Ron Kavanagh, Kevin Finnucane, Conor Keane, and Seanie O'Gorman, Riches of Clare Concert June 2014

Riches of Clare lunchtime series concert #8 on June 11, 2014. Musicians from your left are Ron Kavanagh, Kevin Finnucane, Conor Keane, and Seanie O'Gorman. Posted on Youtube on the 11th of June 2014 by Niamahaines.

Noel Hill, Tony Linnane, and Alec Finn on Geantrai, 1997

Noel Hill, Tony Linnane, and Alec Finn play four reels - O`Dwyers`, Ivy Leaf, Molly Bawn, and Humours of Glentown - on the TG4 TV programme Geantraí in 1997. Posted on Youtube on the 14th of May 2014 by MRBGS57.

Ron Kavanagh sings Sweet Reconciliation, Riches Of Clare, June 2014

Ron Kavanagh sings his own composition Sweet Reconciliation, accompanied by Kevin Finnucane, Conor Keane, and Seanie O'Gorman, at the Riches Of Clare concert, on the 11th of June 2014. Posted on Youtube on the 11th of June 2014 by Niamahaines.

Martin Hayes & The Gloaming - The Wheels of The World, Farewell to Miltown Malbay and The Sailor's Bonnet

"21st of June 2014 at the Poisson Rouge, Greenwich Village, New York, with The Gloaming (Iarla Ó Lionaird, Thomas Bartlett, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill), performing The Sailor's Bonnet set from their self titled premiere CD." Posted on Youtube on the 22nd of June 2014 by Stephen Shepard.

The Cliffs of Moher from the air

"The Cliffs Of Moher in County Clare Ireland. Photographed by a Phantom 2 quadcopter on the 18th of June 2014." Posted on Youtube on the 21st of June 2014 by JOHN AIKEN.

Diving the Blue Pool, Kilkee, June 2014

Diving in the Blue Pool, Kilkee, County Clare, on the 16th of June, 2014. Posted on Youtube on the 17th of June 2014 by Spud Murphy.

Adventure along the Wild Atlantic Way

"The ATTA's Adventure Travel World Summit is coming to Ireland in October 2014 just as Fáilte Ireland's new project, The Wild Atlantic Way, gets underway. Set to be the longest coastal touring route in the world the Wild Atlantci Way offers a huge ranges of adventure activities. This is the video which showcased the new route to those attending the 2013 Adventure Travel World Summit in Namibia. Hopefully it was enough to encourage the world leaders in adventure travel to come to Ireland in 2014. Find out more at www.failteireland.ie/wildatlanticway." Posted on Youtube on the 18th of November 2013 by FailteIrelandTV.

Killaloe Pink Ribbon Walk 2014 - Walking for a world without breast cancer

"This year's Killaloe Pink Ribbon Walk was the most successful ever as almost 800 people registered for the 10km sponsored walk to raise much-needed funds for Action Breast Cancer, a programme of the Irish Cancer Society. Derg productions was proud to be present at the event to give you a view from the sky as the walkers and runners hit the road from the Lakeside Hotel, Killaloe. Pink flags, balloons, n=music from Spin South West and even bra bunting welcomed the walkers who had traveled from the length and breadth of Ireland. A whole variety of pink wigs were on display along with fairy wings, tutus and a dress made of balloons." Posted on Youtube on the 10th of June 2014 by DergProductions.

Design a Postcard Competition winners at Scariff Library

Congratulations to Delia O' Mara, Scariff, on her winning entry to the Design a Postcard Competition run by Scariff Public Library in conjuction with the University of Limerick Arts Office and the Mountshannon Arts Weekend. Other winning entries from Abi Roche and Vincent Solomon are also pictured. The competition was run in tandem with a 'snailmailtrail' interactive art installation held recently in the library exhibition space whereby participants were asked to take two postcards from the exhibit and post one back with details of where it was posted. A map of these locations, the snailmailtrail, will be created in the next few months.

Pictured above are Caroline Aherne of Scariff Library, the overall winner of the competition Deila O'Mara, and Patricia Moriarty of the University of Limerick Arts Office.

Eric Hill, creator of Spot the Dog books (7 September 1927 – 6 June 2014)

Eric Hill, author of the multimillion-selling SPOT books for pre-school children died on the 6th of June 2014, aged 86. Designing books for his young son, Hill came up with the innovative “lift-the-flap” concept first in 1980. Where’s Spot was an overnight success and was the first in a succession of delightful tales about a mischievous yellow puppy who became known and loved all over the world.

Hill's publisher, Puffin, confirmed the news of his passing, describing him as "a master of simple design. He created one of the world's most loveable children's book characters – Spot, the charming, naughty, playful puppy, loved and appreciated across the world".

Tola Custy, Karol Lynch, and Gerry Paul - Riches Of Clare Concert May 2014

"Riches of Clare lunchtime concert May 21,2014 in conjunction with Fleadh Nua. Musicians, from your left, are Tola Custy, Karol Lynch, and Gerry Paul." Posted on Youtube on the 6th of June 2014 by Niamhaines.

Marie & Anthony Quigney, and Mark Donnellan - Riches Of Clare Concert May 2014

"Riches of Clare lunchtime concert May 22, 2014 in conjunction with Fleadh Nua. Musicians from your left Marie & Anthony Quigney, and Mark Donnellan." Posted on Youtube on the 7th of June 2014 by Niamhaines.

Sea Kayaking under the Cliffs of Moher, County Clare

Sea kayaking under the Cliffs of Moher. Posted on Youtube on the 17th of June 2014 by David Horkan.

Pigs & Surfing Summer Waves in County Clare with Fergal Smith

"Ferg surfs County Clare's summer waves before dropping off Moy field's newest pigs, Hazel & Willow." Posted on Youtube on the 18th of June 2014 by Line9.

County Clare man James Lynch to swim the length of Lough Derg on 21st June 2014

"County Clare man James Lynch will attempt to swim the length of Lough Derg, from Portumna to Killaloe, on Saturday 21st June. Follow along with a live twitter feed of the challenge, which James expects will take 15 - 16 hours, using #SnamhLoughDerg." Posted on Youtube on the 19th of June 201 by RTENewsNow.

Doolin County Clare, Summer 2006

Posted on Youtube on the 21st of July 2009 by allstarfilmclub.

St John’s Eve mid-summer festival in Clare

Bathing tank at St John’s Well, Killone. Photo: Eric Shaw

St John’s Eve is celebrated on the night of June 23rd. It’s a mid-summer festival which is often marked by the lighting of bonfires and visits to holy wells like St John’s Well at Newhall, Killone. The well lies at the termination of an old pilgrim route from Ennis to Killone dating back to the early 14th century. At the well particular rituals called ‘rounds’ are performed involving prayer, bathing of hands and feet and cursing stones. A renewed interest in pilgrim routes in County Clare has led to the establishment of the Clare Pilgrim Way, a group which aims to mark out and visit the old pilgrim ways of the county.

Brian Boru, The Man, The Myth, The Legacy - Exhibition at Kilrush Library

Currently on display in Kilrush Public Library, to commemorate the millennium of the Battle of Clontarf, is an exhibition featuring "Brian Boru, The Man, The Myth, The Legacy". The exhibition comprises eight panels, depicting the story of Brian Boru including his family background, his formative years growing up in Dal gCais, together with his reign as ‘High King of Ireland’ and ultimately his death in Clontarf. The exhibition has proved very popular with both adults and younger people and there is also a selection of historical novels by Morgan Llywelyn, available for borrowing, to complement this period of our Irish History

Equal Skills at Kilrush Library

Four people recently completed their Solas Equal Skills I.T. Training Course, which was held at Kilrush Public Library over a ten week period. Participants learned new skills which included setting up an email account, navigating the Internet, keyboard skills and file management. Feedback from participants was very positive and they will each be awarded with an Irish Computer Society (ICS) Certificate in recognition for successfully completing the course.

Mythical Maze announced as 2014 Summer Reading Challenge theme

Clare County Library’s Summer Reading Challenge kicks off on July 1st in all fifteen branches. Children are invited to join this year’s Mythical Maze themed promotion of books and reading running until the end of August.

Mythical Maze challenges young readers to find their way around a labyrinth that introduces them to fantastical creatures from the world of legend and mythology, collecting stickers of each character along the way.

The Summer Reading Challenge is aimed at children aged four to 11, and it is a fun way to encourage children and families to read in the long break from school and it’s free to join. Children will receive a special Mythical Maze poster, and as they read six books or more over the summer, they collect stickers of mythical creatures to fill in the gaps on their poster.

Watch out - some stickers are scratch and sniff!

Everyone in the family gets caught up in the fun, and certificates and other rewards are presented at a family celebration event in the Autumn at Clare’s five main library branches. There are also other free incentives for children as they read two, four, and finally a required total of at least six books during the months of July and August.

Last year, almost a thousand children in County Clare participated in the Summer Reading Challenge. Staff at Clare County Library are confident that numbers joining will be even higher this year and are looking forward to welcoming you to take up the Challenge at your nearest library in the coming weeks.

The Summer Reading Challenge is free and fun. It is designed to have maximum child appeal and is highly motivating. It is not a competition but a personal challenge within a particular time frame which offers reading inspiration and incentives to encourage children into libraries.

You will find additional resources on The Reading Agency’s website: www.readingagency.org.uk/schools

Eamonn Cotter, Blackie O'Connor, Meabh O'Hare, and Cyril O'Donoghue - Riches Of Clare Concert May 2014

"Riches of Clare, May 20, 2014 lunchtime concert, musicians from your left - Eamonn Cotter, Blackie O'Connor, Meabh O'Hare, and Cyril O'Donoghue." Posted on Youtube on the 5th of June 2014 by Niamhaines.

The Brock Maguire Band - Riches Of Clare Concert May 2014

"Riches of Clare lunchtime series May 28th, 2014- The Brock Maguire Band." Posted on Youtube on the 7th of June 2014 by Niamhaines.

Jack Talty, Seamus Hynes, Aidan & Joe Rynne, and Peter Griffin - Riches Of Clare Concert May 2014

"Riches of Clare lunchtime concert May 23, 2014 in conjunction with the Fleadh Nua. Musicians from your left are Jack Talty, Seamus Hynes, Aidan & Joe Rynne, and Peter Griffin." Posted on Youtube on the 7th of June 2014 by Niamhaines.

Padraic O'Reilly, Caoilfhionn Ni Fhrighil, James Cullinan, and Damien O'Reilly - Riches Of Clare Concert June 2014

"Riches of Clare lunchtime concert series June 4, 2014. The musicians from your left are Padraic O'Reilly, Caoilfhionn Ni Fhrighil, James Cullinan, and Damien O'Reilly." Posted on Youtube on the 7th of June 2014 by Niamhaines.

Knockanean National School, County Clare, winners of Walton’s Music for Schools 2014

"Knockanean Music Club - 'Trip to Fantasy on Board the Sally Gardens', Knockanean National School, Ennis, County Clare. First Prize, Primary Schools, 2014 Waltons Music for Schools Competition." Posted on Youtube on the 14th of May 2014 by Waltons Music for Schools Competition.

West Coast Of Ireland (1965), including Bunratty Folk Park & Shannon Airport

Posted on Youtube on the 13th of April 2014 by British Pathé.

Gleninsheen Wedge Tomb, The Burren, County Clare

"Gleninsheen Wedge Tomb. This fine little wedge tomb dated around 2500 BC lies on the limestone uplands of the Burren in north-west Clare, a few kilometres south of Ballyvaughan. Wedge tombs are named for their wedge-shaped plan: they are narrower and lower towards the rear. In this region excellent large slabs are readily available on the surface crag, so many wedge tombs like the one at Gleninsheen are built with a single large slab forming each side and a single great roof-stone. This gives a special neatness to these monuments especially as the tops of the sidestones are chipped to a straight line. The entrance of Gleninsheen points roughly towards the west, while the magnificent Poulnabrone dolmen (which can be seen going further south on the R480, on the same side of the road), as most other Irish portal and court tombs, are generally built facing to the eastern half of the compass. It is worth mentioning that on the same area there are over seventy megalithic tombs. Within a few hundred metres of Gleninsheen are two other wedge tombs: one is not very well preserved (east of the pictured grave), while the other is still covered by its cairn (to the north-east). In 1932, in a rock crevice near this area a farmer found the famous Gleninsheen Collar: a 31cm gold gorget, probably a neck ornament, dated to about 700 BC and now on display at the National Museum in Dublin." Posted on Youtube on the 24th of May 2014 by Damian Mac.
See also Wedge Tombs - Monuments of Clare.

Beach Trek, Fanore, County Clare

"Beach Trek on horses from Mountain View Equestrian, five hours in the saddle all told from Lisdoonvarna to the beach at Fanore, green roads, sunshine and great fun. My horse for the day was Iceman, all of three years old and only his second time in the sea." Posted on Youtube on the 27th of March 2012 by WakeboardEamonn.

Revamped Clare People on library website

The Clare People section of Clare County Library’s website has been recently revamped. Clare People consists of short biographies of Clare people, or those associated with the county. The first biography concerns Ellen Hanley, known as The Colleen Bawn. A native of Limerick, Ellen – then barely sixteen – was murdered at the instigation of her husband in 1819 and dumped in the Shannon. Her body was later washed ashore on the Clare side of the river at Moneypoint, and she was buried in Burrane Graveyard. Grace Reeves nee Vandeleur, of Bessborough House, which is situated near the graveyard, erected a Celtic cross at the head of the grave. The cross no longer exists – it has been chipped off by souvenir hunters. Both Ellen’s husband and her murderer were hanged for their crime. The Colleen Bawn has been commemorated in song, play and story in the years since her death. The photograph above, from the Vandeleur Collection, shows Grace Reeves (on right) at the grave of the Colleen Bawn.

2014 IMPAC winner announced

The Colombian author Juan Gabriel Vásquez has been announced as the winner of the 2014 IMPAC award for his novel The Sound of Things Falling. Translated from Spanish, The Sound of Things Falling is a literary thriller set against the background of Colombia’s tragic history as a country destroyed by the drugs trade.

This year’s shortlist featured 10 writers from across the globe, including five novels in translation from Argentina, Colombia, France, Norway and the Netherlands. Two books by Irish authors, The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan and The Light of Amsterdam by David Park, were on the shortlist.

The IMPAC, which has been awarded annually since 1996, is the world’s most valuable literary prize, with the winner receiving €100,000. Nominations for the prize are made by participating libraries in capital and major cities across the world, who can nominate up to three novels each year. This year, over 400 library services in 177 countries worldwide participated.

Last year’s prize was awarded to Irish author Kevin Barry for his novel City of Bohane. Previous winners include Nobel Laureate Orhan Pamuk, who received the title in 2003 for My Name is Red, and Colm Toibin, whose Henry James inspired novel The Master won in 2006.

Tola Custy, Karol Lynch, & Gerry Paul, Riches Of Clare concert at Fleadh Nua, Ennis

"Riches of Clare on May 21,2014, Day 3 as part of the lunchtime concerts for Fleadh Nua 2014. Musicians, from left to right, Tola Custy, Karol Lynch, & Gerry Paul." Posted on Youtube on the 30th of May 2014 by Niamhaines.

Michael (Blackie) O' Connell, Siobhan Peoples, Cyril O’Donoghue & Friends at Fleadh Nua, Ennis

Michael (Blackie) O' Connell, Siobhan Peoples, Cyril O’Donoghue & Friends playing in the Diamond Bar at Fleadh Nua, Ennis, 2014. Posted on Youtube on the 31st of May 2014 by ambyyy1.

Spa Wells Hidden Gem, Lisdoonvarna, County Clare

A portrait of the Spa Wells in Lisdoonvarna, County Clare. Posted on Youtube on the 25th of May 2014 by Lisdoonvarna Failte.

St. Brigid's Well, Liscannor, County Clare

Views from and of St. Brigid's Well, Liscannor, County Clare. "County Clare's hidden gems, at Liscannor, County Clare, with stunning picture postcard views down to the Atlantic Ocean, over Lahinch Beach, Liscannor Bay and then across to Mount Callan and the Kerry mountains." Posted on Youtube on the 3rd of June 2014 by ConsidinesBar.

Diving with Scuba Dive Academy, Lahinch, County Clare

Diving with Scuba Dive Academy, Lahinch, County Clare. "If you don't know, what to do in Ireland, go diving!" Posted on Youtube on the 31st of May 2014 by 124K.

Beautiful Ireland

"Inspiration to make this video came to me after joining a club of Irish landscape photographers. Photos taken by them really show a beauty of this country..." Posted on Youtube on the 19th of May 2014 by Marcin Gutnik.

A Girl is a Half-formed Thing wins the Baileys Prize

Irish author Eimear McBride has won the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction with her debut novel A Girl is a Half-formed Thing. It took McBride nine years to find a publisher willing to take a risk on her very original novel but the book has already been awarded the £10,000 Goldsmith's Prize for original fiction and The Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year award before scooping the £30,000 Bailey’s Prize. McBride said that she hopes that the success of her book would encourage publishers to be more adventurous in choosing what to publish.

A Girl is a Half-formed Thing tells the story of a young woman’s relationship with her brother and the long shadow cast by his childhood brain tumour. The book touches on everything from family violence to sexuality and the personal struggle to remain intact in times of intense trauma. The Baileys judges said “It was a really astonishing book. We felt that from the first time we read it - it stood out from the crowd. It was very unlike anything else we read. It's incredibly original. It has a raw energy we all responded to. It has real lyrical qualities even though the subject matter can sometimes be so shocking”.

Africa Day Celebrations in deValera Library, Ennis

The deValera Public Library, Ennis, took on an African theme on the morning of the 28th of May when the children’s reading well was colourfully decorated with flags of African countries and a giant map of the African Continent. A group of children, with their teachers from the Holy Family Junior School in Ennis, visited to hear stories, poems and African rhymes delivered by library staff and a very good friend of the library, Shola Kogbodoku.

Shola, who is living in Ennis for the past seventeen years, is originally from Nigeria. During the hour, Shola shared stories of African family life, traditions and customs with a most interested group of first class children. She told them the words for African animals in her native Yoruba dialect and was surprised and delighted to hear them given back to her in a fun quiz at the end. She kindly donated gifts for the happy group as they left the library.

The children were thrilled to dress up in native African clothes and to join in Shola’s rhymes using ishaka instruments provided by the library. These instruments are made from natural red-dyed gourds hung with dried seeds. Shaken from side to side by the Holy Family schoolchildren they provided a soft rattling backdrop sounds to Shola’s African tales. The hour long session inspired many exciting ideas for next year’s Africa celebrations.

The picture books shared with the children were Emeka’s Gift: An African Counting Story by Ifeoma Onyefulu and The Animal Boogie by Debbie Harter. Other books about Africa recommended by library staff for sharing with young children include The Gift of the Sun: A Tale from South Africa by Dianne Stewart and Growing Up in Africa’s Elephant Kingdom: the Story of Little Bull by Ellen Foley James.

Bibliotherapy: The Power of Words – a Clare County Library Book Promotion

Many thousands of self-help books exist and while the best of these are highly effective, others are not so useful. In March 2007, the first bibliotherapy scheme in Ireland was piloted, led by Elaine Martin, HSE Senior Psychologist in collaboration with Dublin City Public Libraries. The objective of the scheme was to give GPs, mental health professionals and patients choice in the treatment approach to some mild and moderate mental health difficulties. The scheme provided GPs and other professionals with a list of high quality self-help books. In preparation for the 2013 scheme, hundreds of the best evidence-based titles were read and reviewed by willing psychologists and General Practitioners working in Ireland. Based on their recommendations a long list of 97 books and a short list of 42 books have been compiled by Elaine Martin and Sara Kelly (HSE Primary Care Psychology, Dublin North City). Most of the books chosen are written by leading psychologists with clinical expertise and many present self-help versions of established treatment programmes.

Over the past year the book list has been revised and updated, reflecting and incorporating matters of concern to public health, developments in the treatment of various difficulties and with thought to the support needs of carers too. The list includes books for adults on the common psychological problems that people experience including depression, anxiety, panic, eating difficulties, stress and low self-esteem. The list includes books for children and families on topics such as parenting, worries, bullying, bereavement, separation and eating issues.

A leaflet listing the 42 books on the shortlist is available at all branches of Clare County Library and these books are available for borrowing in all branches. Books can be kept for up to four weeks and renewed if required for longer. An extended list of 97 books covering other issues such as body image problems, sleep problems and compulsive gambling is available on Clare County Library’s website, with links to reviews and the library catalogue for each book. These books are stocked in a selection of branches but may be requested through any of the 15 branch libraries. See Bibliotherapy: The Power of Words...

Clare Genmaps - new feature: distribution of monuments and townlands mapped

In Clare Genmaps, our online maps system, you can now select categories of monuments, and townlands grouped by their civil parishes, and see their distribution throughout County Clare. In the Features tab, click on the arrow beside Monuments and select one or more category of monument. The map will then show the distribution throughout County Clare of that monument type. You can then click on any monument to be brought to its dedicated web page. You can also combine categories by holding down the Ctrl button and select multiple monument types to see their combined distribution.

The image above shows the distribution of cairns in County Clare. Click on the image to be brought to the appropriate map.

The same procedure can be done for the Townlands by Civil Parishes. Select a parish and the map will show the distribution of townlands within that parish. Click on any of these townlands to be brought to each townland’s dedicated web page.

The image above shows the areas of the townlands in Carran Parish. Click on the image to be brought to the appropriate map.
See the Clare Genmaps help page for more information...