Clare projects to benefit for Heritage Council grants

A NUMBER of projects across Clare ranging from tracking feral goats to developing ecological skills are to get grants from the Heritage Council it was announced this week.
Nationwide, more than 350 projects were allocated funding under the Heritage Council’s 2010 Grants Programme, to assist in the management, development and conservation of different aspects of our national heritage.
In Clare, CELT Heritage Skills Programme for Sustainable Living was one of the projects allocated funding.
This project will include practical hands-on training courses, skills demonstrations, consultancy and networking. It is designed to increase awareness of natural heritage and the rich local heritage of traditional and ecological skills which can be used in harmony with modern technology.
Recording, publishing, maintenance and promotion the fieldnames of County Clare by Clare Placenames Committee is another project to receive funding under the programme.
A grant was also allocated to Our Burren, Our Future, which are two 20-week courses on the Burren’s heritage; one for children and one for adults.
Another North Clare project to get funding is Burren in Bloom, a programme of walks and talks covering how the landscape was formed, man’s impact upon it, its wildlife, the management issues that exist in relation to the Burren and how these might be resolved.
Funding was allocated to a project assessing the movements of Burren feral goats using GPS tracking to inform future management plans. This project is designed to quantify herd resource use including time spent being active, distances travelled, home range sizes and habitat preferences.
Ireland – Dig It! a children’s TV series for The Den, RTÉ by Mind the Gap Films is also to receive funding. The series will explore prehistoric Ireland, the Bronze Age and the Viking invasions. As part of this series, Mind the Gap Films will work with Clare local authority museum and children from the county. 
The Open Hearth Education Programme based on Clare folk traditions and folk life is also to receive funding.
“Behind many of the projects are teams of volunteers who work tirelessly to ensure that our heritage can be valued and enjoyed. The Heritage Council would like to recognise the significant contribution volunteers make to the protection and enhancement of our national heritage. Our heritage assets are a key economic resource and this support is a great boost to local communities during these difficult times,” the Heritage Council chief executive, Michael Starrett, commented.
Further information on funding allocations is available from www.heritagecouncil.ie.