The West of Ireland region is, as some of you already know, our region of the month in the March issue of Prim Perfect. And the celebrations there for St Patrick’s Day are already in full swing!
The Festival Charity Auction began at noon on Friday, March 5 in the Celtic Crossing Shopping area. The Auction is showcasing everything from one-of-a-kind designer gowns, to signature jewelry by Second Life creators such as Nonna Hedges, Kunglers Design, Nicky Ree, and Eolande’s Jeweled Details. Also available for auction will be signed hardbound copies of novels by authors Arlene Radasky (The Fox) and Rhonda Carpenter (The Mark of the Druid) which will be shipped directly to the winning bidder. Bidding will close Monday evening, March 8 at 7pm, and is open to anyone. All auction proceeds will benefit Project Children.
Prim Perfect / Kismet Auction
In addition, there will also be the auction of a fully furnished house by Kismet, sponsored by Prim Perfect magazine, which is featuring West of Ireland as their Sim of the Month in their March issue, and Cierra Anatine of Kismet as Designer of the Month.
“We are so pleased to be in partnership with Kismet and Prim Perfect on this auction,” said West of Ireland CEO Sioban McMahon, “Saffia Widdershins and Cierra Anatine have been so generous, it is an honour to have them join us in support of Project Children. SL Designer Cierra Anatine is a real world artist with a background in architecture, interior design, and art who entered Second Life three years ago and found the creative opportunities on the grid more satisfying than those of her successful real world business.
The fully furnished Kismet Ashthorne Manor is on display on Bundoran just north of Nancy Blake’s Pub in the WOI Estate. The model is based on the 14th century manor houses in the Cotswolds region of England. It is in the same Cotswolds theme as the very popular Charingworth Manor, but is sized to fit on a 4096 sqm parcel. The soft, buttery yellow and warm grey colors of this theme are seen in the stonework textures and throughout the interior. The Ashthorne features an impressive entry hall with a split staircase, a roomy living room with fireplace and window seat, large kitchen and formal dining area, and two bedrooms upstairs on either side of the open entry hall. The dining area features an alcove with built-in sideboard. Additional doors in the bedrooms, living room and kitchen provide passage to the other wing via a back porch and balcony. The home will come fully furnished, and retails in world for approximately $L13,000.
Bidding on the furnished house closes on Saint Patrick’s Day, Wednesday, March 17 at 8:30pm as part of the Estate’s sixteen day long Festival of Saint Patrick. All proceeds from the auction will benefit the real world charity Project Children.
For the full event and performance schedule, visit the Festival & Special Event page of the West of Ireland website: http://www.irelandsl.org/the-festival-of-saint-patrick/
Useful SLURLS:
Glens na hEirean “The Glen” …
http://slurl.com/secondlife/West%20of%20Ireland/93/122/23
Celtic Crossing Shops …
http://slurl.com/secondlife/West%20of%20Ireland/198/76/26
West of Ireland Library and Cultural Centre
As the second anniversary of the dedication of the West of Ireland (WOI) Library and Cultural Centre approaches, the Library announces that it has “broken prim” on a building project that will continue its signature architecture while expanding the space available for library services and programs almost three fold.
“This is an exciting time for us,” said WOI Librarian Derry McMahon, “Our story program has grown tremendously since we began in the spring of 2008.” The West of Ireland Library offers live presentations of literary works, engaging residents directly in literature from a variety of eras and spanning a wide diversity of genres and styles. A recent poll showed that nearly 100% of guests attending the library’s six to eight weekly events pursued some kind of secondary activity as a result, whether buying a book, exploring related titles, or further investigating a topic of interest. “Stories of all kinds are the firm core of our program – we bring great literature to life in Second Life,” continued McMahon. Audiences have grown steadily over the past year with a current average that is twice what it was for the same period a year previous.
Inspired by this success, the Library has been exploring ways to create immediate connections for library guests through in-world links to supportive resources. The Library is additionally seizing the opportunity to connect more effectively with landmarks within the WOI estate which contains many virtual creations of real-life Irish cultural sites. “This is a great opportunity to grow more fully into our name.” said WOI Storyteller Aoife Lorefield, emphasizing the cultural aspect of what the Library supports. The new area of the Library will include linked workstations to internet resources, expanded exhibit areas, and additional features which will promote Ireland’s rich history and heritage.
“We want to provide varied opportunities for our guests to explore literature, Irish culture, and to enjoy our diverse programs in a variety of settings.” added McMahon. Growing library programs such as the open mic sessions hosted by Lorefield, and sessions featuring published authors discussing their work will be able to choose from a number of casual settings in within the library to utilize different open environments. The new addition also holds the potential to be used as a comfortable workshop setting.
“The real miracle,” continued McMahon,” is that we will accomplish this expansion without significantly changing the ground level profile of the original library build.” The Library Staff has created a subterranean expansion that is remarkably full of light, space, interacts with the natural terrain around it, and connects seamlessly with Cunningham Docherty’s original 2008 design.
“I love it!” said West of Ireland’s CEO Sioban McMahon, “It’s bright, organic, and draws inspiration from Celtic cultural linkages to both stone and water. The direction the staff is taking the features they provide is an excellent compliment with where we are trying to take the entire estate: appealing activities for folks that are fun and interesting, balanced with cultural relevance. SL is such a great tool for engaging folks in culture and literature in ways they might not be able to in the real world. This is really exciting.”
The WOI Library Staff invite interested residents and library fans to join them in dedicating the new area on Sunday, March 21st during the final day of the WOI Estate’s annual Festival of Saint Patrick. March 21 is also the second anniversary of the original library’s dedication.
Festivities will begin at 2pm SLT with a program celebrating the power of stories and storytelling. At 4pm SLT, following the program’s conclusion, guests will be invited to dance throughout the library to music provided by one of West of Ireland’s popular DJs.
All presentations at the West of Ireland Library and Cultural Centre are done live in voice chat. All the performers are volunteers and donations are accepted to support Project Children, a real world non-profit positively affecting the lives of children in Northern Ireland: Second Life activity, with meaningful Real Life results.
For information on the West of Ireland Storytelling: http://www.tr.im/woistory
You can also view a gallery of recent library events and story sessions at: http://www.irelandsl.org/west-of-ireland-library-and-cultural-Center/
Useful SLURLS:
West of Ireland Library and Cultural Centre . . .
http://slurl.com/secondlife/West%20of%20Ireland/44/174/26
For weekly performance schedules and event information, visit: http://www.irelandsl.org/about/events-live-music/
Project Children is an international organization that takes children from Northern Ireland on summer trips to stay with host families in the United States. Catholic and Protestant children are brought together in a calm and multi-cultural environment in an effort to overcome the stronghold of prejudices that have burdened Northern Ireland for so long. The South Texas Celtic Music Association (STCMA) raises funds for Project Children at its annual Celtic Music Festival and through the Second Life West of Ireland charity estate to pay the transportation costs for children participating in Project Children.
For information on Project Children: http://www.projectchildren.org
Prim Perfect 