Museum launches its series of exhibitions for 2024

Clare Ancient House Museum’s 2023 exhibition “Shops in Clare – Past and Present” was a break with the past and a huge success.

Now its latest exhibition, which opens on Saturday, March 30, is entitled “Celebrating Clare: Festivals Past and Present” and  builds on the message to residents that history is not just about Magna Carta but is about things which happened 10 years ago, 50 years ago and 500 years ago.

There is a rolling programme of six themes each lasting a month with the first and opening theme being “Carnivals”.

Clare used to have a week long carnival with different activities each day from Wacky Races to It’s a Knockout, dances in the Town Hall and concerts culminating in the Carnival Parade through the town.

In addition to the many photographs and press cuttings used to create the exhibition there is a video of Carnival Queens and their attendants talking about what being a Carnival Queen or attendant meant to them which will run on a loop in the museum.

There is interest in why the carnival is no more and hope this will spark debate in Clare.

During the following months, the themes will be “Music” (including the Clare World Music Festival),  “Arts Crafts and Theatre”, “Community”, “Historical Military and Royal” and finally “Christmas”.

Given the huge popularity of last year’s exhibition, which saw visitor numbers rise by 3,000 per cent many of which were first time visits by Clare residents,

The Clare Town Cryer will be announcing the opening of the exhibition at 11.30am on Saturday, March 30, in the Market Square.