GAA history project for Clare

The history of the GAA in Clare will be the focus of a major history project to be carried out over the next 12 months. The GAA Oral History Project is one of the biggest sporting history initiatives ever undertaken.
Commissioned by the GAA and to be carried out by a team based at Boston College in Dublin, the aim is to collect a body of material that will be stored in the GAA Museum in Croke Park.
Already hundreds of interviews have been carried out across Ireland and overseas and an impressive collection of documents and photographs has been gathered.
Arlene Crampsie, who is a researcher on the project, is coming to Clare next Monday for five days.
Ms Crampsie is looking for people to record interviews with, including GAA members and supporters and anyone who has ever had any contact or involvement with the GAA.
However, while she will be in Clare for five days, the interviewing process will continue for 12 months. Due to the scope of the project, organisers are seeking volunteers to help conduct some of the interviews in Clare.
In addition to recording interviews and in order to reach the largest number of people possible, the GAA Oral History Project is also providing questionnaires for people to fill out or alternatively send the project a letter or email about the place the GAA has in their lives.
The aim in Clare is that people from every parish, club and school will contribute, either by doing an interview, filling out a questionnaire, writing a letter or donating material. The project aims to collect at least 10 responses from every GAA club in the county so that the role played by the grassroots members of the GAA is preserved for future generations. The project also intends to collect the memories of the members of all the organisations under the umbrella of the GAA, including ladies’ football, camogie, handball, rounders and Scór.
“You do not have to know a lot about the GAA or have a lot to say to take part.
“We are hoping to gather photographs, videos and recordings of the social life surrounding the GAA, whether they are of families having a picnic on the way to or from a match, spectators at a match, supporters on the train or bus to a match, homecoming celebrations and commiserations or of social events,” Ms Crampsie explained.
“We are also hoping to collect posters, letters, songs, poems and prayers relating to the GAA. We would like material relating to social events organised around the GAA, records and minute books, correspondence and financial material from counties and clubs and anything which tells us the stories of the people behind the organisation,” she added.
For further information on any aspect of the project, contact Arlene Crampsie on 01 6147456 or write to the project at GAA Oral History Project, 42 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2 or email   info@gaahistory.com.