The Construction of Aistear InisCealtra -
A pictorial journey
Since the formation of the Mountshannon Community Council in 1986, this voluntary group have been sponsors of many Community Employment Programmes. The numbers on the schemes have grown over the years. All the community development projects in the village of Mountshannon have been constructed through the FÁS Community Employment Programmes. The support and employment that the Community Employment Programme offers at local level has benefited the people, community and economy of the area since its inception. Mountshannon Community Council became a limited company on 26th June, 2002. This was to facilitate the administration of the FÁS Community Employment Programme.
While InisCealtra Community Development Ltd. sourced the finance and matched funding for the costs involved in the construction of the Aistear, the people working on the local FÁS Community Employment Programme built the Aistear itself. Tom MacNamara, who is employed by Mountshannon Community Council as supervisor on the FÁS Community Employment Programme, played a major role in the construction. His job involved overseeing the construction of the architectural plan, the landscaping of the area, as well as the development of the grounds and other aspects such as the performance area, the labyrinth and the triple-arch shelter as they arose. His full utilisation of skills of the people employed on the programme ensured that these were further developed in the training initiatives that were part of the FÁS programme and which were of ultimate benefit to the Aistear as well.
While almost a hundred people have been involved in the construction over the years, one of the key personnel in the early stages was Master Stone Mason Bill Tiernan R.I.P. Through the FÁS CEP, his skills were passed on to many who still continue this work. As is evident from all the stonework within the maze, entrance arch and triple-arch shelter, the traditional skills such as stonemasonry, etc. were most important in the overall construction of the Aistear. After the construction, new initiatives were undertaken by the FÁS CEP. As part of the work and training, environmental projects such as the creation of bird and bat boxes, willow wall weaving, creation of the lunations on the labyrinth and the research and recording of trees, plants and shrubs throughout the Aistear has taken place. This is in addition to the daily work involved in the maintenance of the Aistear.
The archival material, which is included at the end of this pictorial journey of the construction of Aistear InisCealtra, has been given by kind permission of Architect Neil Hill, who was responsible for the architectural design and layout of the maze and overall Aistear plans.
