Monday 29 July 2013

Merriman Summer School 2013 Lisdoonvarna, August 14-18













Cumann Merriman has a long tradition of exploring and reflecting on topical and pertinent societal issues. This year’s School in Lisdoonvarna, County Clare, will take a close look at politics, society and culture in the two Irelands over the past 15 years since the Good Friday Agreement.  Fianna Fáil leader Mícheal Martin will deliver the opening lecture on Wednesday 14th August at 8.30 pm. The closing event on Sunday 18th August at 11 am will feature MEP Marian Harkin and Alliance MP Naomi Long and will be followed by a special Burren brunch featuring local growers, producers and chefs. In between there are over 30 speakers and performers, including Church of Ireland primate Archbishop Richard Clarke, former head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service Sir Ken Bloomfield, Director of the Irish School of Ecumenics Geraldine Smyth and cultural critic Edna Longley. There's a special round table of young politicians from North and South on Saturday 17th in the afternoon.  Cultural highlights include an evening of poetry with Nobel Laureate and patron of the Summer School, Seamus Heaney and his friend and fellow poet, Michael Longley; mid day readings by poets Leanne O’ Sullivan and Gearóid Mac Lochlainn; and a concertina recital by Jack Talty and Cormac O Beaglaoich. And of course there’s singing and dancing at Club Merriman in the evenings. There is no need to pre-register for the school, which is open to everyone. People may register for the full school but are also welcome to attend individual events. Those coming for a few days are strongly advised to book accommodation in advance.  Full details of the programme and speakers are available on www.merriman.ie or by phoning 086 382 0671 during office hours.

Friday 26 July 2013

Kevin Crawford, Christy Barry and Eoin O Neill in Liscannor

"Live in Concert in Liscannor, County Clare, July 2013." Kevin Crawford, Christy Barry and Eoin O Neill play Ray's Revenge & The Hulahoop, two of Kevin Crawford's compositions. Posted on Youtube on the 5th of july 2013 by Tony O'Loughlin.

Martin Hayes and David Power - Masters of Tradition

"Masters of Tradition brought to Santa Cruz by the Celtic Society of Monterey Bay at the Rio Theatre." Posted on Youtube on the 3rd of May 2013 by Zahller.

Weeping Willow: Pádraig Rynne, Tóla Custy, Paul McSherry and John McSherry

Weeping Willow (Pádraig Rynne and Tóla Custy from County Clare, and Paul McSherry and John McSherry from Belfast) play Bye A While on the BBC TV programme Cuisle. Posted on Youtube on the 11th of July 2013 by TGcraic.

Travel Guide - Viaje A County Clare En Ireland En Espanol

Posted on Youtube on the 23rd of July 2013 by TravelLife001.

Cliffs of Moher Reilly Family 2013

Posted on Youtube on the 25th of July 2013 by Gray Reilly.

Kayaking through sea caves, County Clare

Posted on Youtube on the 20th of July 2013 by Wesley Cowpar.

Adventures of a mute swan family on Lough Derg, County Clare

"A time in the life of a mute swan family, filmed on Lough Derg, county Clare, Ireland." Posted on Youtube on the 21st of july 2013 by huckleberryrabbit.

Doolin Waves

Posted on Youtube on the 18th of July 2013 by Sebastian Kaczmarek.

Tuesday 23 July 2013

Charles Lucas and County Clare - talk and exhibition

To mark the tercentenary of the birth of Charles Lucas, Ennistymon Public Library will host a talk by Sean J. Murphy entitled ‘Charles Lucas and County Clare’ on Friday 16th August 2013 at 7pm. Sean Murphy is an historian, genealogist and author and has taught Adult Education classes in family history in University College Dublin since 1989. He completed an MA thesis on Charles Lucas's political career in UCD in 1981 and is currently revising an online biography of the Clare-born patriot to mark the 300th anniversary of his birth. Sean, family and friends have holidayed in Clare for many years and he is still picking up details about Lucas's connections with the county. All are welcome and admission is free. In conjunction with the talk, Ennistymon Public Library will host a display on the life and achievements of Charles Lucas during the month of August.

Scariff Library's Teen Book Club’s Summer Party

Scariff Public Library's Teen Book Club held their summer book club party recently where they talked about their favourite books from the year and best moments from the book club meetings. Some teens will be leaving for university in September and will be sadly missed. They've promised though to come back for guest appearances! In the photo they are standing beside the recent teen book collection in the library with titles chosen by the book club. Everyone is looking forward to another great year for the book club.

Thursday 18 July 2013

James Cullinan plays two reels, 1988

"Two reels played by James Cullinan from County Clare. Recorded in 1988." Posted on Youtube on the 11th of 2013 by Arnoldo Banks.

39 Shots play Surfin' Valentine '65

Ennis based band 39 Shots play Surfin' Valentine '65. "This little ditty was performed in front of a live studio garden in Ennis, Co. Clare. On a very warm day." Posted on Youtube on the 10th of July 2013 by Ceirthe.

The Music Makers of West Clare - Visitor Attraction

"While visiting the West of Ireland, why not take the opportunity to immerse yourself in this story of traditional music, song and dance. At our new visitor centre you can read first-hand accounts about our renowned musicians. Enjoy a 8-minute film telling the story behind the music and learn about the origin of the instruments and the people who played them. Open Daily 10am to 6pm €5. View "The Session", a specially commissioned 14-minute film featuring some of our most talented local musicians, playing the music most loved by the great musical masters of County Clare." Posted on Youtube on the 16th of July 2013 by VisitMiltownMalbay.

The Clearing of Kilranaghan Graveyard















In 1942 Clare County Council gave a grant to clear bushes in Kilranaghan Graveyard near Ruan. The graveyard – which is also known as Ranaghan, and The Coille - was the burial place for many who died during the Great Famine, as well as others. In the recording below, the late Michael and Mary Considine of Moyrhee Commons talk to Paddy Casey about the work carried out there and the re-interment of the Famine victims. Transcription of the headstones in Kilranaghan and Old Ruan Graveyards has recently been carried out and published by Frances O’Halloran and Linda Hogan.

Willie Clancy Summer School 2013 - Session in Michael A's

Willie Clancy Summer School 2013 - Session in Michael A's (Hillery's) pub, Miltown Malbay. Posted on Youtube on the 15th of July 2013 by Edwina Guckian.

The Ennis Street Festival 2013

The Ennis Street Festival 2013. Posted on Youtube on the 15th of July 2013 by kali FX.

Cliffs of Moher Moher Moher!

Posted on Youtube on the 16th of July 2013 by Gary Warner.

Kayak Fishing, Kilkee

"Kayak fishing in Kilkee, County Clare, by George's head in the heat of July." Posted on Youtube on the 14th of July 2013 by John Collins.

Brian Boru Art competition and puppet show in Killaloe Library

An art competition was recently organized by the Brian Boru festival committee for children of all ages in Killaloe Public Library. The puppet show was run by Myles Breen and was enjoyed by a large audience outside the library building. The weather on the day was glorious and this helped the event greatly in that children could do their drawing outside on the paving also.

Friday 12 July 2013

Clare GenMaps - mapping surnames, monuments and places in County Clare with Bing, Open Street Map, ESRI and the 1842 Ordnance Survey maps of Clare.

Clare County Library has just launched a brand new online interactive maps service which shows the distribution of surnames in the county in the 19th Century. The new online Clare GenMaps utilise the ESRI ArcGIS API for FLEX, allowing ESRI, Bing and Open Street Maps to be overlaid with historical maps of Clare from 1842. This new system, developed for the library by Rainer Kosbi, enables the visual representation of surname distribution from three distinct sources. The 1820s-1840s Tithe Applotment Books names all tithe payers in the county (excluding the towns and villages), the 1852/1855 Griffith's Valuation names all ratepayers in the county, and the 1901 Census names every person present in the county on census night.

The new Clare GenMaps are now available on the library website at http://www.clarelibrary.ie, and the new interactive heatmaps are directly linked to the thousands of pages on the library website dealing with the archaeology, history, genealogy and administrative divisions of County Clare. There is a helpful video guide to the surnames element included also.

Lisdoonvarna 50 years ago
















People have been heading to Lisdoonvarna in September in search of romance and dancing for many years and it’s now Europe’s biggest matchmaking festival. The festival has changed and developed over the years, and this year includes The Outing a gay and lesbian matchmaking weekend. Michael John Glynne photographed the festivities over many years. A selection of his photos of Lisdoonvarna, taken 50 years ago, is now available on Foto: Clare County Library’s online photographs. More photographs will be added over the coming weeks.

Thursday 11 July 2013

Fleadh Nua 2013: Cyril O'Donaghue, Meabh O'Hare, Blackie O'Connell, and Eamonn Cotter

"Fleadh Nua kicks off the 2013 Riches of Clare series - Day 1: Cyril O'Donaghue, Meabh O'Hare, Blackie O'Connell, and my apologies to Eamonn Cotter (hidden behind the podium, but still mighty). Also, apologies for some of the jumpiness in the video, but happy feet can not keep still when such fantastic music is in the room." Posted on Youtube on the 20th of May 2013 by Niamhaines.

The Fleadh Nua Experience

The Fleadh Nua, Ennis. Posted on Youtube on the 13th of March 2012 by bacaed07.

Fleadh Nua 2013 Session in Ciarán's

Paul Smyth, Jed Foley & friends playing in Ciarán's, Ennis, during the Fleadh Nua 2013. Posted on Youtube on the 8th of July 2013 by pafinlife4.

The Conectors

The Conectors from East Clare play one of their own compositions. Posted on youtubeon the 19th of February 2013 by jason conectors.

County Clare

Posted on Youtube on the 7th of July 2013 by titemarguerite.

The Late Late Show Tribute To Sharon Shannon

The Late Late Show Tribute To Sharon Shannon. Posted on Youtube on the 21st of June 20133 by Conor Ryan.

The Yard - a session during the Willie Clancy Week 2013

Posted on Youtube on the 10th of July 2013 by Mailtownmalbaytheyard.

Shannon Ferries - County Clare

"Shannon Ferries provides quick 20-minute ferry-hops across the Shannon Estuary. The service operates every hour from Killimer on the hour and Tarbert on the half hour. Ferries run every day of the year (except Christmas Day) from 7am to 9:30pm Monday - Saturday, and from 9am on Sundays." Posted on Youtube on the 9th of July 2013 by mydesinationvideo.

Friday 5 July 2013

Martin Hayes and Steve Cooney at Doolin Folk Festival

"Fiddler Martin Hayes and guitarist Steve Cooney play at a very windy Doolin Folk Festival, June 14, 2013." Posted on Youtube on the 14th of June 2013 by Marcie Miller.

Riches of Clare concert with Joan Hanrahan, Brid O'Gorman and Eoin O'Neill

Joan Hanrahan (fiddle), Brid O'Gorman (flute) and Eoin O'Neill (bouzouki) at the Riches of Clare lunchtime concert in the Clare Museum, Ennis, on the 3rd of July 2013. Posted on Youtube on the 3rd of July 2013 by Alan Hogan.

The Shaskeen Selection from Doolin Céilí Band

"A rousing finish to their set at Doolin Folk Festival 2013, County Clare." Posted on Youtube on the 17th of June 2013 by Gach Treo.

Clare County Library launches new eBooks service

Clare County Library has partnered with OpenBooks Ireland and Wheelers eBooks of New Zealand to offer our library members a new service enabling the free download and usage of a wide range of eBooks from one of the world's primary eBook suppliers. Members of Clare County Library can borrow one ebook at a time and hold it for three weeks. Both fiction and non-fiction titles for adults and children are available. Classic titles such as The Mill on the Floss and War and Peace as well as more contemporary books by James Patterson and Jodie Picoult can be borrowed. There are history, self-help, biography, cookery books and travel guides for adults. Exciting series for young readers by authors such as Holly Webb are available in addition to The Scream Street series for older readers in search of a fright. Children can explore Ancient Rome, Greece or Egypt with books detailing 25 great projects, activities and experiments for each location. More info...

The Church Of The Immaculate Conception, Lahinch

"The Church Of The Immaculate Conception in Lahinch, County Clare, Ireland. Audio is by Thomsie O'Sullivan of the North Clare Historical Society, introduced by Frances Madigan. Walking tour took place May 29, 2013." Posted on Youtube on the 26th of June 2013 by Maureen Ward.

Sea views of the Cliffs of Moher, June 2013

Posted on Youtube on the 27th of June 2013 by 2010sarka.

Clare Crusaders: Business achievers

"Social Enterprise -- Clare Crusaders Children's Charity, Clare. The Clare Crusaders Children's Charity was founded in 2005 by Ann Norton, Frank Cassidy and the late Howard Flannery, to provide much needed therapy to children with special needs in areas such as cerebral palsy, autism, and Down syndrome. Located in Barefield, Co. Clare, the Clare Crusaders Children's Clinic is run on a voluntary basis and provides a variety of therapies to over 230 children in the Clare region. The services are free of charge and include speech therapy, occupational therapy, special education, physiotherapy and reflexology." Posted on Youtube on the 25th of June 2013 by ron immink.

Sea-thong, an edible seaweed on the west coast of Ireland

"Sea-thong (Himanthalia elongata) above and below water at Finavarra, County Clare on the shores of the Burren, a world-class biodiversity centre. The "thongs" are formed on mushroom like growths that are produced each year and form new "thongs" in the Spring. These mature in the summer and reproduce with male and female gametes forming in conceptacles. These are released into the water and form zygotes giving new mushroom like growths. Sea-thong is also know as Sea-spaghetti, as it is edible." posted on Youtube on the 27th of June 2013 by Mike Guiry.

Thursday 4 July 2013

Winning Words - Book Promotion for children

Winning Words is Clare County Library’s latest Book Promotion for children and the featured books are currently available for borrowing at deValera Public Library, Ennis. It comprises multiple copies of 22 titles, all winners of either the Bisto Book of the Year and its sister award, the Eilis Dillon, during the past decade. The collection includes books for all ages from toddlers to teens. The Bisto Book of the Year Award was introduced by Children’s Books Ireland to recognise talent in the field of children’s literature by Irish authors or authors living in Ireland and has recently been re-named the CBI Children’s Book of the Year Awards. Authors and illustrators born or resident in Ireland whose books are written either in Irish or English are eligible for consideration. Clare County Library has published colour brochures to accompany four free standing, full colour displays that have been kindly lent by Children’s Books Ireland. The brochures provide a background to the collection as well as a short review of each book included. The collection will be available in other libraries in Clare throughout the year. The collection can also be viewed on the library website at http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/library/services/book-promos/winning_words/winning_words.htm

Irish Aid ‘Education for All Awards’ exhibition, Kilrush Library

Over 600 schools from all over Ireland registered for the ‘Our World Irish Aid Awards’ and St Senan’s Primary School Kilrush was one of the 15 schools who were short listed for the Regional Final, which took place in Croke Park on June 18th. The 2013 Awards theme, “Education for all the world’s children” helped to raise awareness amongst children of the links between education and poverty in the world and the comparison between their lives and the lives of families in developing countries. Teachers were provided with lesson plans, information, support and advice and children were encouraged to present their ideas and understanding of this topic through a range of media including art, music, drama, photography and film. Congratulations to two pupils from St Senan’s Kilrush, Ava Cullinan and Dylan Gilmartin who were Munster Finalists of the Sightsavers Junior Painter Awards. St Senan’s School received an award in recognition of their achievement for excellence in global awareness as part of the “Our World Irish Aid Awards 2012/2013. The winning entries and plaque will be on display at Kilrush Public Library throughout the month of July.

Scariff Quick Reads Adult Literacy Group

Scariff Quick Reads Adult Literacy Group held their final meeting before their summer holidays on 3rd July at Scariff Public Library. The group have met every Wednesday for the past year and a half and have produced projects and displayed several exhibitions over that time period. Great fun is had by all at each meeting and it is obvious that there is a positive growth, an increasing interest in literacy and strong social bonds formed.