We visited the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland in Dublin, for our 20th excursion. This was also the third excursion kindly funded by the Community Integration Fund 2022-23, with our partners Meath Partnership and Sonairte.

We had 50 participants. The first group joined us in the bus from Mosney accommodation center and the second group joined us in the bus from Gormanston accommodation center. 

The bus arrived at Botanic Gardens visitor center at 10:30 a.m and was welcomed by Muhammad Achour and Fiona Duignan from Meath Partnership alongside our volunteers Tian Mike, Raghad and Hussam. 

We were offered a free tour from an amazing Botanic Gardens guide, Jo, who led the families in a free-ranging 90-minute walk to explore the various types of trees and plants and enjoy great stories about them. In the meantime, we heard stories from our participants about the trees and plants in their countries of origin. Our guests talked about Afghanistan, Pakistan, Ukraine, Syria, China – and Ireland. 

We were blessed with sunny cool weather and the families enjoyed the environment and had a chat with each other along the walk as well as taking photos and selfies.

The tour was amazing, big thanks to Jo from The Botanic Gardens staff for offering this free and amazing guided tour. 

Participants rejoined the bus again for the short journey to Dublin City University’s Interfaith Centre DCU Chaplaincy, where we all enjoyed a tasty lunch provided by Umi Falafel and The Shawarma Company, before Fiona and Muhammad got the idea of delivering the art and craft workshop outdoor near the DCU Canteen in a lovely new outdoor space bringing tables from the interfaith center. 

The participants’ children first had free time playing together, then they were given art tools, white papers, pencil, color markers to draw trees using their memory from the time they spent in the tour, or from their homeland’s trees. Then, using tearing papers, they made 3D trees to create their own art exhibition in the DCU outdoor space.

We would like to thank Meath Partnership’s Fiona Duignan for sharing all the responsibilities of this outing with us so well. And of course our SiNH volunteers Tian, Mike, Raghad and Hussam for all their help and support. And a very special thank you to Samson from the Ukrainian community, who did such brilliant translating. Thanks to Mike, Hussam and Tian for the photos accompanying this post

Thanks to the staff of The Botanic Gardens, especially Jo, for their unfailing support as we planned this trip, and to Fiona Duignan for her support to organize this with them.

We would also like to thank Kierans Bus Hire of Drogheda and their every helpful and good-humoured driver Joe for getting us so smoothly from place to place.

Thanks to Fr. Séamus McEntee, Muhammad’s Colleagues and our friends at DCU for welcoming us and giving great support again to make this day happen by opening their doors at the Interfaith Centre for this integration and culture event as usual,

here is the link for information

https://www.dcu.ie/chaplaincy/people/fr-seamus-mcentee

DCU Chaplaincy

Also to Umi Falafel and The Shawarma Company restaurants for their great collaboration and making and delivering the delicious food for lunch.

Finally, these trips would not be possible without a much appreciated grant from the Community Integration Fund set up by Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and in partnership with Meath Partnership through Fiona Duignan, and Aoife Malone managed by our third partner Sonairte through Dr Kim O’Reilly.

Meath Partnership Sonairte Paddy Woodworth Muhammad Achour Kate Kavanagh Sonairte Laytown Andrew Leonard @islandfielder Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, The Heritage Council Lorcan Scott @James Hackett