Mayo site for heritage campus

Clew Bay's Clare Island, off the Mayo coast, is one of eight European locations hosting a heritage campus for young students this summer.

The island, which once attracted the Victorian naturalist Robert Lloyd Praeger, is already the focus of an interdisciplinary archaeological and scientific study sponsored by the Royal Irish Academy (RIA).

In a separate development, Ciara Cullen, who helped to attract the RIA to Clare Island, initiated academic field workshops several years ago through the Groupement Europeen des Campus scheme.

Students participating in this summer's campus will contribute to an interpretation programme for medieval wall-paintings in the island's 14th century Cistercian abbey.

Stagiares on the campus in Mallorca, Spain, will help to rehabilitate windmills, while participants in Luxembourg will be involved in planning building work.

The scheme is designed for students of heritage disciplines, and the emphasis is on field work and the practical aspects of heritage training. The programme is supported by the European Union, and the campuses usually last for three to five weeks.

Board and lodging is provided free of charge, while travel costs are borne by participants.

Irish students are welcome to apply for the Clare Island project, and the closing date is May 31st. The web address is www.heritagecampus.org. For more information, Ciara Cullen can be contacted at Clare Island, Co Mayo (tel/fax: (098)25412; e-mail: ccullen@iol.ie).