Cuimhneamh an Chláir has been working with Clare Traveller CDP over the last 18 months training Traveller collectors to record their own oral histories.
The whole ethos of Cuimhneamh an Chláir is to gather oral histories in order to fill out and give nuance to the social history of Co. Clare that is found in written documentation. Written sources capture part of the story, but oral testimony enriches those written sources and recognises the right of people to shape their own narratives and tell their own stories.
For this reason Cuimhneamh an Chláir has been training Clare people for 17 years to record their own social and cultural history and folklore. Cuimhneamh an Chláir recognises that all ethnic and social groups in Co. Clare should be included in this endeavour.
Working with Clare Traveller CDP, Cuimhneamh an Chláir has delivered training to Traveller volunteers with input from the National Museum of Ireland’s Traveller Culture Collector, Oein de Bharduin. The course covered oral history techniques including interviewing skills and technical recording skills and encouraged the volunteers to record their community’s stories from an “insider” perspective.
The event on Tuesday 10th March is a celebration of the work done so far and a launch of the next stage of the project. The event will also include a slideshow of Pat Galvin’s 1970s and 1980s photo archive of Ennis Travellers, now held by the De Valera Library.
Pat worked with the Ennis Committee for Travelling People and is fondly regarded by the Ennis Traveller community. The event will also mark Pat Galvin’s donation of further elements of his audio visual archive to Cuimhneamh an Chláir.
Project manager, Paula Carroll says: “We are so proud of this project. It’s so important to have communities take ownership of their own narratives, and not have their stories filtered through anyone else’s lens.
Martin McDonagh, Bridget Mongan and Martin Keenan have done wonderful work so far recording their own family members and friends. We look forward to adding to that archive, and making it available to the National Mueuem of Ireland’s Traveller Culture Collection too.”
For more information contact Paula Carroll, Project Manager, paula@clarememories.ie.
Supported by the The Heritage Council and Clare Co. Council