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Biography

Tomás Mac Conmara is an award-winning oral historian and author from County Clare.  In 2016, he was commended by President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins, as one of seven recipients who have made outstanding contributions to culture over the last 100 years for a Comhaltas Forógra na Cásca Centenary Award.  He began documenting oral tradition and folklore in the townland of Ballymalone in east Clare as a teenager and is now recognised as one of the leading oral historians in the country.  From 2008 to 2014, he led the foundation and development of Cuimhneamh an Chláir (Memories of Clare) and was also a founding member of the Oral History Network of Ireland.  He is also a former County Heritage Officer and in January 2016 was appointed by UCC as Manager of the Cork Folklore Project.

In 2019, Tomás was the recipient of the UCC Research Support Person of the Year Award and was acknowledged for the way he has "transformed and energized the work of the project since joining the team in January 2016".

He published his 20-year collection work; The Time of the Tans in 2019 by Mercier Press.  The book is based on his over 400 personal recordings with older people, focused on the Irish War of Independence. In September 2021, with Mercier Press, he published The Scariff Martyrs, War, Murder and Memory in East Clare. 

Tomás has written four other books: ‘High Prestige', The Story of Clare's All Ireland Hurling Champions of 1914 and Patrick Brennan's Autograph Book, Frongoch Internment Camp, 1916.  In 2017, he published Days of Hunger, The Clare Volunteers and the Mountjoy Hunger Strike of 1917.  In 2018, he was commissioned by the HSE to write The Ministry of Healing, St. Mary’s Orthopaedic Hospital, Cork, An Oral and Historical Record.

Tomás is a frequent contributor on cultural and historic issues on national television and radio in both Irish and English and delivers a regular history slot on RTE Television's The Today Show.  He has published articles on various aspects of folklore and oral tradition and lectured both nationally and internationally on aspects of Irish history, culture and folklore. He has lectured for many years at the Milwaukee Irish Festival and has been a Fellow at the University of Massachusetts from 2016 - 2018, where he worked on oral history research and lectured on Irish history.   

As Director of Mac Conmara Heritage Consulting, Tomás has led the development of national oral history programmes with the Irish Defence Forces and Waterways Ireland.  His clients also include the Health Service Executive, Dublin Port, Kilkenny, Cork, Donegal, Kildare, Waterford and Fingal County Councils, local authority libraries and Udarás na Gaeltachta.  To contact Mac Conmara Consulting - email macconmaraheritage@gmail.com ‍

Research Interests

Research Interests include:

• Oral history and tradition 
• Folklore
• Social Memory of the Irish revolutionary period (1916-1923)
• Modern Irish history
• Community Engagement 
• Material Culture
• Mnemonics
• Traditions, customs and folk belief
• Placenames and fieldnames

My research has focused on the use of collected social memory, oral history and oral tradition in exploring the Irish Revolutionary Period.  I have advocated for many years for the inclusion of oral sources to bring about a deeper and more rounded understanding of the period and have personally recorded over 400 interviews relating to Irish War of Independence and Civil War.  My Doctoral Research at University of Limerick enabled a detailed examination of the entire landscape of memory associated with the revolutionary period and led to the creation of a new methodological framework for the use of memory in exploring the Irish War of Independence.  

From 2016 to 2018, I was a visiting Research Fellow at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell where I lectured on the Irish Revolutionary Period as well as the application of oral history in a range of social and cultural contexts.  

My role in the broader documentation of memory has led to an involvement in several radio documentaries including A Bullet for the General (exploring an IRA plan to assassinate Hugh Tudor in Canada) and Paddy Brennan’s Book, (exploring an autograph book from Frongoch Camp in Wales).  In 2016, I was the script writer for Against the Gale, five radio documentaries, exploring aspects of the Easter Rising experience in Clare.  I have contributed to multiple TV documentaries including 75 Days, The Hunger Strike of Terence Mac Swiney, Cogadh ar Mná (War on Women),Dev sa Mheiriceá and Ireland's Greatest Love Stories.


My work in oral heritage for almost twenty years has enabled the application of oral history as a method across a range of subject areas, including the experience of women in the past, agricultural change, the relationship between rural people and material culture of the past, as well as insights into community dynamics in early to mid-twentieth century Ireland.    As Manager of the Cork Folklore Project, I have led a multidimensional collection programme, which has explored dimensions of everyday life in Cork in both the past and present including stone masonry, amateur drama, community, St. Mary’s Orthopaedic Hospital, life stories and place based collection.  In addition, I was successful in obtaining a research award from University of Massachusetts, to undertake Landscapes of Memory, an international oral history collaboration exploring the River Lee and Merrimack River through the use of oral history interviews.    By developing the Cork Folklore Project Outreach Hub, I have led the Project into a new phase, which will see our material more accessible to the general public in both passive and active ways.  

Research Grants

	Project	Funding Body	Start Date	End Date	Award
	Landscapes of Memory		06-JAN-17	06-JUN-18	€5,000.00

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Publications

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Books

	Year	Publication
	(2021)	The Scariff Martyrs: War, Murder and Memory in East Clare. Tomás Mac Conmara (2021) The Scariff Martyrs: War, Murder and Memory in East Clare. Cork: Mercier Press. [Details]
	(2019)	The Time of the Tans, An Oral History of the War of Independence in County Clare. Tomás Mac Conmara (2019) The Time of the Tans, An Oral History of the War of Independence in County Clare. Cork: Mercier Press. [Details]
	(2018)	The Ministry of Healing, St. Mary's Orthopaedic Hospital Cork, An Oral and Historical Record. Tomás Mac Conmara (2018) The Ministry of Healing, St. Mary's Orthopaedic Hospital Cork, An Oral and Historical Record. Cork: Health Service Executive. [Details]
	(2017)	Days of Hunger, The Clare Volunteers and the Mountjoy Hunger Strike of 1917. Tomás Mac Conmara (2017) Days of Hunger, The Clare Volunteers and the Mountjoy Hunger Strike of 1917. Killaloe: Dallán Publishing. [Details]
	(2016)	Patrick Brennan's Autograph Book, An Irish Rebel Autograph Book from Frongoch Internment Camp, 1916. Tomás Mac Conmara (2016) Patrick Brennan's Autograph Book, An Irish Rebel Autograph Book from Frongoch Internment Camp, 1916. Clare: Clare County Library. [Details]
	(2014)	High Prestige, The Story of Clare's All Ireland Hurling Champions of 1914. Tomás Mac Conmara (2014) High Prestige, The Story of Clare's All Ireland Hurling Champions of 1914. Clare: Clare County Library. [Details]
	(2008)	People, Place, Boats, Traditional Boats of County Clare. Tomás Mac Conmara (2008) People, Place, Boats, Traditional Boats of County Clare. Clare: Clare County Council. [Details]

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Other Journals

	Year	Publication
	(2018)	'Tomás Mac Curtain in Memory' Tomás Mac Conmara (2018) 'Tomás Mac Curtain in Memory' The Archive: Journal of The Northside Folklore Project, 21 :16-20. [Details]
	(2018)	'A Reflection on the Irish Language in the Cork Folklore Project Collection' Tomás Mac Conmara (2018) 'A Reflection on the Irish Language in the Cork Folklore Project Collection' The Archive: Journal of The Northside Folklore Project, 21 :5-5. [Details]
	(2013)	''Those Four Claremen have taken on the British Empire' The Irish Volunteers and the Transformation of Ireland in 1917' Tomás Mac Conmara (2013) ''Those Four Claremen have taken on the British Empire' The Irish Volunteers and the Transformation of Ireland in 1917' The Other Clare, 36 :27-32. [Details]

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Articles

	Year	Publication
	(2017)	'Soldier's Death or Felon's Doom'. Tomás Mac Conmara (2017) 'Soldier's Death or Felon's Doom'. Clare: Articles [Details]
	(2016)	'An intense longing for Irish Freedom'. Tomás Mac Conmara (2016) 'An intense longing for Irish Freedom'. Clare: Articles [Details]
	(2011)	‘“That’s the way it was” - Reminiscence at Raheen Day Care Centre, Tuamgraney’. Tomás Mac Conmara (2011) ‘“That’s the way it was” - Reminiscence at Raheen Day Care Centre, Tuamgraney’. Clare: Articles [Details]
	(2011)	“When an old man dies, a library burns”, The work of Cuimhneamh an Chlair, the Clare Oral History and Folklore Group. Tomás Mac Conmara (2011) “When an old man dies, a library burns”, The work of Cuimhneamh an Chlair, the Clare Oral History and Folklore Group. Clare: Articles [Details]
	(2011)	A reflection on the reminiscence oral history work undertaken over a number of months at Raheen Day Care Centre, Tuamgraney. Tomás Mac Conmara (2011) A reflection on the reminiscence oral history work undertaken over a number of months at Raheen Day Care Centre, Tuamgraney. Clare: Articles [Details]
	(2006)	“Tip and Slashin”, Clare’s Hurling Victories of 1914”. Tomás Mac Conmara (2006) “Tip and Slashin”, Clare’s Hurling Victories of 1914”. Dublin: Articles [Details]
	(2005)	‘RT Moloney, Seventy-Five years of local politics’. Tomás Mac Conmara (2005) ‘RT Moloney, Seventy-Five years of local politics’. Clare: Articles [Details]
	(2004)	The Parish of Tuamgraney, History and Folklore. Tomás Mac Conmara (2004) The Parish of Tuamgraney, History and Folklore. Dublin: Articles [Details]
	(2004)	The Tradition of Pipe Smoking. Tomás Mac Conmara (2004) The Tradition of Pipe Smoking. Clare: Articles [Details]
	(2003)	Ireland'sWild Geese and the Battle of Fontenoy. Tomás Mac Conmara (2003) Ireland'sWild Geese and the Battle of Fontenoy. Clare: Articles [Details]
	(2003)	The Colt Connection: Firearms manufacturer Sam Colt and County Clare. Tomás Mac Conmara (2003) The Colt Connection: Firearms manufacturer Sam Colt and County Clare. Clare: Articles [Details]
	(2003)	The Boxer Rebellion in China: Clare Connections. Tomás Mac Conmara (2003) The Boxer Rebellion in China: Clare Connections. Clare: Articles [Details]
	(2003)	Coining Things, The Discovery of Gunmoney in Drumquin in 1982. Tomás Mac Conmara (2003) Coining Things, The Discovery of Gunmoney in Drumquin in 1982. Clare: Articles [Details]
	(2002)	“The Terry Alts: Agrarian Agitation in North Clare 1829-1832”. Tomás Mac Conmara (2002) “The Terry Alts: Agrarian Agitation in North Clare 1829-1832”. Clare: Articles [Details]

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Documentary

	Year	Publication
	(2016)	Against the Gale. Tomás Mac Conmara (2016) Against the Gale. Clare: Documentary [Details]

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DVD

	Year	Publication
	(2016)	The Easter Rising in County Clare. Tomás Mac Conmara (2016) The Easter Rising in County Clare. Clare: DVD [Details]

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Professional Activities

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Honours and Awards

	Year	Title	Awarding Body
	2019	Research Support Person of the Year	UCC
	2017	University of Massachusetts Presidents Award	University of Massachusetts
	2016	Comhaltas Forógra na Cásca Centenary Award	Comhaltas Ceoltoirí Éireann
	2016	Research Fellow	University of Massachusetts

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Professional Associations

	Association	Function	From / To
	Oral History Network of Ireland	Founding Member	07-JUL-09 / 29-AUG-12

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Conference Contributions

	Year	Publication
	(2018)	International Oral History Association Conference, Memory and Narration, Tomás Mac Conmara (2018) A presentation on the value of oral sources on the Irish War of Independence including an emphasis on the importance of registering silence. [Oral Presentation], International Oral History Association Conference, Memory and Narration, Finland , 18-JUN-18 - 21-JUN-18. [Details]
	(2017)	Centre for Irish Partnerships Seminar Series, Tomás Mac Conmara (2017) Lecture on the Mountjoy Hunger Strike of 1917. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], Centre for Irish Partnerships Seminar Series, UMass Club, Boston, USA , 25-SEP-17 - 25-SEP-17. [Details]
	(2016)	International Women's Day Conference at University of Limerick, Tomás Mac Conmara (2016) A conference focused on the experience of women in Irish society, past and present. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], International Women's Day Conference at University of Limerick, University of Limerick , 08-MAR-16 - 08-MAR-16. [Details]
	(2016)	Remembering 1916: The Easter Rising, The Battle of the Somme and Impact on Lowell—A Public Engagement Conference, Tomás Mac Conmara (2016) A Public Engagement Conference focusing on both the Easter Rising of 1916 and the Battle of the Somme, which happened in the same year. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Remembering 1916: The Easter Rising, The Battle of the Somme and Impact on Lowell—A Public Engagement Conference, University of Massachusetts, USA , 07-SEP-16 - 08-SEP-16. [Details]
	(2014)	Cumann na mBan 100 Conference: 1914 – 2014, Tomás Mac Conmara (2014) Conference exploring the role of Cumann na mBan in the Irish revolutionary period. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Cumann na mBan 100 Conference: 1914 – 2014, Collins Barracks, Dublin , 16-APR-14 - 16-APR-14. [Details]
	(2014)	National Tourism Conference, Ennistymon, Tomás Mac Conmara (2014) The Army of Ború Marches again!, Folklore, Tourism and the High King’. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], National Tourism Conference, Ennistymon, Ennistymon, County clare , 14-FEB-14 - 16-FEB-14. [Details]
	(2013)	Biennial Irish Conference of Historians, Tomás Mac Conmara (2013) A major confernence presenting the work of a range of historians from across Ireland. [Oral Presentation], Biennial Irish Conference of Historians, UCD , 13-JUN-13 - 13-JUN-13. [Details]
	(2012)	Voicing the Past: Oral History and Heritage in Ireland, Tomás Mac Conmara (2012) Lecture on the Social Memory of the Irish Revolutionary Period. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Voicing the Past: Oral History and Heritage in Ireland, Temple Gate Hotel, Ennis, County Clare , 28-SEP-12 - 30-SEP-12. [Details]
	(2009)	Kerry International Folklore Conference, Tomás Mac Conmara (2009) A conference exploring the collection of folklore within a community context. [Invited Oral Presentation], Kerry International Folklore Conference, Mucross House, Kerry , 19-NOV-09 - 19-NOV-09. [Details]
	(2009)	Milwaukee Irish Festival, Tomás Mac Conmara (2009) Hedgeschool Lecture Series at Cultural Pavillion, Milwaukee Irish Festival. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Milwaukee Irish Festival, Milwaukee, USA , 14-AUG-09 - 16-AUG-09. [Details]
	(2007)	Milwaukee Irish Festival, Tomás Mac Conmara (2007) Irish Cultural Festival and Lecture Series. [Invited Oral Presentation], Milwaukee Irish Festival, Milwaukee, USA , 17-AUG-07 - 19-AUG-07. [Details]

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Committees

	Committee	Function	From / To
	Cuimhneamh an Chláire (Memories of Clare)	Founder and Project Co-ordinator	2008 / 2014
	Clare Tourist Council	Committee Member and Chairperson	2008 / 2013
	Oral History Network of Ireland	Founding Member	2008 / 2014
	East Clare Heritage	Committee Member and Chairperson	2001 / 2009

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Employment

	Employer	Position	From / To
	Clare County Council	Heritage Officer	13-SEP-06 / 16-JUL-09
	University College Cork	Manager, Cork Folklore Project	12-JAN-16 / 27-JUL-18
	Cuimhneamh an Chláir (Memories of Clare)	Project Co-Ordinator	05-AUG-09 / 11-JUL-12
	Clare County Council	Exhibition Curation	16-AUG-12 / 18-DEC-15

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Education

	Year	Institution	Qualification	Subject
	2015	University of Limerick	PhD	History
	2010	National University of Ireland Galway	Higher Diploma in Education	History, Civic Social and Political Education
	2008	University of Limerick	Bachelor of Arts	History

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Languages

	Language	Reading	Writing	Speaking
	Spanish	Basic	Basic	Functional
	Gaeilge	Fluent	Fluent	Fluent

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Outreach Activities

	Description
	An illustrated presentation on the material held in the Cork Folklore Project collection, underlining the opportunities for artistic engagement - Presented to the Crawford College of Art and Design in Cork
	A series of five illustrated public lectures given across County Clare in the lead up to the Easter Rising Centenary celebrations of 2016
	Presentation of oral history process to a group of women from the Churchfield area of Cork to illuminate the aspects involved in the document or oral history and local memory.
	Multimedia presentation of selected material from the Cork Folklore Project over twenty years to a crowd of over 170 local people from across Cork.
	For Cuimhneamh an Chláir - A series of public listening sessions undertaken from 2008 - 2010 across county Clare in various community centres, libraries and public facilities.
	Collaboration with Clare FM to produce eight in-depth radio interviews, focused on the work of eight collectors from within the Cuimhneamh an Chláir Project (2012)
	Co-Presenter on a weekly radio show (Clare FM) aimed at the promotion of Irish language and culture in 2007.
	Contributor on a weekly placenames and fieldnames focused radio segment, which explored the collected placenames from within the Clare Placenames Project (2008-2009)
	Co-ordination of a major Traditional Boats conference in 2008, focused on the building traditions, typologies and folklore of traditional boats, currachs and Naomhógs.
	Scriptwriter for a series of radio essays, broadcast in April 2016 as part of the centenary celebrations of the Easter Rising of 1916
	A series of transcribed memory samples from within the Cork Folklore Project, published weekly in the Cork Evening Echo (2018)
	Collaboration with Clare FM in a unique poetry project. The project, which received funding from Oifig Gaeilge an Chláir, involved Cuimhneamh an Chláir, working with pupils from 6th class in Gaelscoil Mhichíl Cíósóg. The pupils were asked to compose poems on characters of their choosing relating to Clare folklore and history.
	Innovative folded business cards with old Irish words that were documented from older people across county Clare.
	Co-ordinated the recording of the memories of Clare natives living in Dublin are to be documented in ‘A Part of What Was Dublin’, Trained and equipped three Dublin based Clare natives, who recorded memories of Clare men and women who migrated to Dublin over the twentieth century.
	Collaboration between the Clare Education Centre and Cuimhneamh an Chláir to develop Seo é mo Scéal as part of respective outreach and education programmes. Seo é mo scéal was a Region 5 project, proposed by Athlone Education Centre that involves recording the memories, from primary school to retirement, of a group of older citizens in the wider communities of the region.
	A public engagement event aimed at demonstrated the collected material from the 'Memories of the Orthopaedic' Project, an oral history collaboration undertaken by the Cork Folklore Project and the HSE and focused on St. Mary's Orthopaedic Hospital

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Journal Activities

	Journal	Role	To / From
	The Archive: Journal Of The Northside Folklore Project	Editor	12-JAN-16 - 21-JUN-18

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Other Activities

	Description
	In the lead up to the 2016 Centenary Celebrations, I was invited by Clare County Council to act as a special adviser to the Council's Committee on Commemoration.  This has been extended to cover the period from 2016 - 2023