The North Clare Historical Society will host its final talk in its current series with a talk by Martina McCarthy entitled The Edge of Moher and Beyond. The majestic promontory of Hag’s Head which forms southern limit of the Cliffs of Moher has served as a strategic outpost for people down through the ages. A fortification built here possibly 1000 years ago by the local chieftains lends its name to the world-famous Cliffs of Moher and in more recent times, the Napoleonic Signal Tower was built as a lookout to warn of an impending invasion. The townlands around Hag’s Head tell their own story of people who survival against the odds by making the best of the local resources that the sea and the land provided. The area is steeped in folklore and history with its own ‘Atlantis’ or submerged land called “Cill Stifeen” and many brown-eyed locals may claim a different ancestry as a Spanish Armada ship is reputed to have taken shelter in this area in 1588. This talk will guide you through the area, its history, archaeology, geology and folklore.
Moher native Martina McCarthy spent over 20 years working as an archaeological geophysicist on sites all over Ireland locating and identifying evidence of subsurface archaeological sites and features. This work took her to some of the better-known sites in Ireland such as Newgrange, Knowth, The Hill of Tara, Rathcroghan and to hundreds of lesser-known sites, all with a story to tell that adds to the jigsaw that is Ireland’s interesting and spectacular past. In recent years, her focus changed from the field to the classroom, initially working as a part-time, assistant lecturer in IT Sligo and more recently as an adult literacy organiser in North Clare. Her love of her local area and heritage has always called her back to the nearby above-ground sites and living on the Edge of Moher, there is ample opportunity to explore these and discover previously unnoticed treasures.
The talk will be held at the Courthouse Gallery & Studios, Ennistymon on Monday 3rd April at 8 pm.
Admission €5
All are welcome
