Tag Archives: Ger Madden

THE UPGRADING of an East Clare route into a new greenway could become a major tourist attraction, according to a local historian. Ger Madden believes there are few roads in the Sliabh Aughties as worthy of being kept in repair as the old road from Mountshannon to Flagmount linking Lough Derg and Lough Graney, which was built in 1841. Unfortunately, it is probably one of the worst roads in the country. Describing this as the “road less travelled” and a real “gem”, Mr Madden believes it should be developed into a greenway at a fraction of the millions of Euro being spent on developing other similar developments in the county. “It is a vital link if tourism is ever going to be developed in the Sliabh Aughties. It is a mystery in this age of greenways why it is so neglected,” he said. “This road and an off shoot to Woodford through the nearly deserted village of Derrygoolin has the …

AN East Clare boat operator, who been conducting tours to Holy Island for 32 years, has questioned whether Clare County Council’s purchase of the old Mountshannon Rectory represents a value for money deal. Described by the council as a “landmark tourism project” on the banks of Lough Derg, plans were lodged for a proposed new Inis Cealtra (Holy Island) visitor centre in the heart of Mountshannon village last February and were adopted by the council last May. The Old Rectory Visitor Centre building will comprise a reception area, three exhibition areas interpreting stories from Mountshannon and the island of Inis Cealtra as well as a community/co-working space and a revitalised Rectory Garden. Councillors were told at the January meeting of Killaloe Municipal District this visitor centre is expected to be operational by early to mid-2023. The Visitor Experience project to interpret the 41-acres island is a collaborative initiative involving the council, Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands (Fáilte Ireland), Waterways Ireland, the Office …

THE importance of chronicling history, culture and folklore of the Sliabh Aughty region for future generations has been emphasised by an East Clare historian. In an interview with The Clare Champion, Ger Madden stressed if local history is not recorded by his generation it will be lost as it is not being prioritised by schools. East Clare Heritage will officially launch the 18th edition of the Sliabh Aughty Journal on Friday, September 23 in McNamara’s Bar, Scariff at 9pm. Well known genealogist Dr Paddy Waldron will launch the journal, which contains a series of well researched articles on history and folklore from East Clare and South Galway. It was compiled by Ger Madden and Denis Moloney from Bodyke. Mr Madden recalled when East Clare Heritage published their first journal in 1989 people thought it would end after five or six editions. However, 33 years later there is still plenty of material to produce two or three journals annually. “The Sliabh …

THE Annals of the Poor: Scariff Workhouse Union Counties Clare and Galway 1839-1851 will be launched this Sunday in Scariff by John Minogue, assistant principal of St Flannan’s College. The MC is Colm Madden. Gerard chose to conduct research and write this book because so little was known about the workhouse in Scariff and very little has been documented about it. Although he, together with Michael O’Gorman, published a book on workhouses in 1974, this book is a chronological account and references records that have only since been made available online in the last 15 years and, in particular, the work of Dr Richard Robert Madden. Dr Madden, no relation of Gerard’s, offered up a first-hand account of life in the Scariff Workhouse and his reports shed a lot of light on what was happening there, particularly with regard the diet of the inmates and mortality rates there. “His work was really important. He visited the actual workhouse; he visited …

By CAROL BYRNE EAST Clare had an extensive charcoal blast furnace industry in the 17th century based around several rich haematite mines, and this industry has sparked a visit by an international Historical Metallurgy Society next month. The Historical Metallurgy Society is an International forum for the exchange of information and research in historical metallurgy. Local historian Gerard Madden of East Clare Heritage has been researching the iron works and woods of Sliabh Aughty for the past 20 years. Together with Belgium born Paul Rondelez, who now lives in Mitchelstown County Cork, Gerard is to publish a transcription of 80 hitherto unknown letters written between 1693 and 1701 primarily on the iron works of Scariff and Woodford. John Emmerton owned ironworks in Scariff and Woodford from 1692 to 1697 and the recently acquired letters are from his managers there, George Young and William Downes. In 1997 Gerard published an article in the East Clare Heritage Journal, Sliabh Aughty Vol 7, …