Heritage Week awards for County Clare Bogs, Boats and Dolphins

THREE Clare events celebrating the county’s heritage have been honoured by the Heritage Council.

Ninety events took place in County Clare for National Heritage Week this year, with many outstanding events showcasing the fantastic heritage of County Clare.

Three Clare Heritage Week events starred at the National Heritage Awards 2022 which were held recently.

Shanakyle Bog Restoration Project, Connecting Communities with Peatland “Walk & Talk on Shanakyle Bog” was awarded the County Clare Heritage Event Award. Shanakyle Bog is located near Parteen.

It is approximately 70 acres in extent, of which 30 acres was subject to restoration and rewetting work by Shanakyle Bog Restoration Group in 2021. The bog was managed for domestic turf cutting in the past with peat extraction peaking during the 1940s.

Turf cutting has not been practiced in over 40 years on the bog and some sections of the bog regenerated on its own to form active raised bog (ARB) on cutover characterised by Sphagnum lawns which give rise to a spectacular display of colours.

The walk and talk on Shanakyle Bog illustrated how the rewetting and restoration process, habitat and biodiversity enhancements were undertaken, and the benefits that the results bring to our ecosystem and communities.

Targeted rewetting of the bog including the installation of peat bunds and peat dams of raised and cutover bog began in October 2021 and was completed in December 2021. It is the first raised bog restoration and rewetting project to be carried out in Co. Clare.

“Preserving the Fishing Heritage & Local History of Clarecastle in Film” Clarecastle & Ballyea Heritage & Wildlife Group were runners up in the national category of Sustainable Heritage Award.

Five films were launched in Clarecastle during Heritage Week 2022 and all the films are featured on the Clarecastle website as part of the Irish Community Archives Network.

The group made three films about the making of two gandalow boats, built by the Clarecastle men sheds and the making of a punt boat by two of the former local salmon fishermen. The films recorded the skills of boat building, which are in danger of being lost, but are now preserved in film for future generations.

Another short film presented the story of a recently discovered rare autograph book of national importance and found to contain the signatures of many of the personalities that were present in Ennis for the By-Election in July 1917.

The Heritage group spent time during Covid in compiling an Illustrated Parish Milestones in film format as an educational resource for the local community and schools.

It is a large collection of photographs, maps, documents, images of the Parish going back for thousands of years.

“The film is a wonderful educational resource for the local community and schools, also the wider community in our rapidly expanding housing schemes,” outlines Eric Shaw of the group who expressed appreciation to all who attended their events during Heritage Week and Clare Heritage Officer, Congella McGuire.

To watch the films, go to: https://clarecastleballyea.clareheritage.org/topics/port-of-clare/boat-building-in-clarecastle/ 

Also acknowledged at the Heritage Week Awards was the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group at the Shannon Dolphin Centre at Merchants Quay in Kilrush who held a “Dolphin Scavanger Hunt”. This event was a runners up in the national categories Wild Child Award sponsored by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.

The event was aimed at young people between the ages of 5-12, where the children were encouraged to explore the town of Kilrush, while also learning about the resident pod of bottlenose dolphins living in the Shannon Estuary. Clues and a map of Kilrush was given to enable the children to find the missing dolphins and return them home to the Shannon Dolphin Centre. Local businesses supported the Scavanger Hunt with some fantastic prizes for the fastest scavenger.

For more information on the Shannon Dolphin Project, go to: https://iwdg.ie/shannon-dolphin-project/
See Heritageweek.ie events to learn more about all the wonderful events and digital projects from County Clare featured for National Heritage Week 2022.