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As well as sketching the important developments in Christianity in Clonmany over two millennia, including (usually unwittingly) a great many pagan elements which help define our beliefs and culture, it was deemed appropriate that the McGlinchey Summer School should also mark the passing of the 20th century. How better to do this than in conversation with some of those who have lived through most of it - our community's elders and betters? This is surely a commemoration that would have earned Charlie McGlinchey's unqualified approval. So these interviews have been conducted along very
broad guidelines, which it was hoped would invite as much material
as possible relating to spirituality and religion, and how these elements
were integrated into the everyday lives of our ancestors. Furthermore,
the interviewees themselves are the subject. They are a living record
of the changing times, and in deference to that fact, they have been
encouraged to lead the interviews where ever their memories took them. |
Unlike
last year , when the proceedings of the 1998 Summer School were accompanied
by interviews conducted according to the previous year's theme (the
School's Manuscript Collection for the Folklore Commission), this
year it was thought more appropriate to include interviews relating
to the theme of the current Summer School (2000). It was considered
more timely to include the interviews at this stage, as the theme
of this years school was to an extent chosen for us by the celebration
of the year 2000 in the Christian calendar. Marking (approximately)
the 2000th year since the birth of Jesus Christ, it seemed an appropriate
moment to dwell on the religious and spiritual heritage of Clonmany.
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