July 2010
Coffee Morning in aid of Sláinte an Chláir cancer centre Kilnamona
A coffee morning takes place at the Michael Cusack Centre in Carron at 11.30am on Saturday 24th July next. All proceeds are in aid of Sláinte an Chláir cancer centre in Kilnamona. All are welcome.
Scarecrow competition at the Michael Cusack Centre
Sunday 25th July
Sunday 25th July
Bring your scarecrow to the Michael Cusack Centre between 12 noon and 1pm and visit the other scarecrows around and about.
Entrance fee €2
Your scarecrow can be humorous, celebrity or traditional. There is a € 50 Prize for 1st place. Novelty prizes for 2nd and 3rd place. Judging takes place at 3.00pm.
Then take your scarecrows home and put them in your front garden or window for passersby to enjoy.
Refreshments & cakes on the day.
For further details contact the Michael Cusack Centre on 065-7089944
June 2010
Competition Winners
Congratulations to our competition winners:
- Trish Davoren, Shannon, Co. Clare who won a pair of tickets to the Munster Hurling Final
- Liam Finn, Kilmallock, Co. Limerick who won a pair of tickets to the Munster Football Final
Keep posted for other competitions and activities taking place over the Summer!
May 2010
Féile na nGael launched at the Michael Cusack Centre
Press Release
20th May 2010
The Michael Cusack Centre in Carron, County Clare was the venue for the launch of Féile na nGael 2010. The Uachtarán of Cumann Lúthcleas Gael, Christy Cooney, Féile Na nGael representatives and sponsors Coca Cola were present at the homestead of the founder of the GAA, Michael Cusack.
Féile na nGael is now a national festival of Hurling, Football, Camogie and Handball for boys and girls under 14 years of age and is based on the GAA club unit. Each year over 25,000 boys and girls take part in this festival in all 32 counties, in addition to numerous teams from overseas. This is the 40th year of the competition since its inception in 1971. Féile na nGael is being hosted in County Clare this year from the 17th of June to the 20th June.
Chairman of the Michael Cusack Centre, Martin O’Loghlen commented;
‘We are delighted to facilitate this important event for Feile na nGael. It is a tribute to the legacy and foresight of Michael Cusack, that 126 years later Gaelic games are at the dynamic heart of Irish sporting pride. Accolade must be paid to influential sporting festivals such as Feile na nGael that nurtures and encourages the continued growth of Gaelic games amongst our youth. We take this opportunity to congratulate Féile na nGael on their 40th anniversary’
The Michael Cusack Centre welcomes families, school tours and all Féile na nGael participants. Located on the original homestead in the heart of the Burren, visitors can learn about this fascinating man from Carron and the organisation he founded. The beautifully restored cottage boasts a unique audio-visual presentation on his life and times.
Is mian linn anseo in Ionad Michéal Ciosóg ádh a ghuí ar gach éinne atá ag glacadh páirp I bhféile agus freisin go mbainfidh gach aine páirteacht sult as himeachtaí
For further information
Michael Cusack Centre
065-7089944
Féile na nGael Special
Feile na nGael will be hosted in Clare from 18th to 20th June 2010. To mark this special occasion in the GAA’s calendar, the Michael Cusack Centre is offering a special rate for Feile visitors.
U-16's FREE
Adults €2
Valid from Friday 11th June to Friday 25th June next
Don’t forget that visitors can enter our free competition to be in with a chance Win 2 tickets to the Munster Senior Hurling & Football finals!!!
Competition time
Take a tour of the Michael Cusack Centre & be in with a chance Win 2 tickets to the Munster Senior Hurling or Football finals!!!
Simply fill out you details at reception before leaving from your visit. Draw will take place on Saturday June 26th next.
APRIL 2010
.
A recent visit from members of the GAA to the Michael Cusack Centre in Carron on April 23rd last. From left to right: Pat Hynes, Michael Cusack Centre, Mark Dormer, Croke Park Museum Director, Kathy Slattery, GAA Finance Manager, Pat Fitzgerald, Clare GAA, Martin O'Loghlen, Michael Cusack Centre, Con Hogan, GAA, and Pat Fitzgerald, Munster Council GAA.
MARCH 2010
The Michael Cusack Centre opens to the public in April. Opening hours are 10am to 5pm daily with last admission at 4.30pm daily.
Admission rates for 2010:
Adults € 4.95
Student/Senior Citizen € 3.95
Children (6-16years) € 2.95
Children (5 and under) Free
Family Rate (2 adults + 2 children) € 13.95
For various group rates please contact the Centre by email or phone 065-7089944
For school tour pricing please see Education section on our website
NEWS
July 2009
Celebrating 125 years of the GAA by its founder Michael Cusack
Address by Martin O'Loghlen, Chairman of the Michael Cusack Centre at the start of the Commemorative Torch Run from Carron to Thurles on the 11th July 2009
Spreading the message by fire is as old as civilisation. The Greeks gave us the Olympic torch to celebrate all that is best in athletics.
In our own country, our ancestors celebrated the festival of Lughnasa with fire on the hills of Clare and beyond.
Daniel O'Connell's forty-shilling freeholders proclaimed their message with blazing sods of turf on pitchforks. The news of O'Connell's election victories was sent by bonfire from hilltop to blazing hilltop across the country.
So it entirely fitting that on the 125th anniversary of the founding of the GAA that we should once again use to lighted torch to symbolise the germination of a great idea and watch it grow and develop into something wonderful.
As part of the 125th anniversary celebrations of the founding of Cumann Luthchleas Gael, we are gathered here this morning to light a Commemorative Torch that will be taken from the birthplace of Michael Cusack to Hayes' Hotel in Thurles on the eve of this years Munster Hurling Final.
On behalf of the Michael Cusack Centre I would like to welcome you all here this morning. For those of you who haven't been here recently, the new Michael Cusack Centre and the restored cottage was officially opened on 28th November 2006, the centenary of Cusack's Death.
The project cost Eu 1.2 million which has sourced from many units of the GAA - local and national. The Department of Arts Sport & Tourism was a key supporter as was our Founding Patron Pat O'Donnell from Crusheen and Dublin.
I am delighted to welcome Pat here today. He has been a lynchpin in bringing this project into the light of day and his continued support is invaluable.
The history books record that the GAA was founded by Michael Cusack and those he gathered round him at Hayes Hotel in Thurles in 1884.
However, when we dig deeper we realise that the GAA was born at the fireside of a small cottage in the Burren in the years after the Famine.
This "rich low pasture land and its barren limestone hills" - as he described Carron - provided the cultural foundation on which Michael Cusack would ultimately build a great national sporting organisation.
This was a land of great beauty and economic devastation inhabited by a people who spoke a threatened language; a society without much formal education that desperately wanted to go to school; a culture that relied on old music and old games to ease the pain of daily living. And of course, there was fireside talk.
From this apparently doomed culture burst forth a brilliant young man with a fiery tongue and sharp pen who blazed a trail across Ireland leading to the establishment of the Cumann Luthchleas Gael. The torch is a good metaphor for Michael Cusack.
This year we are celebrating not just Michael Cusack and the founders but also but 125 years of GAA achievement.
Once again we are living in difficult economic and social times. All great institutions need to constantly evaluate and sometimes reinvent themselves. The eternal question is how to do this while maintaining the essential values that have evolved over 125 years.
Let us hope that this Commemorative Torch Run from the fireside of Carron to Hayes' Hotel in Thurles will inspire some hope and confidence to help us confront and conquer some of the problems of our generation.
April 2009
View a short movie of our new & unique audiovisual presentation, the "Cusack Experience".
The Michael Cusack Centre launched a revolutionary new audiovisual presentation in 2008 on the Founder of the GAA, Michael Cusack. This unique presentation is the first of its kind in Ireland and is a must see attraction in 2009 so when visiting the Burren in County Clare or the Clare region and looking for things to do include the Michael Cusack Centre.
Please click on the following to view "Cusack Experience" movie snap
The Michael Cusack Centre launched a revolutionary new audiovisual presentation in 2008 on the Founder of the GAA, Michael Cusack. This unique presentation is the first of its kind in Ireland and is a must see attraction in 2009 so when visiting the Burren in County Clare or the Clare region and looking for things to do include the Michael Cusack Centre.
Please click on the following to view "Cusack Experience" movie snap
March 2009
Michael Cusack Centre Opens for the 2009 season
The Michael Cusack Centre opens for the season on Monday March 30th 2009.
The centre will be open daily 10am-5pm. Last admission is at 4.30pm.
View the "Cusack Experience", a new & unique holographic presentation on Michael Cusack and the famour organisation he founded, the GAA.
Visit the Michael Cusack Centre & view the "Cusack Experience", a new & unique audiovisual presentation on the founder of the largest amateur organisation in the world, the GAA. When looking for things to do in Clare make sure to include the Michael Cusack Centre.
2009 marks the 125th Anniversary of the GAA. Celebrate this key milestone by visiting the home of its founding father, Michael Cusack.
In 2009, the Michael Cusack Centre is a MUST SEE ATTRACTION.
2009 marks the 125th Anniversary of the GAA. Celebrate this key milestone by visiting the home of its founding father, Michael Cusack.
In 2009, the Michael Cusack Centre is a MUST SEE ATTRACTION.
Feburary 2009
EU Transport Committee to Visit the Michael Cusack Centre
Details of the itinerary of the European Union’s Transport and Tourism Committee, who will visit Clare later this month, have been released.
The travelling party will consist of around 16 people, seven of whom will be MEP’s including north-west representatives Sean O’Neachtain and Jim Higgins.
After arriving on February 23rd, they will meet with Shannon Development in the afternoon and have a mayoral reception at Áras an Chontae later that evening. The night will be rounded off with a medieval banquet at Bunratty.
The following morning will see a meeting at the airport with Aer Rianta International on duty free/ liquid allowance rules and another meeting with Shannon Airport Authority on the airport’s future.
The group will also visit the Burren, the Clifffs of Moher and the Michael Cusack Centre in Carron, before leaving on the afternoon of February 25th.
Mr O’Neachtáin said that he had requested that the committee come to the area, but that he had been forced to wait. “ I made the request some time ago because Shannon was in difficulty and I re-emphasised it when it lost the Heathrow slots. The Committee goes on these visits twice a year, to various places in the EU. I made the last request a good while ago and it will be the last one before the European Elections.”
He said that he hoped to show members of the committee how Ryanair dominates at Shannon and to show that there is a need for more carriers to operate.
While he said that Ryanair deserves to be praised for its commitment to Shannon, he claimed that more operators are needed. “As well as liberalising the market, there should be cognisance taken of the regional differences. These people who are visiting will be making legislation,” he said.
Mayor of Clare, Madeline Taylor-Quinn said that it was a great opportunity for Clare to make its mark and particularly for Shannon to be promoted.
“ It’s absolutely crucial. It’s good that they will be flying into Shannon, which is the major international airport on the west coast of Ireland. It will show them the type of facilities that are available. With the Customs and Pre-Clearance facility being put in place in the summer, it will provide opportunities for Shannon to become a hub for transatlantic traffic.”
Owen Ryan, The Clare Champion 6th February 2009
Lucozade Sport Education workshops
The Lucozade Sport Educational workshops will kick-start the Cusack Academy in February 2009. It is the first of a series of workshops to take place at the Michael Cusack Centre. Below is an outline of the Lucozade Sports Educational workshops planned for February 2009.
Dates: February 5th, 12th and 19th 2009
Time: 7pm
Venue: Michael Cusack, Carron. The Burren, Co. Clare
Price: €15 per workshops. Book all 3 & get a €10 discount.
Speaker/Tutor: Rosemary Daniel, Coaching Ireland.
Rosemary is a member of the Coaching Ireland team. Rosemary holds a BSc in Sport & Exercise Science from UL (2004) and recently completed an MSc specialising in the effect of calcium intake on fat metabolism at rest & during exercise. She joined the Coaching Ireland team as a sports science intern. She has a huge range of experience. She is involved with physiological testing athletes in the lab and adult education for different sports groups & teams. She has worked closely with national and international athletes from a range of sports. In 2008 she carried out much of the pre-season hydration tests for many of the counties involved in GAA. Rosemary is a competitive high jumper herself but also has and keen interest in basketball and many other sports
Order of events:
5th Feb: Fuel & Fluid (nutrition & hydration)
Start 7pm
Fuel: 45 mins with 15mins Questions & Answers,
15 min break; Tea/Coffee & light refreshments
Fluid: 45 mins with 15mins Questions & Answers
Finish 9.15pm
12th Feb: Get fit for sport & planning for success
Start 7pm
Get fit for sport: 45 mins with 15mins Questions & Answers,
15 min break; Tea/Coffee & light refreshments
Planning: 45 mins with 15mins Questions & Answers
Finish 9.15pm
19th Feb: The Female Athlete
Start 7pm
The Female Athlete: 45 mins with 15mins Questions & Answers,
10 mins: Conclusion of series of workshops
Finish 8.10
Topic information
Fuel for sport:
Fuel for Sport covers the importance of nutrition for sport, the role of food in optimising performance and training, the body’s response to exercise, fuel requirements for team sports & useful tips and recovery methods. It also answers questions such as what to eat before competition.
Fluid for sport:
Content of this includes the importance of fluid in sport, fluid requirements for team sports and endurance events, the importance of hydration in temperature regulation. Tips on what and when to drink. Explores useful re-hydration tips and recovery methods.
Get fit for sport:
This topic examines the body's physiological responses to training and competition. It answers questions such as the best way to get fit? Why do muscles hurt 1-2 days after training? What is the best way to recover from training? What heart rate should you have at the end of training? It also looks at practical ways to train for various aspects of physical fitness.
Planning For Success:
This topic looks at training programmes and areas covered include: goal-setting, planning a competitive season, periodisation and evaluation of the training programme.
The female athlete:
The Female Athlete workshop is appropriate for all female athletes, and coaches and parents of female athletes. It covers such things as gender differences in sport, body composition and body image, the influence of hormones, eating disorders, weight training, and the role of exercise in the prevention of osteoporosis. If you are involved with females in sport, this seminar is a must.
All those with an interest in the development of sport and recreation are welcome to attend including: sports clubs, community groups/organisations, agencies, schools, coaches, athletes, parents, and individuals.
To book a place, pleae fill in the booking form below and return by email or by post for attention of Liz Flynn, Manager
Postal Address: Michael Cusack Centre, Carron, Co. Clare
Tel: 065 7089944
Email: info@michaelcusack.ie
Details of the itinerary of the European Union’s Transport and Tourism Committee, who will visit Clare later this month, have been released.
The travelling party will consist of around 16 people, seven of whom will be MEP’s including north-west representatives Sean O’Neachtain and Jim Higgins.
After arriving on February 23rd, they will meet with Shannon Development in the afternoon and have a mayoral reception at Áras an Chontae later that evening. The night will be rounded off with a medieval banquet at Bunratty.
The following morning will see a meeting at the airport with Aer Rianta International on duty free/ liquid allowance rules and another meeting with Shannon Airport Authority on the airport’s future.
The group will also visit the Burren, the Clifffs of Moher and the Michael Cusack Centre in Carron, before leaving on the afternoon of February 25th.
Mr O’Neachtáin said that he had requested that the committee come to the area, but that he had been forced to wait. “ I made the request some time ago because Shannon was in difficulty and I re-emphasised it when it lost the Heathrow slots. The Committee goes on these visits twice a year, to various places in the EU. I made the last request a good while ago and it will be the last one before the European Elections.”
He said that he hoped to show members of the committee how Ryanair dominates at Shannon and to show that there is a need for more carriers to operate.
While he said that Ryanair deserves to be praised for its commitment to Shannon, he claimed that more operators are needed. “As well as liberalising the market, there should be cognisance taken of the regional differences. These people who are visiting will be making legislation,” he said.
Mayor of Clare, Madeline Taylor-Quinn said that it was a great opportunity for Clare to make its mark and particularly for Shannon to be promoted.
“ It’s absolutely crucial. It’s good that they will be flying into Shannon, which is the major international airport on the west coast of Ireland. It will show them the type of facilities that are available. With the Customs and Pre-Clearance facility being put in place in the summer, it will provide opportunities for Shannon to become a hub for transatlantic traffic.”
Owen Ryan, The Clare Champion 6th February 2009
January 2009
Lucozade Sport Education workshops
The Lucozade Sport Educational workshops will kick-start the Cusack Academy in February 2009. It is the first of a series of workshops to take place at the Michael Cusack Centre. Below is an outline of the Lucozade Sports Educational workshops planned for February 2009.
Dates: February 5th, 12th and 19th 2009
Time: 7pm
Venue: Michael Cusack, Carron. The Burren, Co. Clare
Price: €15 per workshops. Book all 3 & get a €10 discount.
Speaker/Tutor: Rosemary Daniel, Coaching Ireland.
Rosemary is a member of the Coaching Ireland team. Rosemary holds a BSc in Sport & Exercise Science from UL (2004) and recently completed an MSc specialising in the effect of calcium intake on fat metabolism at rest & during exercise. She joined the Coaching Ireland team as a sports science intern. She has a huge range of experience. She is involved with physiological testing athletes in the lab and adult education for different sports groups & teams. She has worked closely with national and international athletes from a range of sports. In 2008 she carried out much of the pre-season hydration tests for many of the counties involved in GAA. Rosemary is a competitive high jumper herself but also has and keen interest in basketball and many other sports
Order of events:
5th Feb: Fuel & Fluid (nutrition & hydration)
Start 7pm
Fuel: 45 mins with 15mins Questions & Answers,
15 min break; Tea/Coffee & light refreshments
Fluid: 45 mins with 15mins Questions & Answers
Finish 9.15pm
12th Feb: Get fit for sport & planning for success
Start 7pm
Get fit for sport: 45 mins with 15mins Questions & Answers,
15 min break; Tea/Coffee & light refreshments
Planning: 45 mins with 15mins Questions & Answers
Finish 9.15pm
19th Feb: The Female Athlete
Start 7pm
The Female Athlete: 45 mins with 15mins Questions & Answers,
10 mins: Conclusion of series of workshops
Finish 8.10
Topic information
Fuel for sport:
Fuel for Sport covers the importance of nutrition for sport, the role of food in optimising performance and training, the body’s response to exercise, fuel requirements for team sports & useful tips and recovery methods. It also answers questions such as what to eat before competition.
Fluid for sport:
Content of this includes the importance of fluid in sport, fluid requirements for team sports and endurance events, the importance of hydration in temperature regulation. Tips on what and when to drink. Explores useful re-hydration tips and recovery methods.
Get fit for sport:
This topic examines the body's physiological responses to training and competition. It answers questions such as the best way to get fit? Why do muscles hurt 1-2 days after training? What is the best way to recover from training? What heart rate should you have at the end of training? It also looks at practical ways to train for various aspects of physical fitness.
Planning For Success:
This topic looks at training programmes and areas covered include: goal-setting, planning a competitive season, periodisation and evaluation of the training programme.
The female athlete:
The Female Athlete workshop is appropriate for all female athletes, and coaches and parents of female athletes. It covers such things as gender differences in sport, body composition and body image, the influence of hormones, eating disorders, weight training, and the role of exercise in the prevention of osteoporosis. If you are involved with females in sport, this seminar is a must.
All those with an interest in the development of sport and recreation are welcome to attend including: sports clubs, community groups/organisations, agencies, schools, coaches, athletes, parents, and individuals.
To book a place, pleae fill in the booking form below and return by email or by post for attention of Liz Flynn, Manager
Postal Address: Michael Cusack Centre, Carron, Co. Clare
Tel: 065 7089944
Email: info@michaelcusack.ie
December 2008
STRIVE TOWARDS SPORTING SUCCESS
Exciting new training initiative at the Michael Cusack Centre
The Michael Cusack Centre, Carron, Co. Clare has teamed up with Coaching Ireland, formally the National Coaching Training Centre in UL, to offer a series of workshop education programmes aimed at both coaches and athletes alike. These workshops take place on 5th, 12th and 19th of February 2009 at the Michael Cusack Centre.
Sponsored by Lucozade Sport and run by Coaching Ireland this programme offers sports players, clubs, schools/colleges and regional squads an opportunity to access education for their athletes, players and coaches in the area of Sports Science.
There are five modules to the upcoming programme including: Fluid for sport, Fuel for sport, The Female athlete, Get fit for sport and Planning for success. The content of these workshops includes issues such as hydration and nutritional requirements for sports, the importance of hydration and the role of food in optimising performance and training. Other topics covered are periodisation of training, monitoring and evaluation of training plans and training responses, and issues relating to the influence of hormones, eating disorders, weight training and the role of exercise in the prevention of osteoporosis. This wide range of topics is valuable for those who are involved in and contribute to the introduction of children to sport, the development of players/athletes, and the preparation of players/athletes to achieve peak performance.
Coaching Ireland have stated that “Good coaching makes a difference”. The objective of this programme is to disseminate relevant, up-to-date Sports Science information to athletes, coaches, teachers, parents whose children have an interest in sports and those with a keen interest in furthering their knowledge so to promote and educate good coaching practices and standards.
The Chairman of the Michael Cusack Centre, Martin O’Loghlen, stated that he was “delighted that the Cusack Centre had developed a partnership with Coaching Ireland to deliver these very valuable workshops. Coaching Ireland have an excellent track record in the delivery of education programmes such as these. We look forward to developing this relationship over the next few years. The Cusack Academy has been set up as a continuation of Cusacks vision and achievements. Cusack was a renowned academic and top class athlete. His journey through life saw him founding one of Ireland’s top class educational academies and the world’s largest amateur sporting organisation, the GAA”.
Martin O’Loghlen further added that “the Cusack Academy is delighted to continue his legacy by offering a facility whereby coaches, athletes, and people with a sporting interest can further educate themselves to become excellent ambassadors in their field”.
As 2009 is the 125th Anniversary of the GAA it is appropriate that we are establishing the Cusack Academy to honour the memory of one of Clare and Irelands greatest sons.
For more information on these workshops or to book your place in this programme contact: Liz Flynn on 065-7089944 or email info@michaelcusack.ie. Places are limited so book early to avoid disappointment.
Contact:
Liz Flynn
Manager
Michael Cusack Centre
065-7089944
info@michaelcusack.ie
On June 19th 2008 the Munster council visited the Michael Cusack Centre, where the founder of the GAA grew up. The officers received a tour of the centre and cottage and in doing so got a first hand viewing of the exciting new audiovisual facility on offer at the centre. This tour was followed by a full Munster Council.
The Michael Cusack Centre has in place is an exciting new audiovisual experience that includes AV projections of Michael Cusack as he gives a ‘virtual’ tour to those who enter his homestead. Visitors will step back in time with Michael Cusack by hearing tales from his past; from stories of things he did as a boy growing up in Carron during famine times to his life as a teacher, including his involvement in Irish sport and his pivotal role in the founding of the Gaelic Athletic Association. Visitors also get a fantastic re-enactment of the meeting that officially set up the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). This meeting took place in Hayes’s hotel, Thurles, County Tipperary. Visitors get to watch how the GAA developed after this meeting over the years to what we have today, the largest sporting organisation in Ireland.
The tour is ideal for school trips, family outings and for anyone visiting the Burren/Clare region. The centre has a tea and coffee room as well as a shop. This is a “must see” attraction for all.
For more information contact us by email on info@michaelcusack.ie or phone us on 065-7089944.
APRIL 2008
Coming soon in June ’08 is a new audiovisual experience for visitors. This exciting new addition will be located in the historical Cusack homestead in Carron. Visitors get a ‘virtual’ tour from Michael Cusack as he tells his own story as a boy growing up in Carron around the time of the Great Famine in Ireland. He recalls his time as a pupil, a teacher, and an athlete before visitors get a re-enactment of the first meeting of the GAA in Hayes’s Hotel, Thurles.
Ideal for schools tours, family outings and for anyone visiting in the Clare/Burren region. Experience 3D animated Michael Cusack as he recalls important periods in his life. Located in the heart of the Burren, this visitor centre and its attractions are not to be missed.
The Clare GAA Crest
August 2007
The Michael Cusack story crosses the Atlantic
As part of the recent Clare Tourist Council promotional trip to Chicago and Milwaukee in the USA, the story of GAA founder Michael Cusack was given pride of place.
Firstly the story of the “Man from Carron” was given special place in a tribute to Clare GAA legend P.J. O’Dea in Gaelic Park, Chicago. Guests at the tribute, which took place on the 14th August 2007, were given a special insight into the dedicated work that has taken place on the Cusack Homestead in Carron. Manager of the new centre Paddy Maher also detailed the fascinating early life story of Michael Cusack. He made special reference to Cusack’s love of teaching and his burning desire through the 1870’s and 1880’s to see every Irish man and woman included in sport no matter what their situation in life.
Between the 16th and 19th of August 2007, at the worlds largest Irish Music Festival in Milwaukee, Michael Cusack’s life story and his reasons for setting up the GAA with Maurice Davin were explored with daily lectures by Paddy Maher.
Great interest was shown in Cusack’s story and special connections were forged with the Milwaukee Hurling Club. The USA’s largest underage hurling club paid tribute to Chairman of the development group Martin O’Loghlen and the voluntary committee which set up the new visitor centre. A special presentation of Michael Cusack memorabilia was made to the leaders of the Milwaukee Hurling Club and an invitation was given them to visit the new facilities in Carron when they come to Ireland next year.
August 2007
The Unique Clare GAA Crest
The Clare Insignia is probably unique in that it is one of the very few specifically designed as a county G.A.A hallmark. Very few counties have the distinction of their own identifying trademark in the form of a county G.A.A badge. What they do have, and what they adopt or adapt for G.A.A purposes are the coats of arm of their principal Boroughs, Towns, Cities or Counties.
The download document below is taken from work done by John Ryan of Cratloe GAA Club in County Clare. His account was used by the Michael Cusack Centre manager - Paddy Maher, in lectures given by him about County Clare at the Milwaukee Irish Fest in August, 2007.
download the_clare_gaa_crest.doc
August 2007
Burren People Concert
Local traditional music ledgend Chris Droney was joined by Paddy Hynes, Lorraine Ni Bhrian and members of the Ennis Singers Club for an intimate concert in the new exhibition area of the Michael Cusack Centre on the 2nd August 2007.
May 2007
Cusack Centre forges links with NUIG
The Cusack Archive containing unique official and personal material relating to the founder of the GAA was launched at the James Hardiman Library at the National University of Ireland Galway. The archive itself was donated by a former librarian at NUI Galway, the late Patricia O’ Connell, who was a distant relative of Michael Cusack. Material in the archive includes the official minute-book of the Dublin Hurling Club, from its foundation in 1883, Michael Cusack’s diary of his visit to Clare in June 1902, a letter to his sons, a prayer book presented by him to his wife Margaret in 1880 and notes tracing his ancestry, including a note from him for his children.
It is unique in constituting the only known surviving material in Cusack’s own hand, donated to NUI Galway directly from his family. The Michael Cusack Centre will be working with the university to strengthen the bond between the two organisations.
View photo of the archive launch
April 2007
Centre Nominated for Pride of Place Award
The Michael Cuasck Centre has been nominated for the prestigious Pride of Place Awards. The concept behind the competition is very simple - to recognise and celebrate the vital contributions that community groups make to society.
Pride of Place is an all-island competition which is directed towards recognising improvements by local communities to create civic pride in their area. The competition focus is on people coming together to shape, change and enjoy all that is good about their area.
The competition is hosted by Co-operation Ireland under its Local Authority Programme in conjunction with the all-island Local Authority Steering Forum comprising officials from authorities in both parts of Ireland
download pride_of_place_in_weekender.pdf
November 2006
Official Opening of Centre
The President of the GAA Nickey Brennan will officially open the new Michael Cusack Centre in Carron, Co. Clare on Tuesday 28th November, the 100th anniversary of the GAA founder's death. The official opening will be the focus of the National Commemoration ceremony in Carron which will pay tribute to the life and legacy of the area's most famous son. Michael Cusack was born in North Clare in 1847 and died in 1906.
Music, songs and stories of the GAA will feature in a special hour long ceremony which will culminate in the address of GAA President Nickey Brennan and an ecumenical blessing of the new project. See Programme attached.
The Cusack cottage has been carefully restored and the interior will be presented in the style of a 19th herdsman's home. The nearby visitor centre and is contemporary in design with a large glass facade affording visitors a panoramic view of the cottage from inside the building. The story of Cusack's fascinating and often controversial life will be told here but the building will also house temporary exhibitions, research, archive and lecture facilities. A café overlooking the cottage is also included. The completion of the new €1.2 million visitor centre and restoration of the Cusack family cottage is a major achievement for the locally based Michael Cusack Development Company.
download cusack_ceremony_prog.doc
September 2006
Taoiseach Launches New Michael Cusack Centre Website
An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has launched the official website of the new Michael Cusack Centre which is nearing completion at Carron, Co. Clare where the founder of the GAA was born. www.MichaelCusack.ie contains details of the EI million Centre which is a centenary project marking Michael Cusack's death in 1906.
It involves the restoration of the Cusack family cottage, the construction of a visitor centre and the development of an Academy of Coaching Skills. The project is promoted by the Michael Cusack Development Company, a voluntary group based in Carron. See photos of launch below.
download Taoiseach's speech
June 2006
Uachtaráin CLG, Nicky Brennan's speech at sod turning
In June of 2006 the President of the GAA, Nicky Brennan officiated at the sod turning which marked the founding of the new Michael Cusack Centre.
download uachtarin_clg_nicky_brennans_speech_at_sod_turning.doc
STRIVE TOWARDS SPORTING SUCCESS
Exciting new training initiative at the Michael Cusack Centre
The Michael Cusack Centre, Carron, Co. Clare has teamed up with Coaching Ireland, formally the National Coaching Training Centre in UL, to offer a series of workshop education programmes aimed at both coaches and athletes alike. These workshops take place on 5th, 12th and 19th of February 2009 at the Michael Cusack Centre.
Sponsored by Lucozade Sport and run by Coaching Ireland this programme offers sports players, clubs, schools/colleges and regional squads an opportunity to access education for their athletes, players and coaches in the area of Sports Science.
There are five modules to the upcoming programme including: Fluid for sport, Fuel for sport, The Female athlete, Get fit for sport and Planning for success. The content of these workshops includes issues such as hydration and nutritional requirements for sports, the importance of hydration and the role of food in optimising performance and training. Other topics covered are periodisation of training, monitoring and evaluation of training plans and training responses, and issues relating to the influence of hormones, eating disorders, weight training and the role of exercise in the prevention of osteoporosis. This wide range of topics is valuable for those who are involved in and contribute to the introduction of children to sport, the development of players/athletes, and the preparation of players/athletes to achieve peak performance.
Coaching Ireland have stated that “Good coaching makes a difference”. The objective of this programme is to disseminate relevant, up-to-date Sports Science information to athletes, coaches, teachers, parents whose children have an interest in sports and those with a keen interest in furthering their knowledge so to promote and educate good coaching practices and standards.
The Chairman of the Michael Cusack Centre, Martin O’Loghlen, stated that he was “delighted that the Cusack Centre had developed a partnership with Coaching Ireland to deliver these very valuable workshops. Coaching Ireland have an excellent track record in the delivery of education programmes such as these. We look forward to developing this relationship over the next few years. The Cusack Academy has been set up as a continuation of Cusacks vision and achievements. Cusack was a renowned academic and top class athlete. His journey through life saw him founding one of Ireland’s top class educational academies and the world’s largest amateur sporting organisation, the GAA”.
Martin O’Loghlen further added that “the Cusack Academy is delighted to continue his legacy by offering a facility whereby coaches, athletes, and people with a sporting interest can further educate themselves to become excellent ambassadors in their field”.
As 2009 is the 125th Anniversary of the GAA it is appropriate that we are establishing the Cusack Academy to honour the memory of one of Clare and Irelands greatest sons.
For more information on these workshops or to book your place in this programme contact: Liz Flynn on 065-7089944 or email info@michaelcusack.ie. Places are limited so book early to avoid disappointment.
Contact:
Liz Flynn
Manager
Michael Cusack Centre
065-7089944
info@michaelcusack.ie
JUNE 2008
MUNSTER COUNCIL VISIT THE MICHAEL CUSACK CENTRE
MUNSTER COUNCIL VISIT THE MICHAEL CUSACK CENTREOn June 19th 2008 the Munster council visited the Michael Cusack Centre, where the founder of the GAA grew up. The officers received a tour of the centre and cottage and in doing so got a first hand viewing of the exciting new audiovisual facility on offer at the centre. This tour was followed by a full Munster Council.
MAY 2008
Audiovisual experience in Michael Cusack’s homestead now OPEN to visitors
The Michael Cusack Centre has in place is an exciting new audiovisual experience that includes AV projections of Michael Cusack as he gives a ‘virtual’ tour to those who enter his homestead. Visitors will step back in time with Michael Cusack by hearing tales from his past; from stories of things he did as a boy growing up in Carron during famine times to his life as a teacher, including his involvement in Irish sport and his pivotal role in the founding of the Gaelic Athletic Association. Visitors also get a fantastic re-enactment of the meeting that officially set up the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). This meeting took place in Hayes’s hotel, Thurles, County Tipperary. Visitors get to watch how the GAA developed after this meeting over the years to what we have today, the largest sporting organisation in Ireland.
The tour is ideal for school trips, family outings and for anyone visiting the Burren/Clare region. The centre has a tea and coffee room as well as a shop. This is a “must see” attraction for all.
For more information contact us by email on info@michaelcusack.ie or phone us on 065-7089944.
APRIL 2008
NEW AUDIO VISUAL EXPERIENCE COMING IN JUNE ‘O8
Coming soon in June ’08 is a new audiovisual experience for visitors. This exciting new addition will be located in the historical Cusack homestead in Carron. Visitors get a ‘virtual’ tour from Michael Cusack as he tells his own story as a boy growing up in Carron around the time of the Great Famine in Ireland. He recalls his time as a pupil, a teacher, and an athlete before visitors get a re-enactment of the first meeting of the GAA in Hayes’s Hotel, Thurles.
Ideal for schools tours, family outings and for anyone visiting in the Clare/Burren region. Experience 3D animated Michael Cusack as he recalls important periods in his life. Located in the heart of the Burren, this visitor centre and its attractions are not to be missed.
The Clare GAA Crest
August 2007
The Michael Cusack story crosses the Atlantic
As part of the recent Clare Tourist Council promotional trip to Chicago and Milwaukee in the USA, the story of GAA founder Michael Cusack was given pride of place.
Firstly the story of the “Man from Carron” was given special place in a tribute to Clare GAA legend P.J. O’Dea in Gaelic Park, Chicago. Guests at the tribute, which took place on the 14th August 2007, were given a special insight into the dedicated work that has taken place on the Cusack Homestead in Carron. Manager of the new centre Paddy Maher also detailed the fascinating early life story of Michael Cusack. He made special reference to Cusack’s love of teaching and his burning desire through the 1870’s and 1880’s to see every Irish man and woman included in sport no matter what their situation in life.
Between the 16th and 19th of August 2007, at the worlds largest Irish Music Festival in Milwaukee, Michael Cusack’s life story and his reasons for setting up the GAA with Maurice Davin were explored with daily lectures by Paddy Maher.
Great interest was shown in Cusack’s story and special connections were forged with the Milwaukee Hurling Club. The USA’s largest underage hurling club paid tribute to Chairman of the development group Martin O’Loghlen and the voluntary committee which set up the new visitor centre. A special presentation of Michael Cusack memorabilia was made to the leaders of the Milwaukee Hurling Club and an invitation was given them to visit the new facilities in Carron when they come to Ireland next year.
August 2007
The Unique Clare GAA Crest
The Clare Insignia is probably unique in that it is one of the very few specifically designed as a county G.A.A hallmark. Very few counties have the distinction of their own identifying trademark in the form of a county G.A.A badge. What they do have, and what they adopt or adapt for G.A.A purposes are the coats of arm of their principal Boroughs, Towns, Cities or Counties.
The download document below is taken from work done by John Ryan of Cratloe GAA Club in County Clare. His account was used by the Michael Cusack Centre manager - Paddy Maher, in lectures given by him about County Clare at the Milwaukee Irish Fest in August, 2007.
download the_clare_gaa_crest.doc
August 2007
Burren People Concert
Local traditional music ledgend Chris Droney was joined by Paddy Hynes, Lorraine Ni Bhrian and members of the Ennis Singers Club for an intimate concert in the new exhibition area of the Michael Cusack Centre on the 2nd August 2007.
May 2007
Cusack Centre forges links with NUIG
The Cusack Archive containing unique official and personal material relating to the founder of the GAA was launched at the James Hardiman Library at the National University of Ireland Galway. The archive itself was donated by a former librarian at NUI Galway, the late Patricia O’ Connell, who was a distant relative of Michael Cusack. Material in the archive includes the official minute-book of the Dublin Hurling Club, from its foundation in 1883, Michael Cusack’s diary of his visit to Clare in June 1902, a letter to his sons, a prayer book presented by him to his wife Margaret in 1880 and notes tracing his ancestry, including a note from him for his children.
It is unique in constituting the only known surviving material in Cusack’s own hand, donated to NUI Galway directly from his family. The Michael Cusack Centre will be working with the university to strengthen the bond between the two organisations.
View photo of the archive launch
April 2007
Centre Nominated for Pride of Place Award
The Michael Cuasck Centre has been nominated for the prestigious Pride of Place Awards. The concept behind the competition is very simple - to recognise and celebrate the vital contributions that community groups make to society.
Pride of Place is an all-island competition which is directed towards recognising improvements by local communities to create civic pride in their area. The competition focus is on people coming together to shape, change and enjoy all that is good about their area.
The competition is hosted by Co-operation Ireland under its Local Authority Programme in conjunction with the all-island Local Authority Steering Forum comprising officials from authorities in both parts of Ireland
download pride_of_place_in_weekender.pdf
November 2006
Official Opening of Centre
The President of the GAA Nickey Brennan will officially open the new Michael Cusack Centre in Carron, Co. Clare on Tuesday 28th November, the 100th anniversary of the GAA founder's death. The official opening will be the focus of the National Commemoration ceremony in Carron which will pay tribute to the life and legacy of the area's most famous son. Michael Cusack was born in North Clare in 1847 and died in 1906.
Music, songs and stories of the GAA will feature in a special hour long ceremony which will culminate in the address of GAA President Nickey Brennan and an ecumenical blessing of the new project. See Programme attached.
The Cusack cottage has been carefully restored and the interior will be presented in the style of a 19th herdsman's home. The nearby visitor centre and is contemporary in design with a large glass facade affording visitors a panoramic view of the cottage from inside the building. The story of Cusack's fascinating and often controversial life will be told here but the building will also house temporary exhibitions, research, archive and lecture facilities. A café overlooking the cottage is also included. The completion of the new €1.2 million visitor centre and restoration of the Cusack family cottage is a major achievement for the locally based Michael Cusack Development Company.
download cusack_ceremony_prog.doc
September 2006
Taoiseach Launches New Michael Cusack Centre Website
An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has launched the official website of the new Michael Cusack Centre which is nearing completion at Carron, Co. Clare where the founder of the GAA was born. www.MichaelCusack.ie contains details of the EI million Centre which is a centenary project marking Michael Cusack's death in 1906.
It involves the restoration of the Cusack family cottage, the construction of a visitor centre and the development of an Academy of Coaching Skills. The project is promoted by the Michael Cusack Development Company, a voluntary group based in Carron. See photos of launch below.
download Taoiseach's speech
June 2006
Uachtaráin CLG, Nicky Brennan's speech at sod turning
In June of 2006 the President of the GAA, Nicky Brennan officiated at the sod turning which marked the founding of the new Michael Cusack Centre.
download uachtarin_clg_nicky_brennans_speech_at_sod_turning.doc
Taoiseach & Website |
O'Connell sisters, Mayor of Clare, Cathaoirleach of Co., an Taoiseach, President GAA |
An Taoiseach speaking at Launch |
Cathaoirleach at launch of website |
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Cusack Experience |
Minister Eamon ó'Cuív on a recent visit to the Michael Cusack Centre  |
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