Culture & Heritage

Culture and Heritage

Duhallow Choral Society

The Duhallow Choral Society was founded twenty-five years ago on the 6th March 1996. Brigid Daly has been the choir manager since the beginning. At the time Brigid was a director on the board of IRD Duhallow and applied to LEADER for funding to setup a choir for people around Duhallow. Throughout their 25 years, the choir has travelled far and wide. They received LEADER funding under the 07-13 programme for new uniforms which give a professional and positive look to the choir. The choir are silent for over a year now because of the pandemic, but with brighter times ahead, the choir will celebrate their silver Jubilee with a Gala concert hopefully in the not-too-distant future.

Castlemagner Book

With the support of SICAP Castlemagner Community Development Association produced a book entitled ‘When I was About Knee High’ The publication is a wonderful record of times past with heart-warming stories, memories, poems, precious old and beautiful scenic photographs. It has preserved old stories and traditions and in future years will very much be part of local history. In the words of Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh, who penned the book’ s foreword: “In their own way, each of the contributors to this book is also capturing forever their unique lives and perspective and these are equally worth remembering and celebrating; ní bheidh a leithéidí arís ann. ”

The Eamonn Kelly Weekend

Legendary Seanchaí and Actor Eamonn Kelly was born in Gneeveguilla, and though it is almost 20 years since his passing the local community are as passionate as ever to remember him and to keep his legacy for story telling alive in Sliabh Luachra and through the LEADER programme a monument was erected in his memory. The Eamonn Kelly Weekend was established over 5 years ago and enables locals and those from further afield to honour Eamonn Kelly by taking part in various workshops and storytelling sessions. Like many festivals and events in 2020 their roll out had to change and with this the community showed their innovative nature by keeping the w e e k e n d ’ s activities alive virtually. With the support of SICAP funding the committee was able to undertake video recordings including drone footage to showcase the history and background attached to the famous seanchaí. These recordings were released on social media helping to keep the significance of the festival alive. In previous years, workshops on storytelling have been held with local children and youth and the committee hope to come back stronger than ever in 2021 to help ensure the tradition of storytelling in Sliabh Luachra is preserved for future generations.

Millstreet Pipe Band

There are few regions which can boast such a richness of pipe band music as the Duhallow region itself. Duhallow is fortunate to lay claim to Cullen, Newmarket and Millstreet Pipe Bands all of whom are awarding winning in their own right. Millstreet Pipe Band is 70 years old this year and are well renowned nationally and internationally. In 2020 they were supported under the LEADER Programme to upgrade their uniforms which were over 35 years old and had served the members well along with new equipment also. This funding has helped bring the band into a new era with new modern uniforms and better sounding equipment. It will also help them to continue to train, encourage and continue the tradition of pipe music in the locality and beyond.

Muskerry through the Mac Suibhne Lens

IRD Duhallow has always recognised the important role that local publications play in preserving our history and heritage. Through the LEADER Programme Macroom Tidy Towns were supported in their publication of a book based on over 470 local pictures and stories of local events which relates to the 1980s and which was compiled by local authors Sean and Maire McSweeney.

Cultural Centres

Duhallow is home to a number of cultural centres including Gneeveguilla Teach Failte, Glash, Tureencahill, Freemount Heritage Centre, Aubane, Laharn, Bruach na Carraige and the Glen Theatre in Banteer. These were developed with the support of LEADER funding and are important local amenities acting as local social hubs, but also playing a pivotal role in preserving and passing on Duhallow ’ s unique and vibrant heritage.

Members of Duhallow Choral Society who performed for President Michael D and his wife Sabina Higgins. Members of Millstreet Pipe Band proudly showing off their new instruments and uniforms that were funded by LEADER.

The book ‘When I was Knee High’ features local memories and stories. It was compiled by Castlemagner Development Association during lockdown.

Sean Mac Suibhne, Martin Coughlan and John Lyons launching the book Muskerry through the Mac Suibhne Lens that was funded by LEADER in South Cork.

Triona Dennehy of IRD Duhallow and committee members (right to left) Donal Hickey, Eileen Fleming and Martin Murphy launching the latest edition of the Sliabh Luachra Journal.

Community Development

Peter Lane pictured with fellow committee members and supporters of Clondrohid Community Hall, including former IRD Duhallow board member Breeda Kelleher, outside the Community Hall building which received LEADER support for the replacement of windows and doors.

Virtual Community Meetings

COVID 19 did not prevent dialogue and cooperation amongst community groups in Duhallow. Throughout the unprecedented crisis IRD Duhallow ’ s working groups, with representatives from the board and staff as well as local community stakeholders and state sector representatives, continued to meet virtually. This provided a vital platform for discussion and allowed IRD Duhallow to identify the real needs on the ground. Travel restrictions, social distancing protocols, and general disruptions to daily life have made it impossible to hold in-person meetings and therefore a number of community groups convened online. Virtual meetings became integral for communities to stay connected and ensure continuity of operations. A number of community groups held their AGM’ s online. The COVID-19-induced transition to virtual meetings has not been welcomed by all as it was reported that people missed the opportunity to meet and to interact in person. There has also been a number of difficulties that come with virtual meetings e.g. poor connection – highlighting the broadband inadequacy in rural areas. Other non-technical challenges experienced during virtual meetings included disruptions during meeting caused by people wanting to raise their view at the same time, silence during discussions etc.

Community IT Hubs

The recently released Future of Work report shows that 72% of organisations have implemented remote working policies in the last year and the consensus is very much unanimous that remote working is here to stay. This opens up the region of Duhallow to a huge number of white collar jobs, making the region a much bigger employer, with the added bonus of where people can have a fantastic quality of life in a rural setting. With the assistance of LEADER 2014-2020 funding a number of community IT hubs were established including Tureencahill, Aubane, Glash, Laharn, Banteer and Kilbrin. These facilities support the retention of skilled people in rural Duhallow as well as attracting “ mobile talent” to the region. The need for the regional IT hubs was identified in the aftermath of Covid when people in the community were forced into a situation where they needed to be able to work and/or study from home. For many in rural areas especially those outside of villages and towns the quality of their broadband, if they even have it, is quite poor and often household situations aren ’t conducive to working from home. The community based hubs aim to support workers and third level students who are either fully remote or participating in blended work or learning to access fast broadband and a quiet space to work in their own community.

Committee Member Lil Fleming with Joan O’Riordan pictured in Tureencahill Community Centre, where new windows and blinds were installed through LEADER 2014-2020 Funding. Cllr Tony O’Shea with Sheila Crowley, secretary of Laharn Community Action CLG, in the new office space at the Laharn Heritage Centre Broadband Connection Point

Discover Duhallow

Tadhg Curtin, George Hindmarsh, Louise Bourke and Caleb O’Connor who compile the fortnightly edition of Discover Duhallow.

Discover Duhallow is a fortnightly community publication containing local news and information. First launched in September of 2019, the popular magazine now has a circulation of 4,000 hard copies as well as thousands of views online. The magazine is edited in house with the support of participants from Tús, RSS and CE schemes and this platform provides ideal hands on experience for participants. During COVID times the magazine was a vital support to many helping them keep in touch with what was happening locally in their communities and how to access vital services. Articles are submitted by community correspondents as well as regular contributors such as SOS Fitness, New Leaf Health Stores, the IRD Duhallow Job Centre, Millstreet Veterinary Group, Trevor O’Donoghue (Astronomer), Alice O’Brien (Psychiatric Nurse) and Tom Dennehy.

Playground Developments in Duhallow

With the assistance of LEADER 2014-2020 funding IRD Duhallow ’ s Community Development Working Group has assisted communities in Ballinagree, Millstreet, Kanturk, Tullylease, Rockchapel and Kiskeam to design and create playground spaces for children regardless of their age and abilities. Playgrounds provide multisensory experiences that help to build childrens ’ specific developmental skills including: Sensory, Motor,