FROM THE ARCHIVES:The granddaddy of the summer school is the Clare-based Merriman Summer School which set the bar for wide-ranging talk and legendary socialising for all others. Deaglán de Bréadún was there in 1988 to learn how it all began as well as hear about the historic links between Ireland and Spain, that year's theme. It included lectures on the Irish colleges in Spain in the 16th and 17th centuries, the Irishmen who became Spanish knights and, with a nod to Merriman, the Spanish contribution to European love poetry. – JOE JOYCE
The raison d’etre of the Merriman Summer School was outlined yesterday in Lahinch, Co Clare, by Dr Seán MacRéamoinn. Asking what Merriman meant was like asking what is poetry for and what is the Atlantic for, now that we don’t cross it by boat any more, he said.
Cumann Merriman was the root cause of what was humorously described as a new disease in Ireland – “the summer school sickness”. It all began in 1947 when a group of citizens came together to honour Brian Merriman, poet, maths teacher and winner of a prize for flax growing from what later became the Royal Dublin Society.
The plan was to put up a plaque at the graveyard in Feakle, Co Clare, where Merriman, who died very early in the 19th century, lies in an unmarked grave. Money was collected. They commissioned Séamus Murphy, the sculptor, to prepare a memorial. But there was a resounding “no” from the area concerned because Brian Merriman was supposed to have written a “dirty book”.
This was despite the fact that the patron of the effort was one Eamon de Valera, who was the last man you would accuse of reading a “dirty book”.
Twenty-one years later, in 1968, the diplomat Con Howard sensed the time was now right. There was wild enthusiasm, locally and nationally, for the memorial. The plaque was set up, a good deal of money was left and the local people suggested holding a summer school.
“We were asked to do it again and we have been coming back every year to different parts of Co Clare,” Seán MacRéamoinn said. Merriman had since spawned many other schools, among them the MacGill and Humbert schools.
“Merriman’s attitude to them should be that of a reasonably indulgent father or mother who sees the children doing well,” he said.
A surprise visitor to Merriman was the British Ambassador, Mr Nicholas Fenn, who turned up, escorted by plainclothes detectives.
Mr Fenn refused to make any comment on the current political situation in the wake of last week’s bombing . He said: “A friend told me I had no hope at all of understanding Ireland until I attended all the summer schools.” Fianna Fáil TD, Síle de Valera, turned up for the opening, as did Fine Gaelers, Donal Carey, TD, and Tom O’Donnell, MEP.
http://url.ie/774i