This article is from page 18 of the 2011-08-30 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 18 JPG
THE ‘Yes We Can’ spirit was alive and well in Ennis on Sunday as 91 small Clare businesses participated in the Open Fair.
Almost 1,500 people passed through the doors at the West County Hotel at an event designed to showcase the talents of local craftsmen and service providers.
Exhibitors ranged from bakers to home insulation providers to traditional music websites.
The Open Fair was officially launched by well-known entrepreneur and Dragon’s Den panelist Bob- by Kerr. The fair was also praised by Mayor of Clare Pat Hayes (FF), the Mayor of Ennis, Michael Guilfoyle (Ind) and the Ennis Town Manager, Ger Dollard.
The concept of the Open Fair was first developed in 1992 by Jim Connolly, founder of Rural Resettlement Ireland. The fair was then run in conjunction with Clare VEC.
Speaking at the West County Hotel, Mr Connolly said the event gave small businesses a chance bring their talent to the wider public.
He explained, “What’s happening here is really an exposé of the kind of talent that’s out there. Even though the fair is on today, it’s the people that are there; the exhibitors are making this stuff anyway. It’s a stunning array of talent that we see and nobody knows they’re at it. This whole idea of the Open Fair is a talent-sharing exercise whereby these ordinary people with extraordinary talents brought all their products together, many of them offering services through a website, many offering computer services, a whole range of services.”
He added, “People are not aware of it. It’s not an invention; what I look upon it is common sense in action. That’s really what it is.”
Mr Connolly said the underlying reason for running the fair was to give people “a bit of heart and hope in these recessionary times”.
“You’re kind of exposing yourself in a sense. When you make something that’s very, very personal to you, it takes a bit of courage to put it up in front of your neighbours and take the first step into maybe making a business out of it. That’s what we’re trying to do, it’s an opportunity to take that first step without pressure.”
Mr Connolly, who thanked the West County for providing the exhibition hall free of charge, urged communities around Clare to run their own Open Fairs. He said local groups would be assisted by RRI.
He added, “There is no guarantee that things are going to get any better in this country. We’re on our knees as far as I’m concerned but the human spirit never dies. The philosophy behind this as far as I’m concerned is that it taps into two fundamental human traits: one is the instinct to survive and the second one is their endless potential for creativity. So when you add those two together you have a strong driving force and that’s what produces results at any time. These people have courage, colossal courage.”