Our 100th panorama. When we started ireland360.com our 100th panorama was just a distant thought.
This is our entry in the World Wide Panorama Border project.

The panorama is based on the painting "American Gothic" by Grant Wood. To me the painting represents an uncertain future with a glimmer of hope.

Our friends Andrew and Stephanie face an uncertain future. A proposed new road that will bypass the town of Clonmel is going to cut straight through their dairy farm. They stand on the border of their farm and where the proposed new road is going to be placed. It will cut a channel straight through the heart of their farm, dividing it in two and more than likely forcing them out of business.

Both Andrew and Stephanie love farming and are very committed to both their farm and livestock. European bureaucracy and the fall-in-line attitude of the Irish government have made life increasing difficult for the average farmer in Ireland. An industry that formed the basis of the Irish economy less than thirty years ago has now been marginalized and is considered a lesser occupation. At a time when environmental issues are a hot potato politically, I am often amazed at the narrow-mindedness and shortsightedness of our politicians, planners and developers. When we should be curtailing our rural urbanization we are doing the reverse and destroying a very limited natural resource.

Andrew and Stephanie have an uncertain future ahead of them.