This article is from page 34 of the 2008-09-02 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 34 JPG
EUGENE Costello has been de- scribed as a “character” – a character with a love of curraghs.
So much so that the Kilkee man, who turned 65-years-old last week was instrumental in reviving curragh racing in the west and bringing the All-Ireland Curragh Racing Cham- pionships to west Clare for the first MESO ol
This after almost 30 years since the once popular sport of curragh racing all but vanished in west Clare.
According to the champion of the curragh, this had as much to do with a lack of interest of a new generation, as it had with the introduction of ex- pensive insurance to run such events and the scourge of emigration.
The curragh however did not dis- appear completely with locals using them from time to time for fishing NIG Moo RUUKO AYN UNO)
‘Many years ago I saw a lone cur- ragh coming in after being out fish- ing all night and it was lovely,’ he said.
Eugene decided to carry out an in- ventory of all the curraghs still left in the west. There were up to nine cur- raghs in Kilrush and five in Kilkee.
“Back in Carrigaholt there was a man making curraghs and he had five or six,’ said Eugene. “There was more than enough to start some- den bercaa
This all happened 15 years ago and since then people have been making more curraghs in Kilkee which are also used by group from around the
west for racing.
Today crews can be found in Kul- baha, Doonbeg, Kilrush, Kilkee and Carrigaholt as curragh racing in GUE Kem ISA alan tetnelcar Kaas.) B
Just last month Kilbaha played host to the All-Ireland Curragh Champi- onships thanks to the hard work of Eugene and the dedicated crews.
“A lot of hard work went into it. It cost up to €11,000 to run it for two days but it was worth it as the cream of curragh racing came from all over the country including west Kerry, Coonagh, Donegal, Galway and the Aran Islands,’ said the man who is no stranger to racing curraghs him- self.
In the 1990s he was part of a suc- cessful crew with the Harte brothers from Kilkee.
“We have the distinction of win- ning the confined race in Kilkee for eight years in row,’ laughed Eugene. “That record won’t be broken in my lifetime.”
“Forty years ago I couldn’t get my place in any crew because there was a lot around, but when it came back I raced.”
Modern record books will show him as a constant in the new age of curragh racing.