This article is from page 13 of the 2011-04-05 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 13 JPG
CUIMHNEAMH an Chláir, the Clare oral history and folklore group, is preparing to spread its wings as far as the nation’s capital in an attempt to track down and interview older Clare people living in Dublin.
The voluntary local group has recorded and saved the stories of countless Clare people over the last two years. The group have recorded the stories of a number of Clare people who have sadly since passed away including recordings of Ireland’s old- est man, 106-year-old Paddy Gleeson, before his death in September.
The new initiative, which is entitled ‘A part of what was Dublin’ was launched by the group last week.
Two Dublin-based Clare natives have been trained by the group in recent months and are ready to start documenting the lives of older Banner natives who are based in Dublin.
The work is to be carried out by East Clare natives Bríd McNamara and Tara Sparling, who have been trained under the Cuimhneamh an Chláir Cuairteoir programme and have also conducted their first interview with 91-year-old Ennis native Mai McNamara.
“It’s great to be involved in documenting the history of Clare lives in Dublin. As a Clare woman, I’m delighted to be working with Cuimhneamh an Chláir on this project,” said Brid.
“It can’t have been easy for these people to leave their homes to find work in Dublin when they did and I’ve no doubt that they all retain a strong sense of identity as Clare people and will be happy to tell us their story.
“The recording with Mai McNamara, who left Clare for Dublin in the 1950s, already demonstrates the wealth of memories that exist among the elderly Clare natives in Dublin.”
Immigration from Clare to Dublin was at its highest level since the Famine in the 1950s and the group is hoping to tell the stories of many of the Clare people who were forced to leave during this period.
“We are very conscious that Clare people who migrated or emigrated in the past often retain a strong connec- tion to the county and also have picture perfect memories of their youths in Clare,” said Cormac McCarthy of Cuimhneamh an Chláir.
“We have gotten strong support from the Clare Association in Dublin and hope that with a media campaign in the capital that we will hear from many Clare natives who should be recorded.”
Anyone who wishes to nominated elderly Clare people in Dublin are asked to contact clarememories@eircom.net or telephone 087 9160373.