West Clare 'School of Lost Skills' launched for Heritage Week

A WEST Clare based non-profit social enterprise have launched 'The School of Lost Skills' as part of Heritage Week 2023.

The four-day course will feature discussion and practice of  traditional skills like basket weaving, stone wall building, fermentation, foraging and more.

Common Knowledge, a social enterprise based in the Burren & Cliffs of Moher Global Geopark, will host the course, which takes place August 13-16.

There will also be an free Open Day on August 12, which will feature a discussion hosted by Anja Murray with guests Darina Allen, Manchán Magan, Mary Reynolds and Harrison Gardner discussing the danger of losing our ancestral skills and knowledge in these areas. The discussion will be followed by interactive skill sharing workshops throughout the courtyard including cob making, weaving, fermentation and an Ark workshop with Mary Reynolds.  

Places for the Open Day are limited and can be booked here, and the day's events will be live streamed for anyone unable to attend.

The School of Lost Skills four day course will be a chance to practice a range of skills like basket weaving, stone wall building, fermentation, foraging, storytelling, and more with expert instructors from all over Ireland. 

Breakfast and lunch will be provided each day. Tickets cost €680.

This Open Day and four day course comes off the back of Rekindle: Festival of Lost Skills which took place in Ennistymon this summer. Now in its second year, Rekindle is an intergenerational festival of lost skills celebrating and showcasing the knowledge of older people in our communities that can help us all to live a truly sustainable life. Rekindle: Festival of Lost Skills saw more than 500 people meet 18 exhibitors who showcased skills ranging from pen making, Aran knitting, rope making, boat building, basket making and also included a farrier who brought his anvil to display blacksmithing skills.