This article is from page 38 of the 2009-12-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 38 JPG
AN AMBITIOUS | new project, which aims to document the oral his- tory of the county, was launched in Ennis last week.
The Clare Oral History and Folk- lore group was formed in February and their latest project Cuimhneamh an Chlair or Memories of Clare aims to record, archive and share the memories or the older people living in the county.
The group has began a programme digital recording and already con- ducted more than fifty interviews with older people in Clare – includ- ing two 105-year-olds, one of whom, Margaret Hoey, passed away just two weeks after her life story.
According to Cormac McCarthy, Leas Cathaoirleach with Cuimh- neamh an Chlair, a huge amount has been achieved by the organisation in a relatively short time.
“Since February, we have worked extremely hard at developing a well planned, strategic and systematic in1- tiative. We had to begin by consult- ing with all relevant agencies and or- ganisations both across the country and internationally in order to ensure all our elements were developed ac- cording to best practice,” he said.
“The group have been busy with organising the professional training of all the Cuairteoiri, who have vol- unteered from across County Clare. In addition, Cuimhneamh an Chlair
have been invited to speak at many conferences including an interna- tional folklore conference in Kerry, a national oral history summer school at the University of Limerick, the Milwaukee Irish Festival and other lecture series across Clare.”
Since their formalisation, Cuimh- neamh an Chlair have recruited and professionally trained 25 volunteers
who have been contacting and visit- ing some of Clare’s oldest citizens in order to record their unique insight into a fading way of life in County ETc
Age Action Ireland have acknowI- edged the ‘Cuairt’ of visits by the group is an excellent way of docu- menting memories and endorsed the work of Cuimhneamh an Chlair in
the county.
“The resurrection of Cuairt will help to build social cohesion in com- munities across Clare by enhancing connections within towns, villages and townlands in the county and by highlighting the presence and the value of elderly people who re- side in different parts of Clare,” said Edel Greene, the Group Secretary of
Cuimhneamh an Chlair.
‘The primary aim of Cuimhneamh an Chlair is to record the precious memories of our elderly, while they PVeomS SOOM aloe me ne