OPINION (AN COLÚN): Clara is waiting 'to be restored to rightful splendour'

I SPENT a very pleasant afternoon recently in the company of two charming people from Clara Heritage Society, Brian Sheridan and Bernie Henry, who invited me on a tour of their home town and environs because they love it so much and feel it has so much to offer. Clara, they told me, is waiting “to be restored to its rightful splendour.”
People like Brian and Bernie are the beating heart of life. These are the kind of people that I enjoy being in the company of, who lift my spirits when I am feeling overwhelmed by the many negative things that dominate our culture such as uncaring corporatism and excessive bureaucracy.
Unfortunately I have no hard facts and figures to back this up but on an emotional level it seems to me that with each passing year our society becomes more and more centralised in its governing structures; with each passing year it seems that the link between the powers that be (between those who control the purse strings) and the countless base-level community groups around the country grows weaker and weaker. It seems obvious to me that a huge number of community groups around Ireland deserve a lot more financial support than they are getting.
Without a doubt there is not the level of stewardship and care that is needed in the governance of our country at the moment. You can see this in the countless number of vacant properties and derelict properties scattered across our land. You can see this in our housing and homeless crisis. There are things you just can't rely on the private market to adequately tackle because too often the private market is a mé-féin construct.
Brian and Bernie took me to several beauty spots in the town. They showed me a number of the delightful Looped Walks in the area, such as the Esker Forest Loop Walk and the Ballinough Doorey Walk. We arrived at Rabbit Hill, from the top of which we could see Croghan Hill due east and to the right of Croghan Hill the spire of Tullamore Catholic Church. To the right of Tullamore we could see Charleville Castle and the Slieve Bloom Mountains. In the immediate area I was told there were “some of the most spectacular Eskers in Europe” and I was told there are many types of plants found on Eskers such as Aaron's Rod (Great Mullein). We walked through Doory Woods, a lovely area of hazel, hawthorn, elder and blackthorn trees. The oldest oak tree in Doory is estimated to be 400 to 500 years old. We enjoyed a magnificent view of Clara Bog with its vast brown expanse and the adjoining woodlands; looking out I could see nothing that reminded me of the century I was living in or of human habitation; the view felt timeless. Brian and Bernie told me that there's talk of creating a Midlands Bog Visitor Centre, and there are a number of candidates for its location. They believe, and with justification, that Clara Bog is the most eligible candidate. They say it could be built on the side of a slope overlooking the Bog and designed in such a way that it would blend into the landscape.
We walked along the banks of the Brosna River running through Clara. 'Potential' was the word that kept occurring to me as we walked along the beautiful, peaceful banks, the potential of creating a greater embrace between the local community and the river. Time and time again throughout Ireland we see towns and villages which are not embracing the rivers and streams that run through them as much as they could. Often the backs of the communities are turned to the watercourses. A lot more turning around needs to happen.
Bernie told me of the battle to save the Fair Green in the middle of the town, from being turned into a car park. Thankfully, this act of vandalism didn't happen, and now the Green is an invaluable part of this very attractive town.
This attractiveness is marred here and there by dereliction with one very unsightly building creating an unwanted impression for those driving into the town. It's shocking to me that people have been complaining about these eyesores for many years and still nothing has happened.
“Clara had a farming community,” Bernie told me, “whose land became the property of the very powerful wealthy merchant class, rather than the Anglo-Irish aristocracy as so often happened elsewhere. Although, the Goodbodys did frequently entertain the gentry and liked to move in those circles. The ordinary folk in Clara, though never in poverty, like those living on the land during famine times and in poor Ireland, were pretty poor with little prospects of improving their lot or their children's lot; most children progressed from school to the factory, for generations. Clara has a huge Diaspora for its size due to the international aspects of the industries in the town. The town has many famous sons and daughters and almost as many infamous sons and daughters, for amidst the heroic stories the town endured some dark moments. Music, literature and the Arts have always been particularly well subscribed to in the town, and of course sports was and is at the core of life in Clara. Clara was transformed by the Industrial Revolution, but escaped the Celtic Tiger intact, the only impact of the Celtic Tiger being a few shopping trips to New York and a greater familiarity with foreign holidays. Consequently, the town was not destroyed by quick builds, and modern carbuncles in the middle of heritage streets. The one modern building is a tastefully built premises, holding the Library and the Interpretive Centre. The other, relatively new build in town is the credit Union, which blends in with the rest of Church Street.
“Surviving the Celtic Tiger has left Clara in a position where it can benefit from the New Town Centre First Initiative, which will enable the designers to develop a carefully designed plan for the town. A plan that will help to facilitate suitable adaptive use of our older buildings, in a way that will maintain the character of the buildings, and the heritage of the town, while simultaneously allowing for the suitable reuse of, and modernisation of, the buildings. Essentially, revitalising the town in a more tasteful and respectful way, retaining our magnificent and significant industrial heritage.
“Developing the plan is only the first step; the community must bring the plan to life, by working together to access funding, lobbying for new initiatives, raising awareness of what already exists, promoting the use of our train service in terms of tourism, and working towards a more sustainable circular economy. When it comes to community and working together Clara won't be found wanting. The close knit community that developed during the industrial age is one aspect of life in Clara that has persisted.”