Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann’s headquarters in Dublin is set to be the new home of the Clare Quilt.

Following a limited raffle of 200 tickets each costing €100, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann had the winning ticket and their Dublin headquarters can now house the Clare Quilt unless they decide to offer it to the County Museum.

Doolin Coast Guard, West Clare Cancer Support and Sláinte An Chláir were the three beneficiaries of the raffle.

Sixty squares showing the historic and cultural aspects of the county are included on the quilt which was the brainwave of Valery Larkin. “The Quilt idea came to me in May 2021 and it was completed at the end of November 2021. While this was during Covid, we did adhere to restrictions. All communication was via Facebook and WhatsApp. Pieces were delivered in various car parks around the county and the actual assembly of the quilt was over a period of 3 months in venues that were well ventilated and all participants were suitably masked,” she explained.

Venues such as Lisdoonvarna Fáilte Pavilion, St Francis Hall n Corofin, Hotel Woodstock, Treacy’s West County Hotel and Shannon Airport either allowed the use of their spacious facilities to stitch the quilt together while adhering to Covid-19 restrictions or agreed to display it.

For the record, the women involved in stitching the Clare Quilt were, Bernie Anslow, Nora Barry, Concepta Barry, Marie Bowe, Bernie Callinan, Alacoque Carey, Carolanne Clooney, Teresa Connolly, Eileen Considine, Liz Davoran, Martha de Haro, Maureen Flynn, Soo Ling Howard, Yvonne Keogh, Valery Larkin, Mary Lee, Mary McKee, Roisin Neylon, Mary Neylon, Loretta O’Brien, Cora O’Grady, Imelda O’Grady, Noelle O’Looney, Abby Richardson, Eadaoin Ryan, Caroline Cratloe and Adriana Bogart.