Emigrant returns from Australia to fund North Cork heritage centre

A man who emigrated to Australia, but who never forgot his roots, has come back to check on the progress of a project in Co Cork which sees a former church turned into a clan heritage centre.

When John Paul , modern day chieftain of the McAuliffe Clan in north-west Cork, said in 2012 that he and his family would restore the former Church of Ireland building in Newmarket as a clan heritage centre locals were thrilled.

However, some then expressed the fear that the project was too big a financial burden for the Sydney-based family to bear — but now they can see that it’s coming to fruition.

The project is about three-quarters finished and is costing the McAuliffe family serious money, although John Paul’s declining to say how much.

John Paul, who is in his late 70s but still works in the family’s builders providers business, would only say: “It is costing more than I expected, but then I expected it would.”

His daughter, Julie, added: “There’s no price on the love of your homeland.”

To date, the McAuliffes have forked out to get the roof and top walls completely replaced. A new floor, with underfloor heating, has been created inside along with a dance floor, performance area and seating.

All 19 windows have been replaced and the largest one now features the McAuliffe clan crest. When completed, the building will also boast a audio-visual interactive heritage project and an extension is being added which will feature toilets, kitchen area and foyer.

“This is amazing when one thinks that it is financed completely by John Paul McAuliffe who himself was born and raised in Greenfield, Kanturk, and emigrated to London as a young man and later on to Sydney in Australia. But he never forgot his roots and he always kept a great love for the Gaelic language, music and culture of his youth,” said Eilis Hourigan, secretary of the project committee.

The building which will be called ‘Cultúrlann MacAmhlaoibh’ will not only be a resource centre for the McAuliffe clan worldwide but also as a heritage and event centre for the community of Duhallow.

“The potential and possibilities of what we can do in it are endless and it just depends on out own imagination and resourcefulness and we are all exited at the prospect,” Ms Hourigan said.

“It’s intended to run Irish language, music, dance and drama classes for young people and enthuse them with a love of the Irish culture in a fun and entertaining setting,” John Paul McAuliffe said.

The Cultúrlann will be suitable for concerts, drama, ceilis, lectures, banquets etc but also for small events. The committee is preparing a year-long programme of diverse events for the centre, which project co-ordinator Maurice Angland said he hopes will be open by next summer.

It starts with a ‘Hosting of the O’Sullivan Bearas’ and continues during the year with young scientist exhibitions, trad music weekend workshops, schools’ history projects, art exhibitions, Irish language weekends, a folklore festival, and McAuliffe clan gathering.