THIS Saturday will see a local Heritage Week event, with the launch of the Hastings Farmhouse Restoration Project, from 3-5.30pm.
Hastings Farmhouse (which is between the Crematorium and Illaunmanagh Cemetery) is the last remnant of 19th Century farming landscape in the Tullyvarraga area.
Its remaining walls were conserved by Dúchas na Sionna in 2012, and it is now hoped to fully restore the house and outbuilding for use as a heritage centre, community venue and exhibition space.
The restoration is a collaborative project between Dúchas na Sionna and the Shannon Archaeological & Historical Society with assistance from Clare County Council, the Clare Local Development Company, the Heritage Council and the Built Heritage Fund,
Saturday will launch phase one of the project, which will see the completion of a conservation plan, feasibility study, architectural survey and the consolidation of the existing walls in advance of the proposed restoration.
It will be launched by Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council PJ Ryan and feature traditional music from the Sixmilebridge Folk Group and friends.
There will be a chance to hear the stories of the farmhouse and the traditional way of life that it represents.
One can also hear how General Lucas, who was captured in County Cork by the IRA was accommodated in the farmhouse during the War of Independence.
The relationship that developed between the general and his captors is well documented as is the exchange of letters between him and his wife. Famously after his captivity ended he said that he “was treated as a gentleman by gentlemen”.
There will be an opportunity to hear about the proposed restoration of the farmhouse and to meet with a representative from Kittiwake Solutions who will be conducting the feasibility study.
This is the first of several public consultation opportunities for the community to contribute to the ideas on the future of Hastings Farmhouse.
Another Heritage Week event will take place on Sunday evening at 6.30pm as Jake Justice and Micheál Mac Gearailt, members of the Shannon Archaeological & Historical Society go through some of the modern estates of Shannon, revealing near-forgotten place names of what was once the marshland and pasture of the Ballycasey and Clonmoney areas.
Jake and Micheál are students of Heritage and Celtic Languages respectively and they spent lockdown collecting and recording the field and minor placenames of their locality, primarily the Shannon and Sixmilebridge areas.
Feeding into the national Logainm project they have been responsible for entering hundreds of these minor placenames onto the national database. Such minor placenames are disappearing rapidly and work such as that undertaken by Jake and Micheál is ensuring that the names are recorded before they are lost forever.
Micheál and Jake already shared their work with members of the Shannon Archaeological &
Historical Society through a lecture delivered via Zoom in February 2021 and have inspired other groups around the county to become involved in the Placenames Project.
This event will start at 6.30pm on Sunday in front of Ballycasey House.

by Owen Ryan