This article is from page 12 of the 2006-11-28 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
COIS NA hABHNA, the Clare Comhaltas cultural centre in Ennis, will be one of the main beneficiaries of a €65 million development programme being undertaken by Comhaltas which has designated the Clare venue as one of eight regional centres for the promotion of Irish cultural traditions.
The building on the Gort Road in Ennis is at present undergoing major renovation which will be completed in time for Fleadh Nua 2007.
The old church in Kilrush, which has been donated by the Church of Ireland to Comhaltas, will also benefit as an outreach centre under the Development Programme.
The programme, which is being grant-aided by the Government and supported with buildings from a number of sources, will be the most expansive programme ever for the propagation of cultural traditions in the history of the State.
The initial grant-aid for Cois na hAbhna and Kilrush will be in the region of € 2.5m. The other seven regional resource centres will be based in Dundalk, Dublin (Monkstown and Clontarf), Cashel, Gurteen (Co. Sligo), and Mullingar as well as several outreach centres.
The Programme is rooted in the community and will be sustained and developed by a number of imaginative and complementary projects. It will involve the decentralisation of several Comhaltas elements i.e. education, archives, merchandise and performance outlets. It will be driven by regionally based “meitheal” teams.
Cois na hAbhna development board chairman, Frank Whelan, said the programme would enable them to build on the solid foundation bequeathed by the great men and women of the past.
It was good news for the cultural movement and they looked with confidence to the future. Describing the programme as a huge boost for Ireland’s cultural indentity, Comhaltas Director General, Senator Labhrás Ó Murchú said it would empower the meitheal of volunteers to develop cultural potential at community level, which might otherwise remain dormant.
“The result of the new Comhaltas Development Programme will in time impact on every region of Ireland and throughout the Irish Diaspora. This is an official acknowledgement of the successful and valuable work done by the thousands of Comhaltas volunteers at community level for over half a century,” he said.