Ulster Canal Stores takes Pride of Place

Hugh Tunney’s initial reaction on hearing The Ulster Canal Stores was nominated for an ipb Pride of Place award was that the team are too busy to accept it.

Last Tuesday, the store museum which is moveable, had to be put back together again before the judges arrived. Seventeen children had been using the space for arts and crafts until midday that morning.

In the space of an hour, the room was reformed and prepared for the judges, who got a taste of what happens at the Ulster Canal Stores through a walk around and a series of presentations.

“It was a quick turnaround,” Ulster Canal Stores Manager Hugh Tunney laughs.

“It’s lovely. It’s always lovely to get nominated for something.”

The efforts of the Clones Development Society, who purchased the canal store in 1994 and refurbished it, have resulted in a visitor centre including a museum, gift and craft shop and restaurant, coffee dock and events space, which acts as a base for a meals on wheels service providing over 1,200 dinners per month.

The limestone building also hosts many community events and welcomes tourists from all over Ireland and beyond through its doors.

Last weekend, the monthly market drew over 1,500 people visit the stores, while they also host concerts, fundraisers, book launches, trad festivals, and more. The area is also home to a beautiful scenic walk along the canal.

The space also facilitates an on-site water sports provider where people can canoe, water bike and paddleboard, while they also provide walking heritage tours around Clones Town.

“Clones is a very historic town, we have our round tower, 12th century monastic abbey. Another thing that is a must when you visit Clones is a beautiful Cassandra Hand Folk and Famine Museum,” Hugh says.

The latter was built using the proceeds of Clones Lace, something visitors to the Ulster Canal Stores will learn about when upon entering the museum.

Named ‘Linked by a Thread’ the museum tells the story of Cassandra Hand coming to Clones in 1847 with her husband, Revered Thomas Hand, and the huge success of the world famous Clones Lace.

“She seen the devastation of the Famine and the effects of it and she wanted to do something about it,” Hugh explains.

Ms Hand began the Clones Lace School and taught the lace process to local families, initially the Italian process and eventually a unique method created by the families of Clones, a crochet lace, for which Clones Lace is renowned.

Real Clones lace can be identified by motifs connected by a distinctive Clones knot. The lace was exported to London, Rome, Milan, New York, Paris and became “world famous”.

“If you see Clones lace anywhere in the world; you can recognise the knot, it is genuine Clones lace,” Hugh describes.

Clones Lace School

The Ulster Canal Stores now hosts a Clones Lace School every June, where both beginners and expert lace makers come from all over the world to attend.

“We provide all sorts of events, indoor and outdoor. We are striving to provide a varied programme of community events and entertainment around the new marina,” Hugh says.

Meanwhile plans are also in place to expand restore the Canal Workers Cottage, an old two-storey stone building, currently derelict, which they hope to open as a new restaurant, a mutli-use space and larger gift shop. The project is expected to go to tender shortly.

“A future vision for us would be opening a new tourism shop experience that would be built around the marina,” Hugh explains.

While ipb Pride of Place award ceremony will take place in October, The Anglo-Celt was certainly most impressed by everything achieved by the volunteers, staff and committee at the Ulster Canal Stores.