A Place in the Heart
by Finbarr D. Bradley & James J. Kennelly
Dublin: Orpen Press, 2013
(ERT 24 minutes)
“Cnoc Suain is not preserving Irish language, music, traditions and crafts to enshrine them. This is no theme park; it is a place of living culture, oozing with pride and determination to share some of the joys of its heritage.”
The Irish Times, 2008
Background
At 10 years of age Charlie Troy sat at the kitchen table of his home in a South Dublin housing estate and drew a picture of a small cottage on a hill, surrounded by a lake, river and mountains. He told his mother, ‘Someday I’m going to live there!’ Meanwhile, at the opposite end of Ireland, Dearbhaill Standún was growing up in the wilds of Connemara, fully immersed in the beauty of that unique place. This was the beginning of a dream for this special couple. But it was not a dream alone, for over time they developed a vision to see and shape it and the determination to make it a reality.
The couple first met while Dearbhaill was teaching in Dublin, but she always had a strong sense that she would someday head back to the west, buy a farm, and live a more rural lifestyle. Eventually, they both found their way to Galway, where they married, had three children, and built a home in An Spidéal.
If Charlie and Dearbhaill’s story had been conjured up by Hollywood, perhaps it would have had a variant of that line from Field of Dreams: ‘If you build it, they will come.’ But life rarely follows a Hollywood script. It has taken Charlie and Dearbhaill well over a decade of struggle to make the dream of Cnoc Suain a reality. Widely acknowledged as emblematic of the very best in the Irish tourism sector, Cnoc Suain is a living and a real place – an environment, enterprise and experience awash with integrity.
“[Cnoc Suain is] serving as a trailblazer and a powerhouse in promoting sustainability and mindfulness of the earth’s – and mankind’s – precious resources.”
Travel + Leisure Magazine, 2010
Located outside of An Spidéal, County Galway, Cnoc Suain is a restored seventeenth-century hill village that celebrates a people, place and heritage. Its core mission is to ‘present Irish culture, nature and heritage with the sophistication and high standard which befits it, without compromising its integrity and authenticity.’ Indeed, integrity and authenticity are integral to the very idea of Cnoc Suain and are everywhere in evidence, even in the smallest details.
Unobtrusively located in the middle of a windblown Connemara bog, Cnoc Suain, translated as ‘peaceful hill’, is firmly tethered to its native place, as much a part of the landscape at the bog that surrounds it. It is an enterprise that its guests, who can explore the rich life of a Connemara bog, learn a céilí dance, or immerse themselves in local music and poetry. All these experiences are fed by an intense connection with the the natural surroundings and with the traditions , cultural heritage and history of Connemara. Cnoc Suain taps into the emotional core of those who visit it, creating the conditions for experiences that are often transformative. These experiences are visceral and emotional; it is, after all, what we feel that is more likely to change us than what we know.
Clearly out of step with the mainstream tourism sector, Cnoc Suain does not offer plastic shillelaghs, ‘Kiss me I’m Irish’ buttons or other forms of Paddywhackery. Rather, it creates experiences that are unique and authentic, but, admittedly, not for everybody. Infused with a palpable sense of place, Cnoc Suain is developing a growing programme of experiences for discriminating visitors in search of meaningful engagement with the traditions, culture, language and natural wonders of Connemara. These experiences are provided through half-day cultural programmes, folkloric evenings and longer residential programmeslike the ‘Bog and Beach Experience’ which combines exploration of the natural history and archaeology of Connemara with song, dance, storytelling, crafting and dining on local foods. Cnoc Suain is a special place where emotional experiences are possible, and where hearts may be moved.
“ We never considered cutting corners. Even at our low points, there was never a question of compromising the ‘offering’. If it was not working we adapted and adjusted - but never at the expense of the integrity of the entire project. We simply could not do that. “
Dearbhaill Standún, 2012
Dearbhaill Standún was long established in the area surrounding Cnoc Suain; her parents founded a renowned Irish craft store in An Spidéal in 1946, and later developed a pioneering hand-crafted knitting industry, exporting Aran sweaters to prime New York stores such as Saks and Lord & Taylor. The Standúns provided much-needed local and national employment through a cottage industry where up to seven hundred women plied hand-knitting skills in their own homes. Dearbhaill remembers a business that was something more than that: Standún's Store c. 1966
“Supporting Irish goods was of the upmost importance to my parents. They believed in the quality and value of what we had around us – the culture, landscape and produce. They were also convinced that others would appreciate their uniqueness and richness – once they were introduced to them. As the tourism side of the business developed and bus coaches began to call, the customers, on having completed their purchasing, would frequently and spontaneously be invited into the kitchen and given a complimentary cup of tea and sandwich before being entertained to traditional music, with my mother on piano and my brother and I on fiddles – a ‘thank you’ to the customer and, for us, an opportunity to entertain. Our home was at the store, with only an unlocked sliding door separating the two. This was symbolic, because home life, business, culture and entertainment all seemed to go hand in hand, blending seamlessly. Even by day our house was buzzing with people – family, staff (who lived with us), neighbours and customers, while at night it was alive with music. Groups such as the Clancy Brothers, WolfeTones, the Dubliners, members of the Chieftains and many more, as well as local sean-nós singers and musician friends, would drop in, and it would be music till morning – maybe 7 a.m.! Then the sliding door would open, and it would be business as usual.”
Dearbhaill Standún, 2012
Dearbhaill, herself an accomplished fiddler, is a founding member of the traditional group Dordán, acclaimed for its distinctive mix of Irish traditional and baroque music. Dearbhaill’s background and experiences in culture, education (as a primary school teacher) and musical entertainment imbue her with a rich appreciation of and commitment to the Irish language, music and culture, particularly that of her native Connemara.
Charlie, on the other hand, grew up in the south Dublin suburb of Walkinstown, in one of the housing estates that sprang up in the late 1940s and early 1950s. But with the farm fields outside his back door still stretching uninterrupted to the Dublin mountains, he had ample opportunity to spend weekends and long summer months outdoors, exploring the countryside, helping his father cut and save the turf, and developing a profound love of nature. He grew up in a home which featured a real interest in Irish culture and politics, attended the only Irish-speaking school in Dublin at the time (Coláiste Mhuire on Parnell Square), and engaged in that ritual shared with so many other young Irish, attending Summer College in the Donegal Gaeltacht.
It was no surprise that Charlie, like Dearbhaill, became a teacher and a fluent Irish speaker. As an environmental scientist and former secondary school teacher, he is deeply interested in the natural history and archaeology of Connemara. Writer and naturalist Michael Viney calls him ‘a tireless disciple of natural Connemara – animal, vegetable or mineral.’ Indeed, both Charlie and Dearbhaill are disciples of a cultural and a natural cause, fostering an ethos of learning that permeates Cnoc Suain.
“Education is at the heart of it, in the sense of sharing knowledge in a creative and joyous way.”
Dearbhaill Standún 2012
Nevertheless, Cnoc Suain is also a commercial enterprise that must, at a minimum, pay its way. Fortunately, in an increasingly globalised economy with its evolving interest in authentic experiences, significant opportunities exist for indigenous enterprises like Cnoc Suain that marry traditional skills and quality, leveraging these with a contemporary commitment to excellence and service. Yet embarking on such a strategy also requires no little risk-taking, a healthy dose of creativity and innovation, and an entrepreneurial bent – the willingness to try what has not been done before. It took an abiding belief in the idea, and a tremendous financial, physical and emotional investment. Few would have seen a way to make the dream of owning and running a place like Cnoc Suain a reality, and fewer still would have had the faith, persistence and sheer tenacity to give it effect. Or, put less delicately, few would be crazy enough to do it!
“The exhaustion, fear, anxiety, worry, feelings of isolation and self-doubt - ‘Everyone knows we are crazy but they don’t want to say it!’ Deep down we didn’t doubt the concept, but we asked ourselves, ‘Why did it have to be us?’
Dearbhaill Standún 2012
The Evolution of a Dream
Luckily, this extraordinary couple was not lacking in skills, energy and chutzpah. Cnoc Suain was and remains a risky endeavour in commercial terms and, like most entrepreneurial ventures, a demanding one in personal terms. But for its owners, it is also a labour of love – and love has a way of generating passion, enthusiasm and energy.
There was no dramatic epiphany, but over the course of time these two teachers began to dream of restoring an old cottage as a sort of ' ‘cultural retreat’ to nurture and share in an authentic way the vibrant local culture and magnificent natural environment with both overseas and Irish visitors. They were not able to act on this for a long time, but the idea gestated and, finally, in 1995 they purchased an old farm north of An Spidéal, about two miles away from where they were living. It provided more than a lone cottage, but an entire old village in need of restoration.
“Charlie remembered a place on one hundred and ninety acres that had been for sale a few years before ... he also remembered the name of the auctioneer and phoned him. The auctioneer thought it was still for sale, but that the owner was living in the US. He told us to hop over the gate and have a look. We did that and, as we strolled up the pathway, we could not believe what was unfolding with each step we took. To this day, seventeen years on, we have to remind each other of how people are seeing it as they approach for the first time.
It was magical. I could not believe that I had lived all those years in Spiddal - two miles down the road – without knowing that such a place existed. As we came to the bottom of the hill and saw the old thatched cottage just ahead of us, the whole place felt as if someone had wrapped it in a shroud and that it had been like this for years and years – a secret place that encapsulated, for me, everything I had grown up with. The closer we got to the top of the hill, the more amazing it seemed, with a 360° spectacular view over lake, river, mountains and sea. In one way it seemed like a ghost ship, with everything there, and a stillness and sense of timelessness, holding within it the story of our past. We were speechless.
We found out that the owner was actually at home but not there that evening.The following morning we came again to meet him and that evening took our three daughters to see the place. They were aged 13, 9 and 7 years of age. I have to admit I used a bit of psychology on them – saying to Charlie that we should tell them that we were looking at a ‘farm’, which immediately conjured up images of Connemara ponies, etc. It worked and they were very excited when they saw it. We told the owner there and then that we would buy it.”
Dearbhaill Standún, 2012
They began the work of restoration on a part-time basis in 1996, initially with the help of a local builder; but with the Celtic Tiger’s booming economy in full flight, it was not easy to find tradesmen, so they did a lot of the work themselves. They had always known it was going to be difficult; it was a good thing they had little idea how difficult it would be.
“The restoration work was emotionally, physically and financially draining; we were also raising a family of three girls. But all the time, we felt it would come out right; we believed in what we were doing, although at times we questioned our own sanity! Sometimes, one of us would feel like putting up the ‘For Sale’ sign on the farm gate, out of pure exhaustion or because of that ‘sinking’ feeling, but the other would carry the load for that brief period.”
Charlie Troy, 2012
Cnoc Suain evolved from a dream to a vision, to an all-consuming project, in which Charlie and Dearbhaill were fully invested at every conceivable level, and in a very hands on way. They invested all their own money and emotions into this life-project and raised additional funds through the sale of some property and through loans from family and friends – not to mention their own ‘sweat equity’. They tried to avoid bank credit as much as possible. In 2001, Charlie took a five- year career break in order to fully devote himself to the restoration effort. The restoration was to be not only authentic but also sustainable, with renewable energy and profound attention to its sense of place.
With the dearth of trade workers, the reconstruction of the stone cottages presented a particular challenge: skills in working with stone in the traditional way were in short supply. Fortunately, Dan and Serban, two Romanians who had been working in a joinery firm in An Spidéal and knew something about stone-working, lent their skills to the effort. There was something of a commune about it as they all shared the place and common endeavour: the family, the Romanian workers, a number of dogs, Connemara ponies and some sheep and cattle.
Gradually, what had been ruins, little more than stone bothies (basic shelters) deserted by their inhabitants more than a century ago and gradually being reclaimed by the land, were renovated to a high modern standard. The thatched and slate-roofed stone cottages on the property, some dating back to 1691, now incorporate modern conveniences (discretely) for the comfort of guests, while offering a level of peace, tranquillity, comfort and ease not easily found in contemporary, globalised Ireland. Sited in a place of natural wonders and cultural inspiration, married to carefully chosen modern amenities (but without distractions like television), the cottages retain the simple elegance and integrity of their heritage, fitting effortlessly into their own physical landscape, solidly anchored in their place. They breathe a sense of permanence and possess a real identity.
Meeting The Marketplace
After intense effort, Cnoc Suain now represents something unique in Ireland: an authentically restored hill village or clachán. Most of the land is moor and bog, gradually descending on one slope to a forest and lake. It is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), where ‘hen harrier, goshawk, merlin and peregrine share enormous and luminous spaces.’ Located in an Irish-speaking area steeped in traditional music, song and dance, Cnoc Suain is also well placed for study of the unique flora and fauna of Connemara.
“Apart from the charm and beauty of the place, it had many advantages in terms of business. It was a wild and beautiful place, on two hundred acres, only a twenty minute drive from Galway. The entrance was on the main road, on a scenic route on which tour buses travelled. It was in the Gaeltacht, and contained all the elements of the Connemara landscape, habitat and vernacular architecture.”
Dearbhaill Standún, 2012
Yet, just when they thought the hard bit was really behind them, Dearbhaill and Charlie realised that the restoration itself did not present the most difficult challenge. Having accomplished the physical renovation, the ultimate challenge for the couple was to organise the operation of Cnoc Suain as a successful and self-sustaining enterprise. It is fair to say that this was difficult, for there was no standard model to follow for the ‘business’ of generating heritage experiences. And could there ever be a more intangible product? The essential commercial question became: what were Charlie and Dearbhaill selling with Cnoc Suain? What exactly was the product? Perhaps the answer paraphrases the assertation of that other remarkable West of Ireland entrepreneur, Tarlach de Blacam, whose Inis Meáin story we detailed in Chapter 1: ‘We don’t just sell tourism, we sell tradition, stories and place’.
“In hindsight, restoring that first cottage was probably the easiest part of the whole restoration. We realised early on that we were not fitting into any established model. We were not a B&B, a hostel, a hotel, a golf course, or a walking/cycling holiday. Not having a label, a tag that could be slotted into a category, proved to be a problem when it came to getting recognition and funding. We were told by various visitors to Cnoc Suain over the years that we were ten years ahead of our time. It was meant as a compliment, but our hearts sank each time we heard it because it compounded the reality of it all ... There was such frustration at not being recognised and finding yourself listed under ‘other’ in the tourist listings and categories – side by side with a laundrette and an estate agent, because there was no category for culture.”
Dearbhaill Standún, 2012
Of course, such ‘dreaminess’ causes marketing problems. How do you market a ‘product’ that is so nebulous and difficult to pin down? If Cnoc Suain does not fit into any typical industry category, how do you advertise it? The initial thinking had been to promote it as a residential programme, offering customised cultural programmes for private groups and universities, but then fate intervened. In late 2007, just when they were ready to roll out the first residential pilot programmes, a fire consumed the Sean Teach (‘Old House’) cottage at the centre of the village. The insurance company would not pay out, and with Ireland descending into economic recession, the financial markets had frozen up and there was simply no credit available.
With the Sean Teach out of commission, the residential programmes were put on hold, and Charlie and Dearbhaill had to develop something to bridge the gap and generate some badly-needed income – and quickly. Their solution was to develop a series of one-day cultural experiences as an alternative to the residential immersion programmes that had been planned. These one-day experiences would give visitors a window – a glimpse into Gaelic culture. The trick was to do this in a way that had integrity and character, without descending into either mass-market frivolity or ponderous seriousness. To create the one-day experiences, Dearbhaill and Charlie fell back on their teaching ethos and background, developing programmes that were intended to be original and natural, with equal measures of learning and fun. They drew equally on the area’s environmental riches of bogland and seashore, and the community’s rich cultural resources of music, dance and poetry.
“We saw a gap in the market – visitors were being whizzed from one ‘must see sight’ to another without accessing the Irish language, nature, customs, or even the people! We believed the day would come when they would want to know more about these aspects, and we believed that together, we could deliver on this. We had first-hand knowledge of the topics, experience in education and teaching, were hard workers, had tenacity and resilience, and worked well together - most of the time! It seemed a very attractive prospect to earn your living doing what you love.”
Dearbhaill Standún, 2012
Recognition
Dearbhaill and Charlie’s plans were shaped by infrastructural limitations. Given the interactive presentation / classroom dimension of the experience, visitors had to be in the same place at the same time; that meant, with the narrow roadway and limited parking capacity, that the programme would have to be targeted to coach tour operators. Also, visitor numbers would have to be strictly limited in order to preserve the ‘personal’ dimension of the experience. Finally, arrangements were made with a newly- established coach company in Galway to reach visiting groups in Galway City and transport them to Cnoc Suain.
The Old Testament exhorts us to ‘cast your bread upon the waters’. In 2008, Dearbhaill and Charlie did just that, launching the day programmes into a very uncertain market, at a time of deepening economic distress. With declining tourist numbers, tour operators were loath to experiment and tended to stick with the ‘old reliables’, so initial progress was slow. Yet Cnoc Suain represented something that was virtually unknown in the Irish tourist market, and began to win a succession of prestigious tourist awards. These awards helped to turn things around, giving Cnoc Suain legitimacy and credibility within the industry. Good things began to happen, including winning a contract with a major high-end US tour operator, Tauck Tours, for inclusion in its ‘Best of Ireland Tour’.
“Recognition did come eventually – the Galway County Council’s Connemara Heritage Award, a two-page spread in The Guardian newspaper, followed by a World Ethical Travel Award and inclusion in their Green Travel List, and, finally, in November 2010 we received a Global Vision Award from Travel + Leisure magazine, the only business in Europe to receive one that year. These awards helped us enormously, not only from a business perspective, but as confirmation that we were not, after all, totally crazy in our thinking and that this was, in fact, the way to go.”
Dearbhaill Standún, 2012
Transformative Experiences
Inspired by its setting in the spectacular, ancient landscape of West Galway, Cnoc Suain’s philosophy is to preserve this pristine natural environment while nurturing the unique culture and traditions of Connemara. Cnoc Suain is a dynamic, living place; it is not a museum. Visitors participate in programmes of various lengths and are encouraged to be actively engaged rather than mere passive observers. Activities include Irish music, song and storytelling; a walk in the bog; workshops on local flora and fauna; a céilí dance; folklore evenings; literary programmes; tin whistle and Irish language workshops; seisiúin; and more. Many of these programmes are led by local people, experts who themselves are excited by the opportunity to pass along the cultural and environmental knowledge they have acquired. Charlie and Dearbhaill have created programmes that appeal not only to the ‘native’ Irish as well, who visit Cnoc Suain to re-ground themselves in their own traditions and folklore. It is a robust unique and authentic experience that bears little resemblance to the carefully choreographed and sanitised versions of Irish culture and heritage too often packaged for the consumption of tourists.
I find that visitors are becoming more discerning. They decide to come because they are interested, but they know very soon whether you are the real deal or not. You are connecting people at an emotional level to something, so there is no point in attempting to fake it. it has to come from the heart as well as the head.
Dearbhaill Standun, 2012
The goal is that every visitor’s experience at Cnoc Suain will be personal and intimate. Just as visitors bring their own unique life experiences and history with them, they may be transformed in different ways. So much depends, of course, on what they themselves seek. Cnoc Suain offers a tranquil locale for such learning and reflection, set in a magnificent and inspiring landscape. In offering an experience that will be different for each visitor, it provides the possibility for an experience that none of them will find anywhere else. There are many tales of how Cnoc Suain is a transformative experience for visitors. It seems to touch a universal nerve about tradition and home, irrespective of whether or not people have any Irish blood in them. Like Iranian-American woman Sima Miska who wrote:
“Dearbhaill, a wonderful storyteller, recited a poem in Gaelic and she taught us steps to a typical Irish folk dance. Such Fun! It is a ‘must see’ if you are interested in experiencing a unique way of learning about the culture, history and archaeology of this beautiful and fascinating island.”
Sima Miska, visitor to Cnoc Suain, 2012
As we argue in this book, distinctiveness matters. And why shouldn’t learning and reflection and, yes, even reverence, be combined with fun? Cnoc Suain is not a static enterprise; it continues to grow and develop. And long may that continue.
“From a business perspective, confirmation came from return visitors, something we value very much. It has been a challenge trying to define and market our product, and I liken it to filling a large sand bucket using a teaspoon – slow, but sure – because when people come and experience it, they do return and often recommend it to their friends. What has been a very special surprise for us has been the positive attitude and response of local people – young and old – in the Connemara region to Cnoc Suain.”
Dearbhaill Standún, 2012
The Future
Charlie and Dearbhaill continue to develop the residential programmes, with an emphasis on traditional music, Gaeilge, crafts and ecotourism. The couple’s three daughters are now involved with the business to varying degrees, bringing new energy and ideas. Other future plans include developing a ‘Cultural Campus’ within the hill-village based on culture and sustainability, initiating several ‘green’ learning ventures (Cnoc Suain received an Ecotourisim Ireland ‘Gold Cert’ in 2012), creating an artisan shop selling local products, and developing an online element.
Based on heritage, rooted in place, Cnoc Suain is nonetheless modern and contemporary, with ‘products’ that are eminently practical. It is built on a foundation of authenticity, character and integrity; yet it is a commercial venture, and it required a business model that would allow it to survive and thrive. To this end, as far as Dearbhaill, Charlie and Cnoc Suain are concerned, flogging poorly choreographed and derivative representations of what passes for an Irish cultural experience to tourists is not an option. Difference, integrity and character are what matter. Cnoc Suain provides an inspiring counter-example, in the authentic, place-based experiences it offers.
“We want Cnoc Suain and its experiences and programmes to be viewed as being fresh and contemporary, while being rooted in heritage ... after all, we live this life in Cnoc Suain and so do the local people who work with us. It is not an interpretive centre, walk-through exhibit, museum, or a place where actors dress up in period costume to do re-enactments. All of these have their part to play in the broad array of tourist offerings, but they are not what we are about.”
Charlie Troy, 2012
Characteristically, Cnoc Suain’s programmes treat participants with the respect due to those searching for a connection – whether it be a connection with the landscape and the natural world, with their own history, or with the language, music and traditions of a living culture that may or may not be their own. In the best tradition of genuine Irish hospitality, and with the respect due anyone on a journey, Cnoc Suain endeavours to serve the needs of these travellers.
“I still feel as passionate about it all as I did when we first set out, still get that same buzz when sharing it with visitors. And I now realise that, whatever happens – and it is still very challenging out there – we were not crazy after all, and that being authentic will be key to cultural tourism in Ireland for the foreseeable future.”
Dearbhaill Standún, 2012
Conclusion
A recent Harvard Business School publication contained the phrase: ‘Authenticity will be the buzzword of the twenty first century.’ If Ireland ever hopes to make its knowledge economy more than mere rhetoric, it must draw on its distinct, rare and inimitable resources, no matter how 'soft' these may be. In the following chapter, we look at ventures in the art and media sectors which, like Cnoc Suain, do exactly that, straddling the global and local while remaining rooted and authentic, and loaded with character and integrity.