This article is from page 67 of the 2009-08-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 67 JPG
And while the watery skies might have tried to flood the festival out, there was still a lively interest in free boats trips on the river, courtesy of Waterways Ireland.
The outdoor market carried on bravely, and one thing that the weather couldn’t ruin was the music and the craic that was evident in the pubs in the town.
Unusual skills were one aspect of the festival that visitors found fasci- nating, regardless of the weather.
A two-man Donegal-type currach was built over the festival weekend
to give the public a chance to see this ancient Irish tradition in action.
By the 1970s and ‘80s, currach fishing out of west Clare was dy- ing out and the traditional wooden hull covered by hide or canvas and painted with tar was replaced by fi- bre glass. Recognising the need to protect its heritage, local fishermen and boatbuilders decided to build a local-style currach and pass on asso- ciated skills including the language and terms that go with it. Six boats were built over a two-year period with the help of a LEADER-funded programme and were made avail- able to regatta clubs along the Clare coastline.
In the week running up to the festi- val, another currach – this time a west Clare type – was constructed by by 23 young people from west Belfast and east Clare as part of an initiative funded by the Leargas Causeway Youth Exchange Programme, and with the support of Waterways Ire- land. The young people also took part in a range of other activities aimed at promoting integration, exploring diversity and building relationships. “The Scariff Harbour Festival is es- pecially proud to give a new genera- tion of young people, both north and south of the border, an opportunity to learn these skills and hopefully to carry them with them for a lifetime,” said Mike Rodgers, Chairman of the Harbour Festival Organising Com- nap LAKoten