Carbon Footprint 39 kg
Expenses assistant travel 60 euro food 24
Clive Moloney's picture from inside Shallee mine
Arrived in Nenagh at 9; bought some food and picked up my jigsaw from the Hardware shop. I feel a little nervous of a power tool which has typo mistakes on the packaging.
Anyway got to Silvermines and opened up for 10. Set about putting photographs on the wall. My daughter Eve was with me so she got various jobs to do. I decided to go for hand-writing the label information onto the walls with pencil. I think I preferred it without the writing, but then I would have to do a tour of the objects each time someone comes in, and for some reason I don't think that's right. It's not my role to be the guide to the objects, that comes from the people themselves. I have to maintain a certain distance from the Museum collection, because I don't want to get too identified with it, as though it's my collection.
Clive and Sally arrived and we talked through their proposal for a Youth Art project which is really good; they went off scouting around, putting up posters and things. Various people passed through, but not such a good stream as other days.
Word started to filter through the youth community about the 'graffiti' project. They started showing up in great numbers wanting to know if they could sign up immediately!
Clive, Eve and Sally headed up to the Shallee mine. Luckily they met someone there who is working on the rehabilitation projec and he promised to give them a safety tour of the area. He also took them into the actual mines, something that we hadn't done the previous week.
Had a few more people through in the afternoon; Tommy Hickey came carrying a folder with a great range of material - receipts dating back to the 1890's for land rental from Lord Dunally and all kinds of stuff.
After the evening session I brought the folder back to Hickey's pub and we had a drink and a chat and watched some television. I met someone whose father bred and trained a Cheltenham winning horse just outside of Silvermines - the father would almost certainly have loads of material but I can't seem to get out to visit people, I have to wait for them to come to me really.
The next morning was an absoloute deluge. A few of the young lads arrived and hung out for a while; then Melanie Scott came and we talked through various logistics around the project and the final event.
We will try to arrange some kind of afternoon tea and sandwiches event on Saturday 18th, with an official opening by the Mayor and maybe some local input - music? Singing?
I have to design some kind of invites and get them to the Arts Office for printing.
Towards the end of the meeting Michael O' Brien came by; I have been hoping to meet him for ages. We arranged that I would call to his house after 2.
A researcher from ARTZONE on RTE Lyric FM phoned to ask if they could send someone out to do a piece. We arranged for him to come next Wednesday, in advance of the public meeting to discuss the Youth Art project.
I called to Micheal O' Brien; he had a great wealth of interesting material - like that the main street used to be a river bed! Not that long ago, maybe 120 - 160 years. The mining activity drained away all of the water.
Also, a most wonderful story about John 'Fiery' Gleeson. When Macgobar came from Texas in the 1960's and decided that they wanted to mine in the area where the Dunally castle was, the government was more than happy to give them the rights to the minerals under the land (reminders of Shell). The farmers had no rights to the minerals under their land, so they really had no option but to sell up to Macgobar.
Some held out for longer (and for better prices) than others, but John 'Fiery' Gleeson, with some assistance, traced back the ownership of his farm to 1660, when Charles 2 granted it to his family in return for their loyalty to the crown during the Civil war and the Cromwell years. What made that so important was that the King was the owner of the mineral rights; so in that granting of the land the rights to the minerals remained with the Gleeson family! 'Fiery' got a big sum of money, though he was never prepared to say how much!
But as a final aside, he also got permission to remain in his house on the land while his mother was still alive - she went on to live to 100!!
The house was completely overgrown with ivy, but has now passed to a niece who is doing it up. It's a really interesting looking house - I didn't have my camera with me but will get a picture for next week.
Pat Keane was visiting with Sally and Clive when I returned; he brought me an old rabbit trap and an old primus blow torch.
Clive Moloney's pictures from inside Shallee mine
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