The theme of the Aistear emerged from the nature of the site, its central position in the village, the spectacular views of Lough Derg and Iniscealtra (Holy Island) and its potential as a place of rest and recreation for locals, visitors and tourists alike. It presented as a project which was in harmony with the environment, but it required the vital support and approval of the community at large to agree its inception. Although construction commenced in 1995, the story began long before that......  

After winning the National Tidy Town awards in 1981, Mountshannon increasingly became a focal point for development. There was widespread concern as to the nature and extent of some of the proposals and their impact on the character of the village. The Rectory Field, now the Aistear, was the only green area in the centre of the village that afforded magnificent views of Lough Derg and Holy Island. At that time, even though infrastructure at the harbour was adequate for vehicles and boats, there were inadequate recreational areas for people to relax and savour the landscape. In 1984 an action group was formed to influence the course of any proposed development in the Rectory Field. This group sought and gained local support to prevent the development of houses on the site. A petition was drawn up and received widespread support that articulated a consensus against development in the field. Such a consensus was crucial as it provided a platform for a strong local voice in the consideration of any further planning applications relating to the field. It also eventually acted as a catalyst in providing the impetus for the development of Aistear InisCealtra. 

In 1991, the Mountshannon Community Council realised that the only way to retain the field as a green area was to buy it. They started negotiations on the purchase of the field with its new owner, Egill Schnack, who was willing to sell the field and also allowed them to draw up a plan that would attract funding.  The Community Council were aware of funding initiatives such as the ESB National Awards, who provided substantial funding to groups for different projects that impacted favourably on the Community. There was prize money of ₤50,000 for the winner of this award. A detailed plan was required with the application, which at that time the Community Council were unable to complete.  

In 1992, the first LEADER programme was approved for County Clare. It was an E.U. programme that provided financial assistance, training and technical assistance to groups and individuals involved in their own and community development. The Community Council sought assistance from Fr. Harry Bohan, Chief Executive of Rural Resource Development Ltd., Shannon, who were responsible for the administration of the LEADER programme. Through him they received help from Dr. Tom Collins, who was Head of Adult & Community Education in Maynooth and Chairman of the Education and Training Committee of the LEADER programme in Clare. Dr. Collins worked with the Council and helped prepare the submission for the ESB Awards. He was also instrumental in organising and preparing the production of the first video with the Kairos production team.  The video helped to bring a focus on the potential of the project and the area in general.   In early March 1992, the Kairos video team arrived in Mountshannon, accompanied by Dr. Tom Collins. The Manager of East

Clare Heritage Centre, Gerard Madden provided invaluable assistance. He had specialised knowledge on the heritage of the area and provided access to Holy Island on the East Clare Heritage boat. The team worked in the locality for the day, filming and recording. The video was then produced at the Kairos production studios in Maynooth. Seamus Bugler, who was accompanied by Sean Donnellan R.I.P, provided the background music. 

Although the application to the ESB awards was unsuccessful, the video was later submitted to the Clare County Council Environmental Awards Scheme. In January 1993, the Mountshannon Community Council received a special commendation for the video. The Clare County Council Awards Scheme was aimed at promoting and encouraging environmental awareness in the community.  Winning the award meant that the project was in the public arena. It had received the relevant publicity and was being recognised by the organisations that allocate funding for such projects.  

250th Anniversary of Mountshannon's founding