Despite a Status Yellow weather warning being issued for Clare but not materialising, thousands descended on the east Clare harbour town of Scariff for the close of the annual Harbour Festival on bank-holiday Sunday night.
It ranked close to the top of 20 festivals since 2003, as a packed and varied programme of events unfolded to the huge satisfaction of organisers and local businesses.
‘The Town I Loved so Well’ sung by the Celtic Tenors at the Church of the Sacred Heart set a warm and welcoming tone for the later Friday evening official opening by the Mayor of Derry and District of Strabane, SDLP Cllr Lilian Seenoi-Barr at the Edna O’Brien Library. It followed a Civic Reception in her honour, hosted by Killaloe Municipal District of Clare County Council.
The first black Mayor of Derry and in all of Northern Ireland touched the hearts of the people present when she revealed that she had watched the All-Ireland Hurling Final and was now a committed Clare hurling follower.
Elected to the post of Derry’s first citizen in June, the Kenyan native was deeply impacted by the story of the late Edna O’Brien and quoted American Civil Rights activist John Lewis who said ‘Speak Up, speak Out, Get in the way, get in good trouble, necessary trouble.’ ‘Edna gave voice to the lived experience of women across Ireland and became a crucial catalyst for change,’ she said.
‘As somebody who has had an unique journey and often finds herself in ‘good trouble’, I felt a deep kinship with Edna. People must speak up, that’s what Edna O’Brien did through her long and distinguished career and I am confident that her fearless spirit will endure,’ the Mayor said.
Festival highlights included Walking the Famine Way, with stops at the Old Water Tower, the remains of the old Workhouse and the Famine Graveyard in Tuamganey. It attracted a huge following and the exhaustive work of organiser Micheál Pearl and his brother Martin was hugely appreciated by an audience, who were clearly moved by the local famine story.
Crowds too saw Old Photos East Clare, a looped presentation of local places and people going back to the 1800s. Hundreds passed through the Biodiversity Exhibition highlighting protected species of birds, plants, mammals and bats recorded at the Old Finsa Site in 2023 and initiated by EKO Integrated Services. An illustrated lecture on landlords in the Scariff area by historian and genealogist, Jane Halloran Ryan captivated a packed library.
The Kilfenora Céilí Band and Drops of Green brought a capacity crowd to the Fairgreen for the Grand Finale on Sunday night. ‘It was a super week-end,’ said a delighted Mike Rodgers, Chairman of the Festival Committee. ‘All the hard work came together while locals and visitors soaked up the music and atmosphere long into the night.’ he said.
Children of all ages ran freely in the streets, circus acts had the very young screaming with excitement, paddlers in coloured kayaks dotted the river, the smaller children enthusiastically took over the GAA Park and the older ones the Riverside Park, the toddlers loved the fire engines, the scouts camped out and the street stalls provided a leisurely stroll for everybody.
The Festival Chairman went on to acknowledge Waterways Ireland, the loyal sponsors and the fantastic hardworking committee and volunteers whose commitment and dedication make the festival possible each and every year.
