Bygone Days in North West Clare is a photographic exhibition that takes a look at the past, recording the streetscapes, long disappeared buildings, forgotten businesses and crafts, of three North West Clare towns and the daily life of their inhabitants. The market town of Ennistymon, the coastal villages of Lahinch and Liscannor.
The photographs date from the early to the mid years of the 20th century and record a very different way of life, lived at a slower pace. Lahinch a seaside resort with a long beach and a golf course where people came to breathe in the sea air.
Liscannor was a small fishing village with a port. Sailing ships would land there, bringing in coal and exporting flagstones quarried locally, for use in the buildings and for paving stones in the United Kingdom.
Ennistymon then was a very prosperous market town and rail head and provided all the goods and services needed in the area.
People came in from the hinterland to the weekly markets and monthly fairs to sell their produce. The money made was spent in the shops and public houses bringing great prosperity to the town.
These photographs were collected by the Old Ennistymon Society, a voluntary organisation responsible for the preservation of local heritage. Its mission statement is
Preserving the Past for the Future
An example of this is the Ennistymon Courthouse which was rescued from demolition and developed into the stunning arts centre THE COURTHOUSE GALLERY that you see today.
The Photographs in this exhibition were collected over many years by the Old Ennistymon Society and forms a small part of the entire collection.
Exhibition is taking place in La Criere, Port Navalo Arzon.from 17th September to end of November to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Arzon Lahinch Twinning Association and there will be a reciprocal exhibition in the The Courthouse Gallery ~& Studios in 2022.