RESPITE from the overwhelming demands of modern life can be found at Machnamh, a new sensory garden in the grounds of Skibbereen Community Hospital, writes Jackie Keogh.
An appreciative crowd turned up last Saturday afternoon for the soft launch of the project, which is designed to create a natural oasis in the heart of Skibbereen.
Cllr Isobel Towse (SD) attended the event as part of the West Cork Feel Good Festival and performed the official opening. She paid tribute to Ian Lawton of NeuroHive, who together with a group of volunteers, created the amenity.
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The launch was marked with some soothing music by Elizabeth Ewing and Brigid Madden, as well as some interesting insights by Peter Dunican of Grow Together, and horticultural therapist Andrew Caverly.
Machnamh, the Irish word for reflection, is designed to nurture community connection, reflection, and neurodivergent inclusivity.
The project draws inspiration from the Irish tradition of communal care and shared labour, a gathering known as a Meitheal.
It also embraces contemporary understandings of sensory wellbeing, such as the Japanese practice of Shinrin Yoku, otherwise known as forest bathing.
Anyone who would like to work on this project as a volunteer can contact NeuroHive online.
