Heritage weekend brings life to Doolin’s past

The natural and built heritage of Doolin will be highlighted next month as part of an initiative by local residents and business people to conserve and restore the area’s key sites.
The inaugural Doolin Heritage Weekend will take place in the North Clare village in June. Ten speakers, highly respected in the field of archaeology and conservation will form the main body of the two-day programme of seminars.
The Doolin Heritage Weekend is the brainchild of Joseph McCooey, a long-term resident of Doolin, who has worked as a commercial archaeologist with TVAS Ireland Limited and is a member of the newly formed Doolin Heritage Committee.
“A two day seminar will be held on June 16 and 17 in the Russell Cultural Centre, Doolin. The main objective of the weekend is to raise awareness both locally and nationally of the need to conserve and restore heritage buildings in the Doolin area, commencing with work to Killilagh Church window and with an archaeological survey of Toomullin Church” he advised.
“I am delighted that Dr Peter Harbison, renowned archaeologist and art historian, will be the keynote speaker at the seminar,” Joseph continued.
“His talk on 12th Century Pilgrimage in the Burren will be of immense interest both to those who work on a professional basis in the archaeology field and those with an interest in local history and the heritage of the Burren.”
Other speakers over the Doolin Heritage Weekend will include Dr Carleton Jones, professor of archaeology at NUIG; Risteard Ui Cronain, conservation officer with Clare County Council; Christine Grant, National Monuments Service and Simon Large, archaeologist.
The restoration of Killilagh Church Window and a critical building survey of Toomullin Church will form the start of an ambitious heritage plan the Doolin Heritage Committee hopes to develop.
The committee was formed earlier this year and is comprised of local business representatives and people living in Doolin with experience in the areas of archaeology and heritage.
“Our primary aim in 2012 is to restore the window in the transept of Killilagh Church” Joseph outlined.
“It is a hood-moulded double ogee window and damage to one of the supporting jambs has caused the head to slip – it is now hanging precariously. The central mullion was removed at some point, making the problem even worse. There is also quite a lot of damage to the embrasure,” he explained.
According to Sean O’Connor, local businessman and committee member, the committee is dedicated to preserving and restoring the built and natural heritage of the Doolin area.
“We are working in partnership with local interests and are looking at the development of heritage walks over the coming year, in addition to developing a heritage plan for Doolin. It is a very exciting time, with everyone working towards the enhancement and preservation of the heritage of the Doolin area.”
The keynote speaker for the Doolin Heritage Weekend, Dr Peter Harbison, has written widely on Irish art and archaeology including The Guide to Historical Monuments of Ireland, (1970) The Archaeology of Ireland (1976), The High Crosses of Ireland (1992), The Golden Age of Irish Art (1997), Treasures of Ireland (2003) and a number of books on 18th century drawings of Irish monuments. He has published books on Ireland’s ancient heritage in Europe and the United States.
Dr Harbison is now honorary academic editor of the Royal Irish Academy and has the distinction of being an Honorary Fellow of Trinity College Dublin and Honorary Member of the Royal Hibernian Academy.