137/365: Nuala Mulqueeney at Aillwee Caves, Co Clare.

Some people are just sound. Happy, buzzy, salt of the earth, good people. Like Nuala. She grew up in the caves, literally. Her parents opened the famous show caves 50 years ago to draw tourists to the area when she was just a small girl. Nuala’s parents, their business partners and local residents all formed a community group and together made a plan to bring life back to the Burren and make it the tourist destination it is today. What’s most apparent from talking to Nuala is that the caves are a community endeavour. So many locals have worked there over the years, whether it’s for one season as a teenager, or for most of their adult lives. Nuala knows every inch of these caves, she remembers all the work that happened to excavate the caves and make them passable. As well as all the subsequent work that made the event space, the tea room, the farm shop even the very opportunistic addition of a cheese factory to the newer addition of the bird of prey arena. RxSin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with original music by Elaine Mai. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.