The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
AWARD-winning singer-songwriter Damien Dempsey met with Cuimhneamh an Chláir recently to check on progress and acknowledge a year of unprecedented success for the group.
Dempsey, who describes himself as a huge supporter of Cuimhneamh an Chláir, first met the group in 2009 when he endorsed their efforts to document the memories of the county’s oldest citizens.
The singer-songwriter took time out of his busy schedule, after playing a gig at Glór in Ennis, to meet members of the group and discuss their progress.
Since their establishment, Cuimhneamh an Chláir have conducted almost 450 interviews with the county’s oldest citizens. During the last year, the group were nominated for four national accolades and one European award. They were also shortlisted in the top three nationally in the Allianz Business to Arts Awards Programme and nominated for a Pride of Place Award by Co-operation Ireland.
In September, Clounlaheen’s Catherine Talty, a 96-year-old interviewee and supporter of Cuimhneamh, won the National Google IT award. Project co-ordinator Tomás Mac Conmara also lectured at the Milwaukee Hedge School series in Wisconsin USA this year.
In September, the Oral History Network of Ireland held their annual international Oral History Conference in Ennis and leading oral history theorist Allesandro Portelli spoke at it.
The group have also developed their listening room concept, Come here till I tell ya, where they visit communities across the county, playing them memories from their archive.
“We survived so many torments and terrible hardships down through our history because we cherished our elders and their songs and stories and their wisdom and community spirit can’t exist without looking after the ones who bore and raised us and protected us from danger,” Dempsey said.
“You can’t live eight decades on this earth and not pick up a few vital tips,” he continued.
The singer commended the efforts of Cuimhneamh and provided them with a short video endorsement, stating his support for their ongoing work, “Deep young enquiring-minded Irish people, like Cuimhneamh an Chláir, will be lauded as keepers of the flame in years to come by the nation”.
“As a totally voluntary group, it’s very difficult to manage what is in effect a countywide organisation with all the administrative and fundraising issues that brings. Support from people like Damien Dempsey highlights our efforts and will make more people aware of both the importance of our work but, more importantly, the importance of our older people,” said Martin Eoin Walsh, a member of Cuimhneamh an Chláir.
The group presented Damien with a sample of memories from the archive in recognition of his support. Samples of Cuimhneamh’s work is available online at www.clarememories.ie.
