This article is from page 19 of the 2012-01-24 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 19 JPG
THE success story of the pioneering Seol Sionna project in West Clare has been recognized nationally as the traditional boat building initiative has been short-listed for a major community award.
The Department of Education sponsored Star Awards that celebrate adult learning initiatives throughout the country have singled out Seol Sionna as one of the key community driven projects that has taken place over the past year.
Seol Sionna is a community based boat building project in Querrin which over the last 18 months has drawn thousands of people to the Shannon estuary to witness the building of a traditional boat which has a long history of carrying turf and goods on the Shannon Estuary.
While trainees have been learning to build a traditional wooden boat under the expertise of local shipwright Stephen Morris, others have taken up film making, history research and recording with the help of the West Clare Learning Network.
The local primary school in Querrin have been constant visitors to the shed and are now presenting to other schools on the peninsula who are visiting Querrin before its launch on May 19th.
“This is a project which has cap- tured the imagination and filled the communities in West Clare with great pride,” says Seol Sionna PRO Trea Heapes. “Not only does it recognise the skills and contributions of people who have gone before us but it has a contemporary benefit in that it now gives a whole new generation the opportunity of getting out sailing on the Shannon Estuary; one of the great wild places to be explored and appreciated.
“Many potential sailors have completed navigation and sailing courses with the intention of skippering the newly named Sally O’ Keefe. A new Seol Sionna Club has been set up to make the boat available to club members,” she adds.
“While the opportunity to learn how to build a trad boat will finish with it’s launch, a new rainbow of learning opportunites will make themselves available to those who are interested in taking up new challanges of sailing, navigation, exploring, fishing, exploration, nature watching and working with others to realise the rich potential of living along the Shannon Estuary,” she adds.
The Maintenance Project operated by Newmarket-on-Fergus community organization, Obair, was the Munster winner of the Star Awards in 2011. The awards, which are part of the Adult Learners’ Festival, will take place from February 20-24.