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East Clare Heritage Profile

East Clare Heritage was formed in 1989 as a not for profit voluntary group, with the primary objective of protecting, promoting and ultimately creating access to the vast heritage of East Clare. Just two years later, President of Ireland, Mary Robinson opened the East Clare Heritage Centre at St. Cronán’s 10th Century Church. Since then, the committee have published 14 editions of the acclaimed historical journal ‘Sliabh Aughty’, nine publications on local history and many other heritage projects dedicated to the promotion of heritage in East Clare. Another significant project undertaken by us, Cathsaoireach, was the restoration of a famine graveyard in Tuamgraney in the mid 1990’s. It stands as a memorial to the thousands who were buried here during the Irish Famine and is also a testament to the dedication of a committed group of volunteers. We have continued against the odds to keep the heritage centre open on a seasonal basis for almost 20 years and in 2004 became a sponsor of a FÁS scheme to support this major cultural initiative.

As well as holding an impressive series of lectures on subjects like Biddy Early, Robert Emmet and Life in Celtic Ireland, East Clare Heritage has recently organised a variety of cultural workshops at the centre throughout the year to engage schoolchildren with their local heritage. The community has also enthusiastically received one of our most recent initiatives, a series of Irish language classes at the centre. This all forms part of the committee’s outreach policy of providing an educational as well as a recreational resource for both the locals and visitors to East Clare.

East Clare Heritage, since its inception in 1989 has been extremely active in facilitating both intellectual and physical access to the heritage and history of East Clare. Given their voluntary capacity the committee have achieved extraordinary success in promoting the importance and creating accessibility to the heritage of East Clare.

 The East Clare Heritage Company is a totally voluntary and community based Company dedicated to giving a future to our past. The Company was formed in 1989 and within three years a 10th century church at Tuamgraney, County Clare was re-furbished for use as a Heritage Center. In 2002 East Clare Heritage Company received charitable status.