By Carmel T. Madigan
I have to say I have always been fascinated by seashells. Ever since the time, my lovely mom would take me all around the coast from the Bridges of Ross to Ross Beach (Loophead) on Sunday afternoons in summertime, from age six to well into my teens. She having lived her entire 97 years at Loophead just a few fields away from the wonderful Bridges. .wished to connect with it every day of her life. Once we hit into Ross beach after climbing our way over fences, under fences and marshy patches, we set out to bathe our feet in the warm salty water before moving to a lovely patch of sediment comprised of many shell species. of course, back then we didn't know the names of too many, certainly periwinkles (just 1 species of them) and Bárnachs (limpets) and mussels were known to us, but not the four species of top shells, nor the cowries, whelks, or other species of periwinkles there present. We loved our collections, which often found there way to the outside of geranium pots with glue and polyfilla as the adhesives. Then they would be varnished over for posterity! Interesting though, as now with the too-ing and fro-ing of species with warmer waters, it is interesting to note from the remnants of these shell covered pots, that the shells present 50 years ago are still present there on Ross Beach today. Had the density changed? Who knows?
As part of my work with the Explorers Education Programme, whereby the Loophead Summer Hedge School develops and delivers marine based ocean literacy modules for children in Primary schools in county Clare, I have been fortunate, to once again, comb the gravel of
many co Clare shores to help build an overall picture of the marine molluscs present on our County Clare coastline.
Thereafter, the shells are taken to the schools, where the children get to study them under magnification, then using a pre- designed display panel, they sort and categorize the seashells, sorting each species by size and colour variation. This is the first time many of the children will actually have handled seashells, and they are fascinated with the markings, variations and diversity of species present. The purpose of creating the panel is not only for the scientific
experience of it, but also to have a permanent reference within the school, should the children or their teachers/parents be out and about on the local beach, collect shells, and not know what species they are. The panel aids immediate id, together with some species information on size, diet, lifespan and so forth.
By now, I have become a collector of worldwide shells. I love to source shells from the Florida and Mexican coastlines, from the North Sea, Indian Ocean, Aegean Sea, Mediterranean sea and from coastlines that i personally visit. It was some of these shells that prompted my latest eight page publication which you can download from my website by clicking on the image opposite. Here you will note that i have referenced many of these wonderful, nature created shells to magnificent specimens of bio-mimetic architecture. Imagine, highly prized, creative buildings, pushing the boundaries of architecture and all inspired and adopted from those humble and beautiful seashells spun out by the little sea creature itself to protect itself from the high seas and rocky shores of the world! Magical