i'd rather spend a few grouling hours cleaning up the area than move somewhere else - it would just break my heart to not go to easkey!
Any chance the council will fix the bathrooms for the start of the bathing season?
I like this involving the council thingy - we could haras them and see if they can do something about it!
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Money is the big issue for the council. If it is a case of cleaning out the toilets even getting them repaired offering money to do so wouldn't be the worst option, get a professional to clear and fix the toilets. As for the cleaning of the campsite well a trailer and some elbow grease would help alot. If there are groups of, "young people", causing the rubbish and damage they will be there on the bank holiday weekend and I hated achil when it was full of boy racer types. I'll make my decission closer to the date dependant on work/family/williness to clear rubbish for four hours without proper cleaning facilities afterwards.
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Disappointed to hear this. I've already booked my flights home for this so it better go ahead!
Harasing the council might not have any effect but it wont take much of your time either.
Lodging an Environmental Complaint with Sligo County Council
How to make an Environmental Complaint
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2. Make a written complaint on the complaints form and address it to:
Complaints Co-ordinator
Environment Department
Sligo County Council
Unit 9, Cleveragh Business Park,
Sligo
3. Ring 071 9111900
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Please note that the provision of your name and address is important as otherwise Sligo County Council will not be in a position to report back to you regarding the matter complained about. Moreover, the Council may need to contact you in order to obtain more information about the matter and/or directions to the site in question.
If you wish your details to be kept confidential, this must be specifically indicated in your written complaint. Sligo County Council will respect your wishes in this regard within the powers provided under the Freedom of Information Act 1997.
Having completed this form, please also send copies of any correspondence or other supporting information such as photographs and maps to us.
Download the Environmental Complaint Form - 41 kbs
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http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:H5WK14tqN-AJ:easkey.sligo.gaa.ie/files/Easkey_seafront_Management_Proposal.pdf+easkey+rubbish&hl=en&gl=ie&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiy8PH2o_Z3G7-ah3N--wF9_fktq94PQLEuVq8nNKx4t13hnbvEYszj_8VwJ3pHB647d8DSSkXIfY8Khtx-O1av7LobXXBGQDQ5VCVJDoO6KYwqLIr6xuInTTZNj1GF5QSObPsI&sig=AHIEtbTDQJQ951o3tCRLHM_fqsxc9qN6Rw (http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:H5WK14tqN-AJ:easkey.sligo.gaa.ie/files/Easkey_seafront_Management_Proposal.pdf+easkey+rubbish&hl=en&gl=ie&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiy8PH2o_Z3G7-ah3N--wF9_fktq94PQLEuVq8nNKx4t13hnbvEYszj_8VwJ3pHB647d8DSSkXIfY8Khtx-O1av7LobXXBGQDQ5VCVJDoO6KYwqLIr6xuInTTZNj1GF5QSObPsI&sig=AHIEtbTDQJQ951o3tCRLHM_fqsxc9qN6Rw)
I think they are aware of it, but funding seems an issue. It might be worth talking to some of the people mentioned in this report.
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Quote from the document Kieran linked to:
"The centre of the field by the Castle has been ploughed and is inaccessible so we cannot use most of the field"
Caroline, can you confirm/deny whether the camping field has been ploughed up?
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That happened a few years ago and you can't camp in the centre of the field or even walk across it without falling over. it says 2005 in the report.
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Ok so I know I've never been before so don't have the same attachment as anyone else to Easkey but it sounds like a great spot and it would be hard to come up with an alternative. Also I just don't like the sound of it being abandoned just because it needs to be cleaned and maintained better.
I'd be up for helping with a big clean up at the beginning. Also, this might sound a bit "third world" because, well, it's what I did in the "third world". One of the places I stayed in in Kenya had a toilet that didn't flush but was fine otherwise (it was hooked up to all the plumbing and all that) we just filled a bucket from the shower and then poured that down, it works the same as a flush if the right amount of water is used. If we couldn't fix the toilet in any other way we could do that if there is a tap or anything (the sea?) nearby? Just an idea.
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Quote from the document Kieran linked to:
"The centre of the field by the Castle has been ploughed and is inaccessible so we cannot use most of the field"
It also says:
In 2002 (approx) human sewage was spread on the Castle Field then ploughed over and abandoned. The field has become inaccessible.
Nice!
The first point in their plan of action on page five is about getting the toilets working in time for the start of the Summer season, so as Kieran suggested it might not be a bad idea to get in touch with some of the people writng this document.
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Quote from the document Kieran linked to:
"The centre of the field by the Castle has been ploughed and is inaccessible so we cannot use most of the field"
Caroline, can you confirm/deny whether the camping field has been ploughed up?
No the camping field is fine that must be an old document :o Getting in touch with the people involved is a good option but keep in mind we aren't the first or only people trying to tackle the toilet issue so the council is either unable or unwilling to do anything for years now. That said it wouldn't hurt to put a bit more pressure on them and see what happens.
If not we will have to tackle them ourselves and like I said I will make sure to visit again before June Bank Holiday.
Rachel you are right there is a tap available and once we unblock the toilets in a worst case scenario a bucket of water can be left by them or as Diarmaid said ask people to manually flush. However the question is at 3am when people are blind drunk can we trust that they will do this. The toilets could get blocked/trashed again and there will be one hundred odd people stranded in the middle of nowhere with no toilet facilities.
There was a letter in the latest issue of the Sligo Weekender (how I found out about toilets in the first place) by a group of locals calling for camping to be prohibited by the castle due to the anti-social behaviour and pollution it has attracted. As well as that there is already a commercial campsite in the area.
I don't want to sound too pessimistic but I have a feeling this better reflects the consensus of the council and locals regarding the area so make the best of this year as It might not happen again :(
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The area ploughed is the centre of the field we only ever camp near the walls not the centre of the field. If you look at pictures doesn't even have cars parked on it except up near the gate.
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If it's looking rainy the Easkey I've heard is a good river but you'd want to find someone who knows it.
You'd need a good bit of rain to bother with it.
Not much of consequence on it. low trees in places.. and an undercut on left after the bridge drop that'd be nasty in high water.
some photos in low?(cant remember) water 8)
http://www.tucc.ie/index.php?categoryid=3&p17_sectionid=8
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So what's the story here? Is anyone actually going to Easkey? I know a bunch of people will be in the Alps and I see an oldie bbq organised that weekend... so who's going to Easkey?
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I have no idea what my plans are, what oldie thing with the fire and the cooking of the meat in a non inside kinda of way? I know there is a thing with the fire and the cooking of the meat in a non inside kinda of way next weekend but easkey isn't until the June Bank Holiday.
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yeah got mixed up and thought the bank holiday was earlier than it actually is.
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Saw this on facebook http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=117914644906352&v=photos#!/group.php?gid=117914644906352
They have a survey which could be submitted to whoever decides what happens, its pretty short so give it a go http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZJWLR2T
I personally would prefer not to see a hostel there, I think all they need are proper toilets, a hostel would ruin it!
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is it happening?
need to tell work in advance when i cant work if it is....
please someone shed some light!
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Having seen the photos on that facebook group, I'm now inclined to say I won't be there. Didn't realise the field was actually full of couches and crap like that.
I'll see what different people are up to but if nothing else comes up I might just try to get a small group to head to Teletubbyland for the weekend or something.
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Pretty sure the rubbish & couches have always been there... over on the far side of the field, its the remains of what was once a caravan from what i remember.
I'm up for going somewhere else for a day or 2 , teletubby land if the hole at Clifden is working otherwise somewhere with better surf :)
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what is tellytubby land?
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It's this awesome secluded beach that looks like the set of Teletubbies, really nice setting, loads of room, really nice beach with some surf. no facilities though. there's a pub and a Gala shop but not really within walking distance.
I can't tell you where it is. it's a secret.
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If people go to Teletubby land please please please be extra vigilant with cleaning up & leaving no sign you were there!!!
Had a farmer giving out last weekend there were people out camping leaving toilet paper around their camp site! It wont take much for the guys who graze their sheep there to kick up a fuss & stop camping there too.... lets not let another great spot get ruined :)
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Sorry I should have got back to this sooner, I haven't been in Easkey since the May Bank holiday so personally I don't know what the story is. According to the facebook group the toilets are out of action but they seem to be organising picnics etc there so I don't know. I will email someone from the proposal group and ask what the story is. 'Officially' they are closed off.
I am open to moving the party somewhere else, tellytubby land if the group is small. Is there a large group of paddlers this year? Is there still a demand for this? I wasn't at Easkey last year so I don't know if things are still the same. If you're really stuck there is the Rory Gallagher festival in Ballyshannon, I went last year and it was absolutely brill. Also you would have donegal surf near(ish)
Ahhh tellytubby land - when I tried to explain it to my dad his reply 'riiiight so basically you got drunk and passed out on a golf course' lol afro.gif
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Are ye guys going to be going to Easkey this year? Few of us thinking of heading on the Sunday. If ye move elsewhere can ye let some of us DCU folks know?
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I think you'll find that there are very few people around who have the means to get to easkey this year. Since the toilets are closed I don't see much point in going. However since I have wasted two days this week I can't go anywhere this weekend as I have to play catch up. I hope everyone enjoys their weekend.
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I got the following email from Denise Clarke head of the proposal committee...
Hi Caroline
Brenda did a great job cleaning one of the toilets that work. We are cleaning them on a volentary basis so there is one open. Might be an idea to bring loo rol. Looking forward to meeting you next weekend. Have you filled out the survey the link is below
Regards Denise
Looks like it's good to go so. Bring loo roll and cleaning stuffs, maybe we can leave better than how we found it! See ye there hopefully! :)