a weekend for 'praegers': the first annual clare island symposium, held 21-24 july 1989 on...
TRANSCRIPT
A Weekend for 'Praegers': The First Annual Clare Island Symposium, Held 21-24 July 1989 onClare Island, Co. MayoAuthor(s): Timothy CollinsSource: The Irish Naturalists' Journal, Vol. 23, No. 5/6 (Jan. - Apr., 1990), pp. 227-230Published by: Irish Naturalists' Journal Ltd.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25539476 .
Accessed: 15/06/2014 15:19
Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp
.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].
.
Irish Naturalists' Journal Ltd. is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The IrishNaturalists' Journal.
http://www.jstor.org
This content downloaded from 62.122.79.78 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 15:19:54 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Ir. Nat. J. Vol. 23 No. 5/6 1990 227
Coleraine on the growth rates of bacteria in thawing food; the Teachers Union of Ireland prize was awarded to Conor Darcy, Stephen Byrne and Shane Drumgoole, CB Secondary School, Dundalk, for a study of plants in aquaria.
The Exhibition was a resounding success. Aer Lingus are due great praise for mounting this annual event. It provides a platform on which pupils from all parts of Ireland can present the results of
experiments from both the organic and the inorganic world, can match their skills with other pupils whilst learning much from the social contacts and associated events the Exhibition provides.
Aer Lingus also provided exciting special feature displays in the Main Hall The Experts in Aircraft Management (TEAM) demonstrated a scale model of Boeing 747-400 jet engine to be used in a new venture at Dublin Airport
? the servicing of international aircraft. There were seven exhibits
featuring the top award winners at the 1989 Young Scientist of Europe Exhibition which was held in Brussels. As well as last year's Irish award winners, Sinead Finn and Grace 0 Connor from Thurles, there were projects from the Netherlands, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain and Italy. The last was of biological interest. Lina Tomasella, who is studying physics at Padua University,
demonstrated the effects of fluorescent dyes on aquatic invertebrates in the region between Venice and Trieste. Videotel showed models of their screenphone service which they plan to introduce in the near
future. Students from Dublin City University issued a daily newspaper produced by desktop publishing techniques and including contributions from both contestants and judges. Eolas, the Irish
Science and Technology Agency, presented a series of lectures including a talk on genetic engineering
by Professor D. McConnell of TCD. The general public came in great numbers to view the projects. It was heartening to hear a 13
year-old girl explaining to urban dwellers the connection between badgers and cattle diseases and to
see parents introducing young children to the exhibits and explaining such demonstrations as an
electron micrograph of an insect's head. ??^,?rr* B v MARY J. P. SCANNELL
A WEEKEND FOR TRAEGERS': THE FIRST ANNUAL CLARE ISLAND SYMPOSIUM, HELD 21-24 JULY 1989 ON CLARE ISLAND CO MAYO
That there has been a revival of interest in the study of islands and their flora and fauna is certainly a truism, if recent events are anything to go by. People like Tony Whilde of the Corrib Conservation
Centre and Leo Hallissey of the Connemara Environmental Education Centre who organize
respectively the island ecotours and the annual Inishbofin Summer Schools have noted an increase in
the numbers of applicants to their courses. As Robert Lloyd Praeger said in his general introduction to
the Clare Island Survey, "Islands and their flora and fauna have always been of special interest to the
naturalist". What has happened is that, besides naturalists, a growing number of writers such as Tim
Robinson (writing on Aranmore, the largest of the three Aran islands) and documentary makers such
as David Cabot (on Inishkea) have helped focus a rising popular awareness of islands, their life and
their heritage.
Bearing all this in mind, symposium organizers, Ciara Cullen and Peter Gill, felt it was time to
offer people interested in islands the opportunity of exploring the unique environment of Clare Island
through an interdisciplinary study of its natural and human heritage. One of the aims of the symposium
was to explore the possibilities for the future appreciation and management of this heritage for both
islander and visitor alike.
Such was the level of interest that the symposium was rapidly oversubscribed, leading to some
disappointment among later applicants. As can be imagined on an island at the peak of the holiday
season, bed spaces are not easily come by without prior planning. In this the organizers were lucky in
having the willing help and co-operation of Mr and Mrs O'Grady, owners of the Clare Island Hotel
which became the centre of the weekend's activities.
Friday, 21 July. In her introductory talk, Ciara Cullen outlined the aims of the weekend, explaining to the
audience that they were all 'Praegers', a colloquial term still used by islanders for any visitor to the
island. Ciara Cullen also gave the Oxford English Dictionary definition of a symposium as an "...
ancient Greek drinking party, with conversation, etc., after a banquet" and hoped that we would not
lose sight of this definition over the coming days. Co-organiser Peter Gill's talk entitled 'Islands as microcosms' introduced the visitors to a
phenomenon that becomes apparent only when one has stayed some time on an island. There is a
This content downloaded from 62.122.79.78 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 15:19:54 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
228 h.Nat. J. Vol. 23 No. 5/61990
tendency for islands to function as microcosms of the larger environment of which they form part.
Thus natural and human problems encountered in island communities, although seeming smaller and
more' easily rectified, are effectively indicating what, in time, could affect larger mainland
communities. Consequently, solutions to such problems could also have far-reaching consequences.
Another self evident truth explained by Peter Gill is that, on an island, one's perspective of time and
life changes from what it was on the mainland. Certainly his thought-provoking talk made everyone
more receptive to what they were going to experience over the following three days, and led logically to the screening by Bob Quinn of The Island', a documentary made by him for RTE in 1966.
Twenty-three years latermany of the fears ofthe islanders fortheir island, such as emigration, causing
the community to die, have proven unfounded,
Saturday, 22 July.
The planned activities of the day began with a series of short talks aimed at giving everyone an
idea of what to look for, on the various field trips. Adrian Phillips gave a very detailed yet informative
talk on the tangled geology of the island, accompanied by slides showing exactly what we would
expect to see. Adrian Phillips was followed by Gordon D'Arcy who showed slides of Clare Island's birds with comments on where we might expect to see each species, Juliet Brodie spoke on the flora of
the island and while many in the audience were trying to get their tongues around Potamogeton
polygonifolius (seen later near the 'Gangs'), she stressed that, this weekend, taxonomy would take
second place to fieldwork. Certainly by the end of the weeken^
under her expert tutelage, most
people were able to recognize the dominant species of each habitat visited.
To make the most of the time at our disposal transport was made available to ferry everyone to the
lighthouse at the northern tip ofthe island. It was here that, looking towards Croaghmore, we were
treated to a truely evocative sight. As the strengthening sun gradually cut through the sea mist,
Croaghmore became visible in a manner reminiscent of R. J, Welch's famous plate taken from the
same spot in 1909 and used as the frontispiece of the first volume of the Clare Island Survey. Because of the large number present, it was decided to divide everyone into groups under one or
other ofthe speakers, Juliet Brodie showed what could be seen if one looked closely enough at the
tinder-dry slopes which also bore all the signs of overgrazing by sheep and rabbits. At this point in
time, Clare Island, in common with most of the country, had experienced an unbroken spell of fine
weather which had lasted from mid-May. Conditions, although perfect for walking, were not good for
viewing the island's flora at its best. Paul Gosling gave a resume of what was known about the island's
archaeology, noting the various promontory forts visible in the distance. Gordon D'Arcy pointed out
the nesting sites of seabirds that could be seen along the seaward face of Croaghmore and its associated
cliffs. Adrian Phillips' mastery of his subject was shown in his ability to explain to a lay audience how enormous geological forces applied over millions of years could result in the breathtaking views being enjoyed by all present. After a short walk down to the beach at Portlea, David McGrath took the individual groups in turn-on a quick tour of the intertidal zone of this sheltered rocky beach, drawing a vivid picture in the time available, ofthe activities ofthe various inhabitants of this beach when the tide is in.
Lassu Wood, the unique woodland habitat near Portlea, was scrutinized in some detail and its age and condition noted. Although the movement of such a large number of people through the wood hindered birdwatching, many people spotted a female sparrowhawk and later her nest was located near the edge of the wood. Adrian Phillips pointed out the geology of this area and Paul Gosling described the importance of the standing stone near Gara Cullen's house as well as the kelp-burning kiln near the beach. Later at the cutaway bog near the 'Gangs' Juliet Brodie decribed what the
landscape must have looked like when trees covered most ofthe island. The stumps now stand as mute
testimony to that time, For birdwatchers, tree sparrows, newly reported on the island were seen in some numbers, as were choughs.
That evening a fine dinner, eaten with gusto by those whose appetites had been sharpened by a
day spent in the open air, was followed with a special screening by Bob Quinn of his award-winning film 'Budawanny' filmed on the island.
Sunday, 23 July The activities of the day commenced with an illustrated talk given by Timothy Collins on the
Clare Island Survey itself. For many, it was their first time learning something of the background of the people who took part in the Survey, as well as seeing where the Survey itself fitted into the overall context of Irish natural history in the period between the end of the Victorian era and the beginning of the Great War.
&
This content downloaded from 62.122.79.78 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 15:19:54 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Ir. Nat. J. Vol. 23 No. 5/6 1990 229
Following the talk, transport was again provided to bring everyone to the Abbey at Kille where
Ann Chambers gave a detailed account of the life and times of Grace O'Malley. Perhaps it was the
location, but everyone listened spellbound as events that occurred five centuries before seemed once
more to come to life. Unfortunately Ann Chambers' talk went far over time with the result that the
planned field trip to the Signal Tower at the west of the island had to be curtailed. This was not before a
team of medieval church fresco restorers who happened to be in the vicinity on a survey of Irish
frescoes for the Office of Public Works were invited by Paul Gosling to describe the remaining frecoes
on the ceiling of the abbey tower. These specialists were of the opinion that the existing frescoes were
in such good condition that they could be restored and preserved relatively easily and it is possible
that, as a result of this symposium, this restoration work may now go ahead.
The fieldtrip to the west of the island yielded further examples of pre-bog field systems. The
geology of the area was vividly described by Adrian Phillips as he showed old beaches now many
hundreds of feet from today's levels through uplifting and other geological processes. Gordon D'Arcy was able to add further to the list of avifauna seen. Paul Gosling later led the group out into the
promontory fort at Dun Ooghanishka and the day was suitably rounded off with poetry readings by John F. Deane and Pat O'Brien, both reading highly evocative material written about, or on the island,
which they have published.
Monday, 24th July The seminar entitled 'Heritage Management and Rural Development', held at the hotel was
extremely well attended, with representatives of many public and semi-state bodies coming specially from the mainland. The weekend symposium itself was evaluated and comments made by various
people about the balance between fieldwork and lectures as well as themes for future symposia. It was
felt that the entomology of the island could be dealt with at a future symposium and activities that
would be aimed at children also planned. The cultural aspects of rural development in general and with Clare Island in particular were
discussed. Martin O'Regan of the Mayo County Development Team voiced his fears for the future of
Clare Island. Funds should be made available from government or European sources to help the
islanders move away from the monocultural type of agriculture currently prevailing on the island.
Overgrazing by sheep is now so extreme that soil erosion is already apparent on the upper slopes of
Croaghmore. A member of the Clare Island Co-op agreed that overgrazing was a problem and that
liberal application of fertilizer made available through grant aid and continuing drainage of marginal land was not going to help matters. However, until someone had something else to offer it would
continue. It was also said that the location offish farms in island waters would not noticeably help the
employment situation. Some six or seven islanders are currently employed in fish farming and that
figure is not likely to rise in the foreseeable future. The point was also made forcefully that, in the
subject of heritage versus development, jobs would not be enough to keep young people on the island.
A community centre is essential in this context. Mary O'Donnell of Bord Failte felt that island
holidays could be skilfully promoted although without making the islanders feel they are always being studied by visitors. With regard to the restoration of the castle, representatives of both the O'Malley
Clan and the Granuaile Trust said that they would be willing to make funds available, but only after a
restoration plan could be agreed on. Again no consensus emerged as one proposal to restore the castle
so that medieval banquets could be promoted, was countered with a proposal that the castle be restored
and made available to the island as a community centre, or a heritage resource centre.
To increase awareness of the island's heritage it was also proposed that a series of leaflets
detailing the island's flora, fauna, history and antiquities be produced as well as maps detailing places of interest. Once a centre of some kind was made available, a reference library specializing in
publications relating to the island could be readily put together. In consequence of all the points made
it was agreed that the organisers of the symposium and the speakers should continue their dialogue with a view to commencing a programme of further courses on the island's heritage for the benefit of
the people of the island and especially for the young, to foster an awareness of the islands' cultural
heritage and its environment. This is already well under way. Natasha Weyer-Brown, Executive
Secretary of the Royal Irish Academy's Praeger Fund also stated that the 'Academy would look
favourably on any request from such a group for funding of botanical or zoological studies on the
island'.
The multi-disciplinary approach was a complete success, with everyone, amateur and
professional alike, benefitting from the contributions freely given throughout the whole weekend,
both at the talks and later in the field. One could not help but have the feeling that this was how things used to be when Praeger himself was organizing 'Field Club' outings. Scientifically, the fieldwork
This content downloaded from 62.122.79.78 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 15:19:54 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
230 Ir-NaL J- VoL- 23 No- 5/6 1990
resulted in many additions to current knowledge. Monodonta lineata the only bivalve not found on
Clare Island during the 'Survey' or subsequently, was confirmed by David McGrath at Portlea beach.
The additional information regarding the flora, gathered on this and other visits, is such that it is
shortly to be published in the Irish Naturalists' Journal by Juliet Brodie. Forty of the forty-seven
species of birds recorded on Clare Island were seen, most notable being the recent addition to the list,
tree sparrows. Although much too late in the year to see any chicks, a sparrowhawk's nest was spotted
in Portlea Wood with the female nearby. Likewise, the new gannet colonies on the west and
north-west of the island did not yield anything of note. Personally, the most breathtaking sight was a
flock of some forty-seven chough spotted in flight on the Saturday.
On Monday, the final day of fieldwork, Paul Gosling confirmed the location of three hitherto
unknown fulachtaftadh or ancient cooking mounds in the east of the island, thus confirming that Clare
Island had a large stable community many centuries earlier than was previously thought. Such results
from a cursory re-examination of the island demonstrate clearly that another Clare Island Survey is
quite feasible if funds can be made available. Certainly there is enough fieldwork awaiting those who
attend the second Clare Island Symposium next June.
Hardiman Library, University College, Galway TIMOTHY COLLINS
CORRESPONDENCE
RECORDS OF ACULEATE HYMENOPTERA
Dear Sir ? I am currently working in conjunction with Robert Nash of the Ulster Museum on a
proposed publication on the Irish aculeate Hymenoptera. It is over 60 years since Stelfox published his
paper on this group and there are very few modern published records. We have many records from the
north of Ireland but would welcome aculeate records from anywhere in Ireland for inclusion in the
proposed paper. Details should be sent to me at the address given below.
Yours & etc.,
84 Drumnagoon Road, Portadown, Co Armagh BT63 5RF BRIAN NELSON
FERAL FERRET COLONIES
Dear Sir?The Mammal Society has asked me to discover the number and location of feral ferret colonies in these islands and I should be most grateful for any information. Ferrets often escape and are found wandering; sometimes a pregnant female might produce a litter after such an escape but, unless the young survive and breed successfully, such an assemblage would not be classed as a feral
colony in terms of this survey. Locations will not be published without permission. Yours & etc.,
Keythorpc Lodge, Keythorpe, Leicestershire LE7 9WB CLIFFORD OWEN
POLLEN BEETLES IN IRELAND
Dear Sir? Entomologists in Ireland may be interested to know that I am currently working on a Handbook to the identification of pollen beetles of the genera Kateretes, Brachypterus, Brachyptewlus (Kateretidae) and Meligethes (Nitidulidae) in the British Isles. 1 am interested in examining any material of these genera from Ireland for distributional purposes, and am more than
happy to identify any material made available to me, including Meligethes pests of oilseed rape and other Cruciferae. It is also my intention to update the Irish list for these genera. 1 am planning a collecting trip to the south of Ireland in May or June 1991 and would like to hear from anyone interested in a joint collecting trip at this time.
Yours & etc.,
Sub-Department of Entomology, ASHLEY H. KIRK-SPRIGGS National Museum of Wales, Cathavs Park, Cardiff CFI 3NP.
This content downloaded from 62.122.79.78 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 15:19:54 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions