The Irishman of Madeira and his Old TownJohn Kavanagh was born in 1975 in Dun Laoghaire, a small coastal town in Dublin, Ireland. There he quickly fell in love with Irish culture, hospitality and nature and began his interest in environmental issues. During a holiday trip to Madeira a few years ago, he immediately fell in love with the island and worked here for some time, becoming one of the first ‘digital nomads‘ and an honorary ambassador for ‘Start-Up Madeira‘. His passion for the “Pearl of the Atlantic” evolved into a more serious relationship, as he gained so much affection and love, especially for the Madeirans’ hospitality and the island’s natural beauty, that John decided to live here permanently. The Irishman recently purchased a traditional Madeiran house (in stone), which was in a state of disrepair, in the parish of São Gonçalo, Funchal. The house is currently being rebuilt and the organic land, which has many fruit trees, is already being rehabilitated, with the aim of subsequently promoting the destination “Madeira” to his peers around the world. John loves the sea and it is common to see him “working” with his laptop on the beach of São Tiago, where he has made many friends and become friendly with the local amateur fishermen. In fact, the Zona Velha is one of his favourite places and that is why he became interested in the history of this fishing community. And so, in a natural and spontaneous way and in conversation with his good friend António Alves da Mota, who also has roots connected to Zona Velha, the initiative was born in partnership with Teatro Municipal Baltazar Dias, to work for a month in the artists in residency programme, which was launched in January 2023. The friends intend to gather elements of the Cidade Velha community and compile them into a short video documentary, which will also include the reconstruction of a traditional Madeiran wooden canoe.The friends recognise that there are fewer and fewer of these characteristic fishing boats, unique pieces built by hand by fantastic craftsmen, a material and immaterial heritage that tell of the experiences of a whole people, which help to preserve the cultural identity of this old fishing village. Hence, the project “Zona Velha – The Community and its Sea” was born. *Project co-funded by Funchal City Hall (C. M. F.) through the award of an Artistic Scholarship through Teatro Municipal Baltazar Dias.