Pictured L-R in the Cliffs of Moher Experience visitor centre; Patricia Farrell, Founder and Owner of Wilde Irish Chocolates, Tuamgraney; Paul O Dwyer, Founder and Owner of Irish Slate Craft (Lahinch); Raquel Walsh, Founder and Owner of Creative Clay (Sixmilebridge); Bobby Kerr, Chair of the Board of Cliffs of Moher Centre DAC; Geraldine Enright Director at the Cliffs of Moher Experience; and Leonard Cleary, Director of Rural Development & West Clare Municipal District. Photograph: Eamon Ward
MORE THAN 70 events will take place across the county for Heritage Week.
Running from Saturday (August 13th) to Sunday August 21st, Heritage Week is now considered one of Ireland’s largest cultural events.
This year, the focus of Heritage Week is on sustainable heritage and biodiversity and getting as many people out and about to enjoy heritage as possible.
Project organisers were commended by Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Cllr Tony O’Brien (FF) “for their interest and creativity, while showcasing a wide range of natural, built and cultural heritage projects ensuring that Heritage Week remains a wonderful celebration of Clare’s heritage and helping to ensure its preservation and protection into the future”.
Congella McGuire, Clare County Council’s Heritage Officer, said, “I would like to thank all the project organisers for their dedication to Clare’s heritage, and wish them the very best with their events during Heritage Week”.
Wild Child Day on Wednesday, 18th August, encourages kids and families to drop the devices, jump off the couch and get outdoors to explore the heritage in their locality. Áine Ní Fhlatharta of Irish Seed Savers invites you to Wild Child in the Woods to spend some time in the woods and enjoy some Forest School nature activities and connect with Ireland’s amazing woodland ecology. Happy Out Forest School want children to come to Wild Child at John O’Sullivan Park in Ennis for scavenger hunts and bushcraft, including woodland games.
Water Heritage Day will take place on Sunday, 21st August, in partnership with the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO). In Clare, our history and heritage have been shaped by the sea and rivers, lakes and wetlands. Water Heritage Day will highlight projects that celebrate water and our connections with it. Among the events planned for Water Heritage Day is a family fun day in the Shannon Town Community Wetlands looking at wetland plants and animals, undertaking a pond-dip to check out what lives in the water, and to partake in outdoor games.
Irish Peatland Conservation Council (IPCC) has recently purchased Ketts Lough, part of Tullagher Lough and Bog SAC in County Clare for the purpose of protecting and conserving it for future generations. The IPCC will share a short video on 15th August at 10am on IPCC’s YouTube channel and social media, showing this beautiful wetland habitat and the local biodiversity which make it an incredibly important wildlife refuge. While the Clarecastle Heritage Group will launch five films on preserving the fishing heritage and local history of the area.
The artisan crafts and produce of County Clare will be showcased at the Cliffs of Moher Experience as part of a series of daily events running throughout Heritage Week. The Cliffs of Moher visitor centre will host local suppliers from a different part of the county each day, including Wilde Irish Chocolates (Tuamgraney), Creative Clay (Sixmilebridge), artist Doreen Drennan (Lisdoonvarna), Sallyann’s Handmade Bags (Miltown Malbay), Irish Slate Craft (Lahinch), Wix and Wax (Ennis) and Glendara Art (Feakle).
Other activities will take place daily between 10.00am to 4.00pm. Storytellers will recount tales from the cliffs and the surrounding area, there will free guided tours of the site offered twice daily, birdwatching, a talk on the tradition of surfing Aileen’s Wave at Aille na Searach, and music, dance and interactive demonstrations. Meanwhile, children will be invited to take part in Biodiversity Treasure Hunts in which they will have to seek out etchings scattered throughout the visitor attraction as well as identifying the natural flowers at the Cliffs of Moher.
“The participation of the Cliffs of Moher Experience in National Heritage Week affords us a great opportunity to showcase Ireland’s most visited natural attraction, the wonderful biodiversity that we have here and the built heritage of the site, including the 19th century O’Brien’s Tower,” explained Geraldine Enright, Director of Cliffs of Moher Experience. “Heritage Week is a fantastic vehicle for conserving and protecting our heritage for future generations.”
Ms. Enright continued, “As part of the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark we are proud to be able to support local suppliers. Many of the products purchased by visitors to the Cliffs of Moher Experience contribute to the local economy. Each day, we will be promoting a supplier of one of the many craft products on offer throughout the year at the Cliffs of Moher. The initiative forms part of our Meet The Makers programme which invites visitors to discover more about the artists, producers and craftspeople.”
The products showcased in the Meet The Makers programme are from local suppliers in County Clare and are available in the Craft and Gift Store or in the shops at the Craftworkers Street outside the visitor centre. The local producers that have engaged directly with visitors in recent months include Palm Free Irish Soap (Killaloe), Quin Art Shop, Irish Slate Craft (Lahinch), Airmid Soap (Ennistymon) and The Morrison Art Gallery (Lahinch).
The Cliffs of Moher Experience is Ireland’s most visited natural attraction, a Signature Discovery Point on the Wild Atlantic Way, a main Geosite of the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Geopark, and a Special Protection Area (SPA) under Natura 2000 designation. The visitor attraction is a wholly owned tourism asset of Clare County Council.
Visit www.cliffsofmoher.ie or www.heritageweek.ie for more details.
List of Clare Heritage Week events by area:
Ennis
Ukrainian Irish Intercultural Celebration
Visit Ennis Friary – One of Ireland’s oldest Franciscan Friaries and burial place of the ancient kings of Clare
Storytelling for Biodiversity
Clarecaste Tree Survey Project
Preserving the Fishing Heritage & Local History of Clarecastle in Film
Family Woodland Fun in John O’Sullivan Park, Ennis, Co.Clare
North Clare
Communities for Heritage
Wild Weaving for families in Ennistymon, Co. Clare
Walking Tour of Ennistymon Town and its Historic Vernacular Shop fronts
A Guided Walk On the Upper Inagh River with Inagh EIP Famer
The Geological History of Lisdoonvarna
Family friendly early morning nature walk on the Inagh & Ballymacraven Rivers
The Monks and the Landscape: Corcomroe Abbey in the Burren
Guess the Geosite!
The Geology of Fanore Beach, A UNESCO Global Geopark Geosite
The Habitats, Monuments and Culture of Burren Winterage farming
Total Meltdown: The end of the Ice Age in the Burren
Antiques Rockshow at the Burren Centre, Kilfenora
An afternoon of events in St Fachnan’s Cathedral, Kilfenora
Free opening of the Burren Centre Exhibition
The Market Heritage of Kilfenora: A Cycling Tour
What’s your favourite cross?
Inchiquin House Open Day
Show and Tell! Liscannor Heritage
The Meadow of the Birch Trees; the Heritage of Inchovea
Come to the well!
An Archaeological Walk to Templecronan
Whale Watch Ireland 2022, Black Head, North Clare
West Clare
“Who puts the ‘bee’ in Labasheeda?”
Daily Guided tours of Scattery Island
Scattery Island’s Graveyard Inscriptions
Exhibition of the Barrett Archival Collection, Kilrush
Loophead Lightkeeper’s House Open Day
Biodiversity Walk
Shackleton – Kilkee Connection
The Jussi Bjorling Story
Kilkee Heritage walk
Heritage Road Show
Discovering Ketts Lough with IPCC
Whale Watch Ireland 2022 Loop Head
An Audio Guide to Spanish Point – Its History and Heritage
East Clare
Tales of the Cathedral
Kiltannon Caves
Guided Walk – Whitegate
Food Heritage for Biodiversity
Wild Child in the Woods
Derrainy, Whitegate: Some elements of its history
South Clare
12 O’Clock Hills 4k Heritage Walk
Discover Your Local Wetlands In Shannon Town
A Brief Tour of Quin Friary – A Guided Tour
Bog walk and talk on Shanakyle Bog
Kilmaleery Holy Well and Graveyard
Heritage Walking Tour of Sixmilebridge
Annual Bat Talk and Walk
Pole Lathe Demonstration
Ogham Trail
Bronze Age Food Display and Bread Baking
The Art of Ancient Cooking at the Fulacht Fiadh
Blacksmith Demonstration
Craggaunowen Interactive Trail
The Origins of Wool Dyeing
Demonstration & Talk on the Art of Wool Spinning and Textiles
The Life of the Royal Irish Constabulary Policeman
Historical Talk on the Architecture & Artifacts of Bunratty Castle
Life of the Bean an Tí
Animal Husbandry and Heritage Animals in Bunratty Folk Park
Traditional Thatching Demonstration
Regency Garden and Biodiversity Demonstration
Music in Irish Society
Tales of Irish Mythology
Online
Would You Not Just Knock it?! – The Possibilities For Re-using Old Houses
A Brief Tour of Quin Friary – A Guided Tour
An Audio Guide to Spanish Point – Its History and Heritage
Discovering Ketts Lough with IPCC
