Car Tourismo Banner
Home » Arts & Culture » Rural Ireland central to this year’s Merriman

Rural Ireland central to this year’s Merriman


THRIVING at the Crossroads: Rural Ireland in a Globalised World, is the theme of this year’s Merriman Summer School, which takes place in Lisdoonvarna from August 15 to 19.

Bob Collins is the director of this year's Merriman Summer School in Lisdoonvarna from August 15 to 19. Photograph by Declan MonaghanThis year’s Merriman Summer School sets out to offer a positive but realistic perspective on the reality that is rural Ireland. It will look at the possibilities and potential of the future. How does rural Ireland co-exist with the globalised world? What is its future? Poetry and literature will, as ever also feature as part of the school’s programme of events.

The school runs from Wednesday to Sunday and offers a wide range of events for visitors, who can attend for a single event, a full day, or for the whole school. In addition to lectures and panel discussions, there will be a morning symposia in English and in Irish, poetry readings from contemporary poets during Cúirt an Mheán Lae, a bus trip in County Clare, Club Merriman at night and lively conversation and convivial company.

“For a long time, the focus of Ireland’s identity was its rural agrarian base. Frequently romanticised, regularly misunderstood, it had an important part in the shaping of ourselves and of a sense of our ideal selves. The world that gave us that approach is long gone. Urban life and the urban experience dominate the international media and shape contemporary identities. And yet, rural Ireland continues to exist,” a spokesperson for the school outlined.

Speakers for this year’s school include Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney, Professor Kevin Whelan (Univeristy of Notre Dame); Professor Chris Curtin (NUIG); Dr Ruth McManus (St Patrick’s College Drumcondra); Professor Willie Smyth; Fiona Stack (Radio Kerry); David Meredith of Teagasc; Pól Ó Coimín and Siobhán Ní Ghadhra (Telegael); Rhona Ní Chearbhaill, a young scholar; Carmel Fox (Ballyhoura Development); Eddie Downey (vice-president IFA). More speakers are to be announced and among the poets reading will be Moya Cannon and Stiofán Ó Cadhla.

This year’s director of the Merriman Summer School is Bob Collins, chairman of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, former director general of RTÉ and former Chief Commissioner of the Equality Commission in Northern Ireland.

Mr Collins told The Clare Champion, “The main theme is rural Ireland and the global world and it’s probably going to take a positive look at where stands rural Ireland, what are the possibilities, what the potential is, it won’t omit to cover the difficulties and the challenges that face rural Ireland and those rural communities. We thought it was timely because very significant changes have occurred in the world and maybe a lot of misconceptions about rural Ireland and rural communities in a general sense.

“Issues that are expected to come up include the changing nature of agriculture; people tend to link rural Ireland and agriculture as if they were interlinked. They are not, there is more to rural life than agriculture and there is more to agriculture than rural life. There’s a very sophisticated network of agricultural communities now, the importance of the dairy sector, global exports and so on,” he said.

The opening lecture will be delivered by Kevin Whelan, while Thursday’s focus will be on community and communications. The importance of communication, the role of local media, radio, newspapers, and perceptions of national media will be explored.

Among those participating in this session are Irish Times columnist John Waters and Fiona Stack, general manager of Radio Kerry.

The community aspect will concentrate on community development, what characterises a community, virtual communities, housing policy, the shape and nature of community. Those speaking on this topic include Lisdoonvarna native Chris Curtin, professor of sociology in NUI Galway, Ruth McManus head of the geography department at St Patrick’s College in Drumcondra and East Clare man, John Moroney.

Friday’s topic examines the idea of the land, both on and off the land and will look at farming, food, the environment and the importance of European policy. Speakers at this session include Eddie Downey, deputy president of the IFA; Dr Ethel Crowley, lecturer in sociology at University College Cork; David Meridith of Teagasc and Carmel Fox, director of the Ballyhoura Development Association in West Limerick/North Cork.

Meanwhile, the off-the-land segment will focus on issues of tourism, sustainability and alternatives to farming in terms of employment.

MEP Mairéad McGuinness will speak at the Saturday’s session on shaping the future.

“On the Sunday, the one thing we want to look at is the way rural Ireland is reflected in literature because it has been a fairly central theme of a lot of literature. Gary Hynes, director of Druid, will be there for that. She has done a lot of plays that have a rural theme. PJ Matthews, a lecturer in English at UCD who produced a book last year called Revival, which looked at the whole Gaelic revival movement, will also be at the summer school. He has done some work on Conor McPherson’s play The Weir and he will do an analysis of that,” Mr Collins outlined.

There will be poetry and seminars in the morning in Irish and English, followed by intelligent conversation at local hostelries.

“One of the great things about this kind of summer school is this mix of really good quality discussion and really good quality conversation in informal settings,” he continued.

Locals are reminded this summer school is an event for the people of Clare and they are encouraged to get involved.

“The people of Clare have hands-on experience of living in rural Ireland and they know what these issues are and I hope they will participate from GAA, IFA, ICA and the whole range of organisations that play important roles in rural and urban Ireland. These are not in opposition grossly interlinked, the boundaries between the two used to be very well defined but they are less so today. I think this year’s topic is really good, it’s lively and it’s relevant. So much is happening with ecological awareness, environmental awareness and a huge amount is happening in Clare. We would be hoping to reflect that. I think there should be lots of energetic and enthusiastic debate as these are issues everyone has a view on and has experience of and I hope it will attract the local interest as well and that people will see as their own,” Mr Collins concluded.

For further details see the full programme on www.merriman.ie.

About News Editor

Check Also

Clare Rose in full bloom at special New York parade

The 1968 Clare Rose was one of a bunch of 27 former Rose of Tralee …