In 1992, the Community Council celebrated the 250th birthday of the founding of the village. To celebrate this great event, a year-long calendar of events was organised. It attracted great local publicity in such papers as the Clare Champion, the County Express and in some national papers. 

As part of the celebrations, Paddy Bugler MCC invited Clare County Council to hold their June monthly meeting in the Parochial Hall in Mountshannon. Included in the invitation was a request that a presentation from the Mountshannon Community Council be heard in relation to the purchase of the field. 

Paddy introduced Community Council members Pat Donnellan and Liam Waterstone to the County Council. They made a presentation and a request for funding to help with the purchase of the field.  The Clare County Council favoured the project and the Chairman, Michael Hillery, stated that Clare County Council would not be found wanting in the support of the project. 

The following week, the Clare Champion published an article “Major Exhibition Centre Planned for Mountshannon”. In June, the County Express published an article titled “Mountshannon Community Unveil Plans for Theme Park”. This publicity was a major step on the journey towards what is now Aistear InisCealtra.  

Later that month, President Mary Robinson visited the village as part of the 250th Birthday celebrations. A headline on the Clare Champion of Friday, June 26th, 1992 read: “President Honours Mountshannon”. As well as unveiling a commemorative stone in the harbour, President Mary Robinson visited the hall in Mountshannon where she met with the locals, Community Council members and visitors to the area. She said that since her inauguration to the highest office in the land, she had taken every opportunity to drive home the importance of community self-development, as she felt that it would not only be important for the nineties and the twenty first century, but also for Ireland’s role in a modern Europe. Councillor Paddy Bugler told her that the people of Ireland were proud of her image of warmth and integrity, both at home and abroad since her inauguration as first citizen. The President received a number of gifts, which had been sourced from artists within the locality. She was also presented with a copy of the video of the Rectory Field, which she was told held the dream of the future development of the village.  

In September of the same year the Clare Champion carried yet another report: “Scarce Funds to Jeopardise Support for Mountshannon Project”. The Community continued to search every avenue to secure funds to purchase the field. In January 1993, Community Council members met with members of Shannon Development to discuss the project. Following the meeting, the Council decided to apply for funds to develop an outline strategy for the development of tourism in Mountshannon. The focus of the strategy was to be structured around the field. An application to Shannon Development was made and approved, but was later withdrawn by the Community Council. Instead, they had decided to become involved with the local East Clare LEADER Development Association (E.C.L.D.A.) in formulating a development plan for the East Clare area.  

Through the E.C.L.D.A. they formed links with Killaloe Community Council who were also examining the potential of their area. Members of both groups joined together in the winter of 1993 to complete a FÁS Enterprise Project Development Course in Teagasc, Scariff. On completion of the course, they jointly made application to RRD Ltd. for funds to carry out a feasibility study to examine the culture and heritage of the area. Consultant Con Quigley of Simpson Xavier, Limerick, completed the study in co-operation with members of both Community Councils.

Meetings between both communities and the consultants from Simpson Xavier were held regularly in the E.C.L.D.A. offices. This continued up to early 1995. During this period a new Community Council had been elected. They agreed to continue the efforts to purchase the field. 

Clare's first Urban & Village Renewal Scheme