Ireland’s agricultural heritage and the Fair Days of the 19th century will be brought to life when ‘Traditional Harvest Day’ returns for the first time since 2017 to Bunratty Folk Park on Sunday next September 17th.
Traditional threshing machine at work.
Rural Irish life and traditions from over a century ago will be showcased as part of the family day out, which will feature a display of vintage machinery and tractors, craft demonstrations, and dancers, musicians and performers from across the Banner County. (Co. Clare)
A traditional threshing machine will be put to work giving visitors an insight into how neighbours and friends once gathered during the harvest in the spirit of “meitheal”[Latter Irishword meaning ‘Group‘]. Enthusiasts will be on hand to speak about the evolution of the vintage farm machinery on display on the day, including tractors, and stationary engines. Visitors will also view a range of various ploughs, hay rakes, Root Cutter (Pulper), Turnip and a Mangel Seeder.
The public will be able to witness local craftspeople at work, including Michael Foudy, as he carries on the time-honoured tradition of basket making, Blacksmith Ger Treacy, Elizabeth O’Connor and Geraldine O’Sullivan who will demonstrating the ancient craft of wool spinning, using locally sourced wool, a practice first introduced by Neolithic farmers over 6000 years ago. Bunratty’s ‘Bean an Tí’s’ also will be on hand throughout the day to demonstrate the art of bread and butter making and with tasting opportunities for those who pay a visit to the Golden Vale and Loop Head Farmhouses.
As well as so much to see throughout the 26-acre site, there will be entertainment from Sean Nós Singer MacDara Ó Conaola, the Mary Liddy School of Music from Newmarket on Fergus, the Helen Hehir School of Dance, and resident musicians James Anglim and Michael Grogan, while resident Seanchaí Mike ‘Mickey Joe’ Flynn will regale stories of tales of bygone days and traditional ways from Corry’s Pub on the Village Street. At the Old Schoolhouse, located in the Village Street, the school master will be on duty to greet children and adults as they hand over their customary sod of turf for the tiny school room fire.
A range of native Irish and Heritage Breeds of animals will be located throughout the Folk Park paddocks on the day, including Irish Red Deer, Peacocks, Highland Cattle, Tamworth Pigs, goats, geese, bronze turkeys and the recently arrived Irish Wolfhounds Míde and Rian.
MsMarie Brennan, (Events Manager at Bunratty Castle and Folk Park), commented, “We are delighted to bring back this event after a six-year hiatus and to give everyone, both young and old, a flavour of what life would have been like in Ireland during harvest time at the turn of the 19th century. The essence of a Harvest Day was bringing communities together, to support, celebrate and toast the end of a good season,” she explained. “Threshing was backbreaking work, which started early in the mornings and continued until the end of the day with neighbours and friends, all gathering to help out. The machine, and all the activity about it, had a special attraction for children. Its moving belts, the noise from inside and the way it put out straw and oats, was as intriguing back then as the latest computer game is today. We are looking forward to providing a true glimpse of life in rural 19th century Ireland and celebrating the immense sense of community and hospitality that existed during harvest time. Throughout the Folk Park, for example, there will be plenty of activities available to visitors just like during the fairs of old” added Ms. Brennan.
Visit www.bunrattycastle.ie for more on the Traditional Harvest Day. Normal admission rates apply.
Ms Annie Moore (1874–1924), named in the song hereunder, was an Irish immigrant, and the first person in the United States to pass through federal immigrant inspection at the Ellis Island Station, in New York Harbour. As the first person to pass inspection at this then newly opened facility, she was presented with an American $10 gold piece, by an American immigration official.
Annie had set sail from Co. Cork, Ireland, aboard the Guion Line steamship ‘Nevada’ in the year 1892. Her brothers, Anthony and Philip, who journeyed with her, were aged just 15 years and 12 years respectively.
Her parents, Matthew and Julia, had arrived in the United States 4 years earlier, in 1888, and were both residing at No. 32 Monroe Street, Manhattan, New York, USA.
Annie would go on to marry the son of a German Catholic immigrant, named as Joseph Augustus Schayer (1876–1960), latter a salesman at Manhattan’s Fulton Fish Market, with whom she had possibly some eleven children.
She sadly died of heart failure on December 6th, in 1924, at just aged 50 years. She was buried in Calvary Cemetery, at Maspeth and Woodside, Queens, New York City, New York, USA.
Lyrics: Irish songwriter and novelist Brendan Graham.
Vocals: The distinctive Irish (Galway) singing voice of Sean Keane accompanied by the six time Grammy award winning traditional Irish folk band ‘The Chieftains’.
Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears
On the first day of January, eighteen ninety-two, They opened Ellis Island and they let the people through. And the first to cross the threshold of that Isle of hope and tears, Was Annie Moore from Ireland, who was only fifteen years.
Chorus Isle of Hope, Isle of tears, Isle of freedom, Isle of fears, But it’s not the Isle you left behind, That Isle of hunger, Isle of pain I will never see again, But the Isle of home is always on your mind.
Repeat Chorus In a little bag she carried all her past and history, And her dreams for the future in the Land of Liberty, And courage is the passport, when your old world disappears, But there’s no future in the past, when you’re fifteen years.
Repeat Chorus When they closed down Ellis Island in Nineteen Forty-Three, Seventeen million people, had come there for sanctuary, And in springtime when I came here and I stepped onto it’s piers, I thought of how it must have been, when you’re fifteen years.
The preservation of historic stone buildings across Ireland is under threat, unless urgent and efficient action is taken to develop standards of procurement, training and apprenticeships, a daylong conference taking place in County Clare tomorrow, will hear.
Frank McCormack, Founder and Director of Irish Natural Stone, pictured at his workshop in Boston, County Clare, with stone capitals to be used as part of the restoration and renovation project underway at The Four Courts in Dublin.
Conservation and heritage experts from academia, government, local government and the private sector will gather in Boston on Wednesday to discuss the need to improve the traditional skills which they say is required to prevent ongoing damage being caused to the country’s heritage buildings.
The inaugural National INStone Symposium is being hosted by Burren-based Irish Natural Stone (INStone), the company responsible for delivering the Irish Hunger Memorial in New York City, the restoration of the Four Courts in Dublin, St. Mel’s Cathedral in Longford, St. John’s Cathedral in Limerick, the O’Connell Monument in Ennis, the Irish Cultural and Learning Foundation in Phoenix (USA) and Hope House in Bath (UK).
Company founder MrFrank McCormack said the event will highlight the urgent need to educate public bodies about bringing vernacular buildings and derelict housing back into use in “a proper and correct manner with sensitivity towards their heritage aspect, ensuring the use of natural materials.”
“All stakeholders involved in the preservation of our built heritage need to know and understand about what natural materials should be used and their appropriate application, whilst ensuring best conservation practice is adhered to and achieved. Unfortunately, we are at a concerning stage where there is a widening gap in traditional skills within the heritage sector,” he explained.
Mr. McCormack said traditional skills once commonly deployed in the conservation of old buildings were being lost and that intervention at the national level would be required to ensure that the heritage value of Ireland’s vernacular properties is not undermined.
The event features keynote addresses from a range of experts, including Dr. Patrick Wyse Jackson, Associate Professor of Geology and Curator of the Geological Museum at Trinity College Dublin (TCD); Barry O’Reilly of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage; Hugh Kavanagh, coordinator of the All-Ireland Heritage Skills Programme for the Prince’s Foundation; Dr. John Treacy of Clare County Council; and Alan Micklethwaite, a renowned stone carver with many years of experience in the conservation of historic monuments and sculpture.
“With a pressing need to preserve our built heritage and upgrade our building stock to modern-day comfort levels, all stakeholders involved need to understand traditional building methods and how we can incorporate suitable modern materials to achieve the required energy efficiency rating in the building,” explained Mr. McCormack. He continued, “We need to close the gap in both traditional skills and the understanding of historic buildings. To achieve this, a standardised national quality rating and assessment process should be introduced so that local authorities and public bodies, most of whom will be participating in the symposium, present can better understand the process of properly conserving and restoring old buildings, from the methods of construction adopted to the appropriately specified materials. Furthermore, additional investment and support are required to ensure traditional skills and conservation training allows for the new generation of craftspeople to learn and hone our ancient skills, and aid in the preservation of our built heritage.”
Mr. McCormack, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) who has more than 50 years of experience working as a master stone mason; sculptor; businessman and entrepreneur in Ireland; across Europe and in the United States pointed to the need for a significant increase in the resources available under various government-funded schemes to refurbish Ireland’s old buildings.
“Schemes such as the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS), Historic Structures Fund (HSF), the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant and GLAS Traditional Farm Buildings Grants Scheme are very much welcomed, but a substantial increase in the support provided at local government level in conjunction with the training of those engaged in restoration and conservation work, is necessary if we are to maximise the numbers of successfully procured and finished products of older properties being brought back into use,” he added.
Among the topics being discussed at the conference will be ‘Understanding Carbon in the Built Environment’ by Peter Cox (FRSA) of Carrig Conservation; ‘Craftsmanship in Stone – CRAFTVALUE – IRC Advanced Laureate Project, by TCD’s Professor Christine Casey, Dr Andrew Tierney and Dr Melanie Hayes; ‘STONEBUILT IRELAND Research Project, by TCD’s Professor Patrick Wyse Jackson & Dr Louise Caulfield; ‘The ethics and ethos of Architectural Sculpture Conservation’ by leading restorative carver, Alan Micklethwaite; ‘FABTRADS – Moisture and Thermal Properties of a Range of Irish Stones and In-Situ U-Values of Stone walls’ by UCD’s Dr Rosanne Walker; ‘National Vernacular Strategy’ by Barry O’Reilly of the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage; ‘All-Ireland Heritage Skills Programme’ by Hugh Kavanagh of The Princes Foundation; and ‘Preservation of the Historical and Heritage Value of our Historical Burial Grounds and Graveyards’ by Dr John Treacy of Clare County Council’s Burial Grounds Division.
Other speakers include INStone’s Jamie Forde, MCIOB Building Surveyor, and also INStone’s Colin Grehan, Lead Sculptor who will provide a special presentation on ‘The Intricate Hand-Carving of the Replacement Four Courts Capitals’. An open questions and answers session will be chaired by Dr Brendan Dunford of Burrenbeo Trust at the close of the conference.
Visit www.irishnaturalstone.com for more on the first National INStone Symposium on Wednesday September 6th.
Looking for something new and an exciting experience next weekend, then read on.
Medieval archery contests, mounted swordsmanship and jousting will be showcased during the inaugural Grand Medieval Tournament at Bunratty Castle and Folk Park in County Clare this coming Saturday and Sunday. [September 9th & 10th]
Reenactors from the Wexford-based Horsemen of Éire group will play the knights of the Earl of Ulster Hugh De Lacy and his bitter rival John DeCourcy as they take over the paddocks of the Folk Park.
Visitors can also experience a true to life medieval encampment and witness history come to life by meeting the characters, learning about the turbulent times, lifestyles, customs and skills of 12th and 13th century Ireland.
The two-day medieval spectacle will also afford the public a unique opportunity to witness the preparation and training required for those facing into battle and see how their customs, crafts and traditions have shaped modern society.
The tournament consists of a series of duels and feats of arms horseback and on foot where the two teams try to accumulate points. Visitors will see mounted knights joust at the quintain attempting to strike stationary objects with a lance and hurl javelins at targets, archers demonstrate their accuracy and precision by shooting at distant targets, knights duelling while mounted on their steeds, and multiple knights engaging in a fierce battle within the arena, demonstrating their swordplay, agility, and tactics.
The closing ceremony each day will feature two of the most outstanding knights facing each other in an epic duel on horseback and on foot. A panel of experienced judges will assess the participants’ skill, technique, sportsmanship, and adherence to the code of chivalry. Points are awarded for successful strikes, deft manoeuvres, and demonstrations of honour and respect. The victorious knight will be crowned the Champion of the Grand Tournament, awarded with a glittering laurel wreath, and the admiration of the crowd.
Bunratty Castle was itself the target of multiple attacks during medieval times. The castle was captured and destroyed in 1284, before being rebuilt by Thomas de Clare, Lord of Thomond, three years later.
See www.bunrattycastle.ie for more on the Grand Medieval Tournament at Bunratty Castle on September 9-10th.
Vocals: Irish singer, songwriter, historian, Derek Warfield, a former member of the musical group The Wolfe Tones.
Lyrics: Original author unknown.
The following rebel song tells the story of an Irish freedom fighter listening to the last words of his comrade, who lies dying on a Dublin street. When the wounded man’s father arrives at the scene seeking his son’s whereabouts, he is informed, “there’s no use in searching, your son to heaven has gone.”
The ballad is set during Easter 1916, and according to one version the dying man came from Co. Tipperary with the song rendition containing the following lines:-
“The first I saw was a wounded soldier, Lying, dying, as he feebly cried, ‘God bless our home in sweet Tipperary. God bless the cause for I am dying’ My only son was shot in Dublin, Fighting for his country bold, He died for Ireland, and Ireland only, The Harp and Shamrock, Green, White and Gold”.
Some years later, a four-verse version of this ballad was published, written in a Dublin journal; then known as “The Bell”, latter which ceased publication in 1954. Same publication was an outspoken liberal voice at a time of great political and intellectual stagnation. The article containing this four-verse version was written by Donagh MacDonagh, latter son of Tipperary-born political activist, poet, playwright, educationalist and revolutionary leader Thomas MacDonagh, one of the signatories of the 1916 Proclamation, who was executed on Wednesday May 3rd, 1916.
The Dying Rebel
The night was dark and the fight was over, The moon shone down O’Connell Street, I stood alone, where brave men perished, Those men have gone, their God to meet.
[Chorus] My only son was shot in Dublin, Fighting for his country bold, He fought for Ireland, and Ireland only, The harp and shamrock, green white and gold.
The first I met was a grey haired father, Searching for his only son, I said old man, there’s no use searching, For up to heaven, your son has gone.
[Repeat Chorus]
The old man cried out broken hearted, Bending low I heard him say, I knew my son was too kind hearted, I knew my son would never yield.
[Repeat Chorus]
The last I met was a dying rebel, Bending low I heard him say, God bless my home, in dear Cork City, And bless the cause for which I die.
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