Nomination for history group

For the second time in just two months, Cuimhneamh an Chláir, Clare’s oral history and folklore group, have been nominated for a national award.

The group, who digitally record the memories of Clare’s oldest citizens, have been shortlisted from 39 organisations nationally to the top three in the 2012 Allianz Community Arts Prize, which will be presented at the Allianz Business to Arts Awards this September in Dublin. 
In addition to Cuimhneamh an Chláir, ‘Sticks and Stones’ a creative anti-bullying solutions programme for Irish schools, as well as Soundscape Galway, a community music project for people with intellectual disabilities, were shortlisted.  
“There was a lot of competition, with 39 nominations from every sector of creativity.
“The judging panel, made up of Allianz staff, noted the extraordinary level of commitment and good work being done in every province in Ireland. 
“The winner will be announced by Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan TD on September 4,” a spokesperson for Allianz said.
Cuimhneamh an Chláir has gone from strength to strength throughout 2012, despite the pressures of being an entirely voluntary group.
“We’ve never been interested in awards but they can be helpful in underlying the very real value of our work and hopefully it will serve to wake up the powers that be to the potential benefit to the entire county of our efforts,” Tomás Mac Conmara, project co-ordinator with the group, said.
Having received wide recognition as one of the leading folklore collection groups in the country, the group was also recently nominated for a national Pride of Place award under the Cultural Tourism category and will attend a ceremony in Limerick’s Thomand Park later this year. 
In August, the group were the first in Ireland to be sponsored to speak at the renowned Hedgeschool Lecture Series at the Milwaukee Irish Festival in Wisconsin. 
While there, Cuimhneamh an Chláir established recording projects to record Clare elders in Chicago, Boston and Texas.
In addition, the group recently announced the hosting of a major ­international oral history conference in Ennis on September 28 and 29, which is set to draw over 150. The group isa founding member of the Oral History Network of Ireland, who are organising the conference. 
Mr Mac Conmara said the potential for the documentation of oral heritage as well as its dissemination has huge potential for the social and economic benefit of County Clare but unless this potential is recognised and supported, much of it will be lost. 
“We hope that the award nominations may serve to help develop awareness, where awareness seems to be lacking, about the importance of our cultural heritage and identity,” he said.
Cormac McCarthy, a founding member and Leas Cathaoirleach, will represent the group at the Allianz Business to Arts Community Awards ceremony.    
Cuimhneamh an Chláir recently launched a new website at www.clarememories.ie, which will serve to showcase the groups projects and to make available samples of their work.