HORIZONS

Do you dislike all the emphasis in modern culture on success and "making it", on getting and spending, on wealth and luxury goods? Do you care about the destruction of the environment and would like to take action to clean it up and to reduce global warming?

Are you unhappy with both the right and left in politics and want to find a new way that does not simply steer a middle course? If so, then you are one of what sociologist, Paul H. Ray and psychologist, Sherry Ruth Anderson describe as "cultural creatives". And the committee organising the third annual Convergence Festival in Dublin's Temple Bar would like to hear from you.

An environmental festival which aims to replace public apathy with activism, disillusionment with debate, and rampant consumerism with consciousness-raising, the Convergence Festival runs from April 6th to 14th. The Sustainable Ireland Co-operative is currently seeking "highly innovative, energised and creative" volunteers to help to prepare and produce Convergence 2002 (tel: 01-4912327; e-mail: sustainable.ireland@

anu.ie).

Meanwhile, if you want to find out more about the elusive grouping called "cultural creatives", check out www.cultural

creatives.org, the website created by Anderson and Ray which also includes information on their book, The Cultural Creatives: How 50 million people are changing the world (Harmony Press).

LAST year, the Cooley Peninsula in Co Louth became etched in our minds as the location of the only outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the Republic.

Its rich archaeological heritage seemed somewhat irrelevant as thousands of sheep were taken off the hills to be killed to prevent the disease from spreading. Now, in an attempt to re-focus our attention on the unique beauty of the area, Archaeology Ireland has published a booklet on the archaeological landscape of the Cooley Peninsula. The name, Cooley (Cuailgne) itself is important as it appears in the title of one of Ireland's best-known epics. The Táin Bó Cuailgne (The Cattle Raid of Cooley) tells the story of Queen Medb (Maeve) of Connacht's desire to obtain the Brown Bull of Cooley - the Donn Cuailgne - and of Cúchulainn's heroic defense of the kingdom of Ulaidh. The name Carlingford also has interesting origins; it is derived from the Norse name, Carlinn Fjord. A planned market town, Carlingford has many sites of interest, including King John's Castle, Holy Trinity Church (which houses a visitors centre) and parts of the original town wall and medieval streetscape. For copies of The Cooley Peninsula: an archaeological landscape in County Louth (€3.15), contact Archaeology Ireland, PO Box 69, Bray, Co Wicklow (tel: 01-2862649).

THE Museum of Country Life - the National Museum's new branch in Turlough Park, Co Mayo - won the Musuem of the Year award for 2001. The new museum complex, which houses the national folklore collection of the National Museum of Ireland, incorporates a modern extension to Turlough Park House, and is four miles east of Castlebar, Co Mayo. Category winners were Muckross House in Co Kerry for Best Collections Care, the National Museum of Ireland in Collins Barracks for Best Education Project, the Sheelin Irish Lace Museum for Most Improved Voluntary Museum, Dublinia at Christ Church, Dublin for Best Smaller Museum and the Hugh Lane Municipal gallery of Modern Art for Best Larger Museum. The awards are jointly funded by the Gulbenkian Foundation based in London and the Heritage Council based in Kilkenny city.

SHELTER from the Storm is the thought-provoking title of Afri's 10th Féile Bride conference in Kildare town next weekend. What started as a simple exercise of making St Brigid's crosses has grown into an annual promotion of justice, peace and human rights on a national and global level. This year, the presence of up to 300 asylum seekers in a dispersal centre on the grounds of Kildare Barracks sends a strong practical message to those involved to extend the welcoming hand to these individuals, many of whom fled their own countries for a new and safer life in the West. Contributors include writer and performer Donal O'Kelly and Afri co-ordinator Joe Murray in an event which promises to be "a unique fusion of the political, the artistic and spiritual". The conference runs from 9 a.m. next Saturday to 1 p.m. on Sunday. Cost €30. More details from Afri. Tel: 01-4968595, e-mail: afri@iol.ie

www.eea.eu.int

This is one of those monolithic websites which hold a vast amount of information but is difficult to find your way around. It is the website of the European Environmental Agency, whose library is based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Once you familiarise yourself, you can access all the latest European news on environmental issues and contact details (including web links) for environmental bodies in each EU country.