Scariff Show Committee Members with Mac Conmara Heritage Consulting at the Project Commencement Meeting.
WORK has begun on a major new heritage initiative that will document and preserve the remarkable story of one of County Clare’s most enduring community institutions, the Scariff Agricultural Show.
History, traditions and lived experiences associated with the show since its establishment in 1944 will be preserved and recorded under the The Eight Decades of the Scariff Show: Oral and Community Heritage Project, supported by the Heritage Council through the Community Heritage Grant Scheme,
Delivered in partnership with Mac Conmara Heritage Consulting, the project will create a permanent digital archive comprising oral history interviews, historical photographs, show programmes, newspaper reports and other archival materials connected to the show and its wider community.
Over the coming months, fifteen oral history interviews will be conducted with long-standing volunteers, exhibitors, farmers, committee members and community figures. As part of the project, the committee is seeking the assistance of the public in identifying and sharing historical material connected with the show.
Members of the project team are particularly interested in hearing from anyone who may have historical photographs of Scariff Show, old show programmes and schedules, prize cards, certificates and medals, newspaper articles and advertisements, committee records and correspondence, livestock and equestrian photographs, flyers and memorabilia, or personal memories and stories associated with the event. All materials can be professionally digitised and safely returned to their owners.
Speaking about the initiative, Tracey Doyle, Secretary of Scariff Agricultural Show stated, “The Scariff Show has been at the heart of our community since 1944 and holds a special place in the memories of thousands of people across East Clare and beyond. The Heritage Council, in supporting this project, gives us an opportunity not only to celebrate eighty years of the show, but also to acknowledge the generations of volunteers, exhibitors, farmers, families and supporters who have contributed to its success. We know that there are wonderful photographs, programmes and stories held in homes throughout the region. Every photograph, programme and memory helps us build a fuller picture of the people and community that have made Scariff Show what it is today”.
She added, “We are especially excited to involve younger people through local schools and volunteer opportunities, ensuring that the heritage of the Show continues to be valued and understood by future generations”.
Mac Conmara Heritage Consulting, led by Tuamgraney native Dr Tomás Mac Conmara, has undertaken oral history and heritage projects throughout Ireland, working with communities, public bodies, cultural organisations and national institutions to preserve Ireland’s recorded memory.
Tomás said, “The Scariff Show is much more than an annual agricultural event. For eighty years it has reflected the social, cultural and farming life of East Clare, bringing together generations of families, volunteers, exhibitors and visitors. Through this project, we have a unique opportunity to preserve not only the history of the Show itself, but also the memories, traditions and community spirit that have sustained rural life in this region for decades”.
He continued, “In our work, we have been privileged to work on major heritage projects across Ireland, America and elsewhere, but there is always something special about documenting the heritage of our own region. As someone from Tuamgraney, I know the importance of the Scariff Show within the life of East Clare and the wider area. My own mother would have attended the show in the 1950s as a child. So, we are looking forward to working closely with the committee and the community to ensure that this remarkable story is preserved to the highest archival standards”.
The completed archive will be preserved through partnerships with Cuimhneamh an Chláir and Clare Local Studies, ensuring that the recordings, photographs and historical materials collected as part of the project are safeguarded and made accessible for future research, education and community use.
Anyone who has photographs, programmes, memorabilia, documents or stories connected with Scariff Show is encouraged to contact macconmaraheritage@gmail.com, phone 086 2747230, or through a member of the Show Committee.
