This article is from page 2 of the 2011-05-03 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
THE Sisters of Mercy have donated two East Clare properties worth in excess of € 500,000 to Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann who now plan to transform the old Tulla Convent and the Girls’ Primary School in Tulla into a Comhaltas Cultural Centre.
A major fundraising effort was launched in East Clare yesterday, to raise the money needed to develop the building, with a mock wedding planned to take place on June 5.
Plans are currently being prepared to develop the convent buildings into a cultural centre, with particular emphasis on the cultural traditions of Clare. Once complete, the building will become Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann’s seventeenth cultural centre in Ireland.
When completed, the centre will be called ‘Cnoc na Gaoithe’ or the windswept hill.
“This is an exciting and challenging project in which the whole community will have a role,” said Breda McNamara, Cathaoirleach of the project in Tulla.
“We will draw on the experience and contacts which Comhaltas have built up over the years. We intend to make it a shop window for the cultural traditions of Clare which have won international acclaim.”
The director general of Comhaltas, Labhrás O’Murchú, said that this was a “very generous gesture” on the part of the nuns who have made a “huge contribution to the educational and cultural life” of the area.
The Sisters of Mercy’s long history in the East Clare region dates back more than 100 years and a number of sisters still live in the area. These include Sr Eileen Callinan, who chose the name for the new building, Sr Bosco Griffen, Sr Ita Quinn and Sr Annette Sexton.
A number of well-known local faces have already been lined up to take part in the mock wedding, which takes place on June 5. Clare TD Timmy Dooley (FF) will act as priest for the day, while local pharmacist Morna Toibín and mechanic Cyril Hogan will play the roles of Mona Hogan and Bill Tobin for the wedding.
Within the drama, the bride comes from a staunch Fine Gael family and the father of the bride, Paddy Hogan (Cllr Joe Arkins), has serious reservations about the success of this marriage. To stir the pot even more, his wife Bridie (Kitty Leyden) is in love with Fr Falvey – the role played by Fianna Fáil TD Timmy Dooley.
Tickets for the event are available at a cost of € 25 and are available from the Tulla Pharmacy, the Tulla Post Office and Custy’s Music Shop in Ennis or online at www.custysmusic.com.