HISTORY

The Name



From the Greek root gyr meaning 'round' - with the Latin ending eum meaning 'building' much as the Colis-eum - means the big place, the Gyr-eum means the round place.

WB Yeats, a dead Sligo Poet, made frequent use of the word gyre most famously in Sailing to Byzantium
"perne in a gyre and be the singing master of my soul"

It also happens that the smaller of the dogs here is called Gyra from the Irish gadhar meaning wild mountainy dog.

It was high time, I thought that new wonders should be built rather than simply constructing interpretive centres beside tumbled down wonders. I proposed in 2001 that a latter-day cairn, wrought of wood should stand on this south Sligo hillock - that it should be aligned - to the dawns and dusks of both the summer and winter Solstices ù.. so with the money to fund a programme on following this project's evolution for the Irish language station TG4, I went and bought a lock of wood from Florence Court in Fermanagh, great larch and red deal posts to last one thousand years.

In July 2001 we dug out the circle shape - the great central posts were raised soon after. By the year end the superstructure was up - though still letting the weather in. As we approached the winter solstice we measured the exact point where the light would strike through the great wooden door.
When you visit take the time to watch the half hour Irish language documentary on video.

The programme was broadcast in Spring 2002 it was called TOGAIL GRIANAIN - the 'Making of the Sun-place' if you translate it literally. Since then diviners, augurs, plain people have passed through with their differing notions of what the place should be: arts centre - no - who needs another - gallery - no - too obvious - healing centre - incidentally but not by design, Cathedral eventually - drive-thru-organic-fast-slow-food-takeaway possibly.

Over the next three years with the help of some 108 hands the building became as you see it today. It is an Ecolodge in our supposed Summer, for the rest of the year it's for hire to groups doing spiritual retreats, yoga, drama rehearsals, weddings, sundry parties. EACH SECOND SUNDAY OF THE MONTH starting on 8 January we have started a Sunday SERMON.

People come to the Gyreum to be enthralled by a wise person who holds court, to help flex mind and soul at noon for an hour - more or less - followed by soup.

Construction

The central six posts are of larch, the twenty four outer posts red deal, all from a renewable source, the woods at the Florencecourt Estate in Fermanagh.

Most of the upper roof is made from layers of the second cut from pine trees from North Sligo - timber not usually other wise used. The outer green mineral felt roof is the only part of the building that was done professionally.

The nine inch thick insulation across the entire roof is a mix of sheep's wool, who graze Carrowkeel and fibreglass from a disused mushroom farm at Cootehall that would have been otherwise a nightmare to dump. The fibreglass is the upper layer, the wool the lower to prevent any particles coming through.

As amateurs building from scratch - the nightmare is plumbing and trying to get all the bits to fit - especially as the building is set into the ground. All the grey and toilet water flows into a septic tank which then flows into a reed-bed system - which has its worst bad stuff drawn out of it by the reeds - that waste water then seeps slowly into a secondary pond - which has further vegetation acting to break down the effluent - which finally is released into a soak pit in very clear state though I daren't recommend drinking it.

Organic Garden

As we have been concentrating so much on building it is time now to look to the garden.

Fanning out like rays from the circular building will be raised beds with organic vegetables growing. The near beds will be for herbs and perennials and further away more work intensive vegetables - that can be harvested year round. The less hardy vegetables will have cloche covering as we feel pollytunnels would take away from the low impact look we seek to cultivate. Dry toilets that are comfortable and with great views also soon to be built.

Heat & Power

Over the next year - we wish to install - solar and biodiesel water heating system.

The solar will be gathered on the south facing kitchen roof through late Spring to early Autumn, the biodiesel boiler will be fed with cooking oil from local restaurants and chippers and in winter can heat the entire underfloor heating loops of the building.
Over the following year to install geothermal heating and possibly windpower - a horizontal wind system on the roof of the Gyreum. All these systems can centralise into the existing water gathering mutli-source holding tank.

all comments welcome

Hopes for the near Future

Eternal Soup

From the start of 2008 to have a soup cauldron that never is empty. In the middle - hanging on a chain from the central window will be a great cauldron that will have a vegetarian broth made from local organic produce.

The Monthly Service

SECOND SUNDAY

Each first Sunday of the month - a 'preacher' or preachers or mountebanks will from noon till two present a sermon/ slide-show, be a guru for an hour in whatever way they think fit.

'The Service' will be followed by afternoon refreshments.

Shared driving/ Minibus collection from bus & train stops to be encouraged.

The Greenbox

The Gyreum is the Southern Tip of the Greenbox, an initiative to promote eco-tourism. It is our intention to become a vital part of this initiative providing accommodation for specialist events: for example archaeology and cycling holidays. Our courses will include organic meals. With the deregulation on where marriages can be made we intend to have weddings here throughout the year.

The activities of the Gyreum from the use of alternative technology to its focus as a possible alternative 'Church' for new and dynamic philosophies will always be peppered with humour.

Structures in the Future

Living Roof

To refine the look of the place. It was always planned to have a living roof. This will be a mixture of a very light turf - much of it comprising of my neighbour's horse manure, the turf topped with grass mixed in with rare and endangered species of Irish wild flowers.

Also along the edges of the walls of the building creeping plants are starting to grow and spread. Eventually to have some fruit bearing creepers. This roof would in time become the eye-catching part of the Gyreum's identity and in such wise should be very precisely done - colour coordinated etc.