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Launch of Skibbereen and
District Historical Society's Journal |
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The launch of Skibbereen and
District Historical Society's 9th
Journal will take place on Friday,
17th of May in West Cork Hotel at
8.30pm. The articles in the journal
are of diverse topics of mainly
local interest. A small sample of
titles being 'Sherlock Holmes' visit
to Skibbereen', Linen Weaving in
Convent of Mercy', 'Cistercian
Monastic Settlements in the Diocese
of Ross'. 'The Story of the Gracie
Blue'. All are welcome to the
launch. Light refreshments will be
served. The journal will be widely
available at a cost of 10euro.
|
|
David Puttnam Launches New
Film on Lough Hyne |
|
David Puttnam said that a new film
on Lough Hyne was 'really very good'
at its recent launch at Skibbereen
Heritage Centre. The film forms
part of the Lough Hyne Exhibition at
Skibbereen Heritage Centre where it
will be shown in High Definition Wide
Screen format in a choice of
languages; English, French or
German.
The 15 minute film is packed full of
information on the lough and its
unique nature. Its long history of
marine research is traced back
to 1886 and ciné film
footage from the 1950s shows the
scientists at work there. Dr Rob
McAllen of UCC explains how its
unique habitats and hydrology led to
its designation as Europe's first
Marine Nature Reserve in 1981.
Underwater footage of the lake is
accompanied by the soundtrack of
snapping shrimp, recorded using the
latest submarine recording
technology.
The holy wells at Lough Hyne are
featured as well as the fable
associated with the O'Driscoll
castle on the island which is
beautifully illustrated in full
colour. The impact of the Famine is
covered and local residents Annie
and Neily Bohane and Stan Rispin
recite poetry associated with the
lough.
The film shows Lough Hyne from many
different perspectives thanks to the
generosity of the landowners of the
area who granted access to their
properties. The film is narrated by
Flor MacCarthy, formerly of RTÉ, who
is a native of Skibbereen town and
it was made by Ciara
Hyland of Forefront Productions in
Cork, a company with over 20 years
experience in film-making.
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Upcoming talk |
|
Skibbereen and District Historical
Society's next talk is in West
Cork Hotel on Thursday 25th
April at 8.30pm. The speaker is
Gerald Butler
and his subject is "The
History of Lighthouses in West
Cork". Gerald's
father was a lighthouseman
who worked on several of the
country's
lighthouses. Following on
his footsteps, Gerald worked on
Mizen, Old Head
of Kinsale, Fastnet, Bull
Rock off Dursey Island, Inistearaigh
- the most
westerly island and has
worked as relief on many others. He
is now
part-time on Galley Head. He
will explain the operation of
lighthouses and
their histories and outline
what life was like while on duty.
His book on
the subject will be
officially launched next month.
This promises to be a
most interesting talk to
which all are invited. A small
subscription will be requested of
non-members.
|
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First Swallow! 16/04/13 at
3pm... |
|
The first swallow of the year was
just drinking off the surface of the
River Ilen just now... summer is
coming...
|
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Skibbereen Features on RTE
Radio One Famine Documentary 09/04/13 |
|
Recorded in Ireland and New York,
Blighted Nation explores how our
country's past resonates in the 21st
century. In four one-hour programmes
available on RTE player, Blighted
Nation explores the arrival of the
blight and its catastrophic
consequences, Britain’s response to
the famine, mass emigration as well
as its aftermath and legacy.
Skibbereen features in the opening
programme with a discussion with
Professor William Smyth, editor of
the Atlas of the Great Irish
Famine and Professor Christine
Kinealy, author of This Great
Calamity. The programme also
features Skibbereen Heritage Centre
and can be
heard
here.
|
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Skibbereen and District
Historical Society's next talk |
|
Skibbereen and District Historical Society's
next talk will be held on Wednesday 27th. March
at 8.30pm in the West Cork Hotel. The speaker is
Finbarr Whooley and his talk is entitled "The
Irish in London". Finbarr, who hails from
Lisaclarig, has, amongst other things.
researched and written on this subjct. Having
obtained his degree in UCC he attended at
Leicester University and gained a further degree
in Museum Studies. He will provide an overview
on how long the Irish have been in London from
Famine times; the population spread, and the
post-war 1950 to 1970 heyday of the Irish in
London. and the high level of emigration thereto
during this period. He will paint a picture of
the everyday life of these people; the growth
and role of the County Associations, the
influence of the support of the Catholic church
and the GAA likewise. He will speak about the
Ballrooms of Romance, the main areas where the
Irish worked and how in the main they looked to
themselves for support in a relatively alien
landscape. All are welcome to attend. A small
contribution will be required from non-members. |
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Skibbereen Food Festival |
|
The West Cork Food Festival's provisional dates
for 2013 are between the 9th and 15th of
September. The programme is currently being
worked on and will be online in the coming
weeks. Meanwhile, keep those dates free in your
diary... |
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Skibbereen Heritage Centre
opens for the summer season |
|
Skibbereen Heritage Centre opens for the 2013
season on Tuesday the 12th of March. We look
forward to welcoming you! |
|
Skibbereen Heritage
Centre's Famine Documentary on TV |
|
Skibbereen is to feature on TG4 on Sunday night
the 3rd of February with a broadcast of the
Famine documentary The Great Irish Famine:
Remember Skibbereen at 7.15pm. The film, made by
award-winning local film-maker Pat Collins of
Harvest Films, was commissioned by Skibbereen
Heritage Centre and supported by the West Cork
Development Partnership in honour of the 2009
National Famine Commemoration. The documentary
features interviews with local historians Gerald
O’Brien and Philip O’Regan as well as Professor
Joe Lee, Dr Larry Geary, Dr Marita Foster,
Professor Mark McGowan and Gary White Deer.
The documentary examines how the Famine affected
Skibbereen and the human aspect of this tragic
period of Irish history. Launched in July 2009
on DVD, the documentary has sold all over the
world and is now streamed by many overseas
universities as part of their Irish Studies
programmes. Last broadcast on TG4 in 2010, it
received very favourable reviews and there are
now two further opportunities to see it on TG4;
on Sunday night coming at 7.15 and it is
repeated again the following Tuesday night, the
5th of February, at midnight. For anyone who is
interested in Irish history and the heritage of
West Cork, this is must-see viewing. |
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Upcoming Historical
Society Talk |
|
Skibbereen and District Historical Society's
next talk will be in the West Cork Hotel on
Thursday 26 January at 8.30pm. The speaker, Dr
David Robert Hadden will narrate the life of his
great grandfather, Dr David Hadden, who was born
in Skibbereen and who subsequently practiced as
a doctor in this area before, during and after
the Famine. Dr Hadden was born in 1817,
qualified as an apothecary in 1837 and later as
a dispensary doctor. His family lived in Main
Street. He was the fourth child of Reverend John
Hadden, a Methodist preacher and Eleanor Evans
from Ardrala. He was a good friend and fellow
doctor of Dr Dan Donovan. Our speaker has lots
of details of the general situation in our area
and particulars of his practice in those
terrible times. In 1860, having recovered from
illness, a presentation was made to him by the
local people as testament to the esteem in which
he was held. All are welcome to this talk. A
small contribution will be requested of non
members. |
|
Upcoming Historical
Society Talk |
|
Skibbereen and District Historical Society's
next talk will be in the West Cork Hotel on
Thursday 26 January at 8.30pm. The speaker, Dr
David Robert Hadden will narrate the life of his
great grandfather, Dr David Hadden, who was born
in Skibbereen and who subsequently practiced as
a doctor in this area before, during and after
the Famine. Dr Hadden was born in 1817,
qualified as an apothecary in 1837 and later as
a dispensary doctor. His family lived in Main
Street. He was the fourth child of Reverend John
Hadden, a Methodist preacher and Eleanor Evans
from Ardrala. He was a good friend and fellow
doctor of Dr Dan Donovan. Our speaker has lots
of details of the general situation in our area
and particulars of his practice in those
terrible times. In 1860, having recovered from
illness, a presentation was made to him by the
local people as testament to the esteem in which
he was held. All are welcome to this talk. A
small contribution will be requested of non
members. |
|
Book Launch |
|
Baltimore Castle: An 800 Year History,
the latest book by Bernie McCarthy, will be
launched on Saturday the 1st of December at
7.30om in Dún na Séad Castle Baltimore. Brendan
McCarthy, Chairman of Skibbereen and District
Historical Society will launch the book and all an
open invitation to attend on the night has been extended by
the author. |
|
West Cork Graveyard Survey
- 3 new sites added to the survey. |
|
An additional three graveyards have been added
to the ongoing project in 2012 that is the West
Cork Graveyard Survey. In addition to the 7
historic graveyards already surveyed in 2009-10,
Caheragh Old Graveyard and two
Skibbereen sites, Abbeymahon and Chapel Lane
have now been surveyed.
The West Cork Graveyard survey has already
photographed and transcribed the headstones in
the old graveyards of Drimoleague, Drinagh,
Creagh, Kilcoe and Aughadown. As well as
recording the inscriptions, the project team
asked for the public to come forward with
information on those interred without a
headstone or inscription. The people of the area
very enthusiastically responded to this request
and many previously unrecorded individuals are
now documented for posterity.
The survey results are available both in printed
form and as an online database, both of which
are free of charge to access. The searchable
database can be found on the graveyard database
of this website. A printed copy of the survey
was given to each parish involved as well as to
the local libraries in Skibbereen, Schull,
Bantry and Cork County Library as well as
Skibbereen Heritage Centre and Cork County
Council. The project was undertaken by a team of
local volunteers with support from the Heritage
Council.
The 3 graveyards added to the survey this year
include Caheragh Old Graveyard where most of the
survey work was done by Patricia and Kevin
Tomlinson with a lot of support from the local
parish council. The two Skibbereen graveyards,
Abbeymahon and Chapel Lane, were surveyed by
William Casey, the project leader.
The West Cork Graveyard survey team would like
to thank the people of the area for coming
forward with vital information and would also
like to thank the Heritage Council for its
support. All the results of the survey, now
covering a total of 10 graveyards, can be found
on the graveyard database on this website. |
|
Skibbereen and District
Historical Society |
|
Skibbereen and District Historical Society's
next talk will be held in the West Cork Hotel on
Thursday 29th November at 8.30pm. The talk is
entitled 'The History of Cotton Mills in Bandon
1802-26 and a general overview of the textile
trade in the 1790's'. The speaker is Paddy
O'Sullivan of Bandon who has spoken previously
on the Lusitania and the History of Bandon.
During the Elizabethan Plantation of Munster,
Bandon was a planted town approximately half way
between Waterford and Kerry and was deemed
suitable geographically for a woollen industry.
An exclusion order on Catholics obtained.
Britons skilled in weaving of wools were very
successful in their export as Ireland was a low
cost country thus undercutting the trade in
England. The Parliament in England put a huge
tariff on the export trade and the situation
became impossible and collapse followed.
Thereafter the Ormonds turned to cotton sourced
from the American South. There followed the
evolution from cottage industry wirh spinning
wheel to mechanised methods. This subject is
steeped in our history and captures the
imagination. All are welcome. A small
contribution will be requested of non members. |
|
Culture Night |
|
Comhaltas Ceoltóiri Éireann Skibbereen will
perform for Culture Night on Friday the 21st of
September at the West Cork Hotel between 7-8pm.
The group's fantastic young people will sing,
play and dance as a celebration of Irish culture
and the event is free of charge. The event will
be held outdoors if the weather permits. With
thanks to Comhaltas for their wonderful work in
promoting Irish culture. |
|
Historic Talk and Walk |
|
There will be an historical walk and talk on the
old Famine Road, Bridges and Piers from Kilcoe
to Ballydehob led by the Famine historian Fr
Patrick Hickey on Sunday the 16th of September
at 2.30pm. Meet at Kilcoe Church on the N71 and
the talk is free of charge and everyone is
welcome to come along. |
|
Historical Society Summer
Field Trip |
|
Skibbereen Historical Society's third trip of
the summer is to Dún na Séad Castle in Baltimore
on Wednesday the 25th of July. The owner, Bernie
McCarthy, will give a talk on the history of the
castle and afterwards Gerald O'Brien will talk
on the history of the Sack of Baltimore. Meet at
the Castle at 6pm, there is a small charge of 2
euro per person to enter the castle. The final
trip of 2012 will be an historical walking tour
of Bandon in September, date and time to be
announced. |
|
Heritage Week 2012 Events |
|
Skibbereen Heritage Centre will present a series
of events to celebrate Heritage Week in 2012.
All of the events are free of charge and open to
the public but spaces are limited on some so
booking is required.
Touch Tanks at Lough Hyne Saturday the
18th of August, North Pier Lough Hyne, 11am-1pm.
UCC scientists once again give their time to
interpret common species to be found in the
lake. See, handle and learn about creatures
normally only seen underwater. Meet North Pier,
Lough Hyne Marine Nature Reserve. No admission
fee but weather dependent so check this website
for updates in the event of inclement weather!
Caring for Lough Hyne Litter Pick
Saturday the 18th of August, North Pier Lough
Hyne, 1-3pm. Please come along and help
Skibbereen Tidy Towns in their 'Caring for Lough
Hyne' litter pick. All equipment is provided and
everyone is welcome to help.
Talk and Information Gathering at Chapel Lane
Graveyards Skibbereen. Sunday the 19th of
August 6-7pm at Ballymahon Protestant Graveyard
(left hand side at start of Chapel Lane) and
7-8pm at Roman Catholic Graveyard (at top of
Chapel Lane). William Casey will give a talk on
the history of these sites, including some
information on some of those entombed there.
Following this, William and other volunteers
will welcome any information offered on unmarked
graves or individuals interred there. This is an
ongoing action of the West Cork Graveyard
Project which has already covered the graveyards
of Aughadown, Creagh, Drimoleague and Drinagh.
The results of these can be seen on our
graveyard database page. Please come along
and provide any information that you can to
further this worthwhile project.
History of Marine Research at Lough Hyne
Wednesday the 22nd of August at 8.30pm, venue
Skibbereen Heritage Centre. A slide show on the
long history of marine research at Lough Hyne
covering the period 1886-2010, featuring many
images of local people and areas previously
unavailable and unpublished. Some of the photos
from the publication Lough Hyne: The
Marine Researchers-in Pictures by Terri
Kearney will be included but many more
unpublished will also be shown. Talk is free but
booking essential as spaces are limited.
Please call 028 40900 to reserve.
Terrible Tudors Brought to Life! Friday
the 24th of August at 8pm, venue Skibbereen
Heritage Centre. Wearing 16th century clothing,
members of Iryshe Tudor Companye
will take you back to the time of the Tudors.
Come along to see how livings were earned, what
games were played, and to try your hand at some
16th century crafts and amusements. What was it
really like to live in the 16th century? Speak
to an Irish Lady who managed to keep her head
under the Tudors and to her Lady’s maid who will
tell you about life for ordinary people. This
fascinating event is free of charge but spaces
are limited so booking is essential on
028 40900.
Talk and Information Gathering at Caheragh
Old Graveyard. Saturday the 25th of August
at Caheragh Old Graveyard 6-7pm. William Casey
will give a talk on the history of this historic
graveyard, including some information on some of
those entombed in it. Following this, William
and other volunteers will welcome any
information offered on unmarked graves or
individuals interred there. This is an ongoing
action of the West Cork Graveyard Project which
has already covered the graveyards of Aughadown,
Creagh, Drimoleague and Drinagh. The results of
these can be seen on our
graveyard database page. Please come along
and provide any information that you can to
further this worthwhile project.
|
|
Summer Opening Hours |
|
Skibbereen Heritage Centre is now open daily
10am - 6pm. We look forward to welcoming you! |
|
Links to New Resources |
|
Skibbereen Heritage Centre is pleased to offer
downloadable versions of the
Skibbereen Trail
Leaflet and the
Lough Hyne
Knockomagh Wood Nature Trail on its website.
The Skibbereen Trail is a walking tour of
Skibbereen town which highlights sites that have
links to the Great Famine and was published by
Irish Famine Commemoration (Skibbereen) Ltd and
is reproduced with its permission.
The Knockomagh Wood Trail leaflet is a guide to
take the walker on the nature trail at Lough
Hyne, pointing out some interesting features of
the reserve. The leaflet was produced by the
National Parks and Wildlife Service and is
reproduced with its permission. |
|
Launch of Skibbereen
Historical Journal 2012 |
|
Skibbereen and District Historical Society is
pleased to launch its 2012 journal at the West
Cork Hotel on Tuesday the 15th of May at 8.30pm.
The journal will be launched by Prof. John A.
Murphy and an open invitation is extended to
all. |
|
Skibbereen and District
Historical Society Talk |
|
Skibbereen and District Historical Society's
next Talk will be held on Thursday, 29th March.
in the West Cork Hotel at 8.30pm. The subject is
Frederick E. Potter a one time Editor of the
Skibbereen Eagle, then owner of the Eldon Hotel
and ancestor of our speaker, Dr. Matthew Potter.
Dr.Potter is Fellow in the History of Urban
Government at the Department of History, Mary
Immaculate College, Limerick. One among his
research interests is municipal government in
Ireland. He has just completed A History of the
Association of Municipal Authorities of Ireland
1912-2012. This promises to be a most
interesting Talk to which all are welcome. A
small charge will be requested of non members. |
|
Opening for the Season |
|
Skibbereen Heritage Centre is delighted to open
for the season on Tuesday the 20th of March,
with opening hours of Tuesday to Saturday
inclusive 10am to 6pm. For any dates prior to
that, please contact the Centre and we will be
happy to admit you when at all possible. We look
forward to another season of welcoming visitors
to Skibbereen. |
|
Skibbereen and District
Historical Society |
|
The Annual General Meeting of Skibbereen and
District Historical Society will take place on
Wednesday , February 29th. at 8pm in the West
Cork Hotel. The Society hopes for a large
attendance so that it might increase interest in
the Society. The meeting will include a review
of last year's events and will look at plans for
the forthcoming year. A short film on 'The
History of Skibbereen Silver Band' will be
shown, which should be of interest. |
|
Upcoming Historical
Society Talk |
| |
Skibbereen and District Historical
Society's first talk of 2012 will be held in
West Cork Hotel on Thursday, 26th January at
8.30pm. The title of the talk is "The History of
Veterinary Science" and will be delivered by a
member of the Society, Mr Jim Byrne, who
has practiced locally as a veterinarian for
about 50 years. He will look back at the
beginning of veterinary science and to the
identification and treatment of animal diseases
and the relationship to diseases in humans.
Doubtless the subject will be of interest to
many. All are welcome. A small subscription will
be requested of non members. |
|
Santa's in Skibb! |
|
Yes, he's here with his elves and Mrs Claus in
his magical grotto and awaiting visitors and
Christmas. For full details on how to meet Santa
and have some fun, visit
http://www.winterwonderlandskibb.com/ |
|
Skibbereen and District
Historical Society Event |
|
Skibbereen and District Historical Society will
hold a Reminiscences Session in Baby Hannah's
bar Skibbereen on Thursday, 24th November at
8.30pm.Some in attendance will talk on the way
things were in this area sixty odd years ago and
will introduce topics such as farming, schools,
trades, street names, pubs, courts,
entertainments etc., but what is really wanted
is the involvement and input of those gathered
for our trip down memory lane. This is a social
occasion, and we hope a night of history and
fun. All are welcome. |
|
Closed for the winter
season |
|
Skibbereen Heritage Centre is now closed for the
winter season but is open for group booking by
appointment and for genealogy queries by
emailing
skibbheritage1@gmail.com. Thank you.
|
|
Skibbereen
& District Historical Society Talk |
|
Skibbereen and District Historical Society's
first Talk of the season will be held on
Thursday 27th October in the West Cork Hotel at
8.30pm. The subject title is "Road Bowling
- its History and Development". Our speaker
is Mr. James Caverley of Kilcoe. James has a
great interest in sport in general, and in
particular has played, followed and researched
road bowling. He will revert to the origins of
the game and its arrival in Ireland. He will
discuss its development in Ireland and its
coming to Cork and its spread to certain areas
of city and county and its story in West Cork.
There will surely be great interest in learning
more of the lore of this ancient sport. You are
all welcome. A small contribution will be asked
of non-members.
|
|
Culture
Night in Skibbereen on Friday the 23rd of
September - all events free of charge! |
|
Various organisations in Skibbereen town have
come together to organise a free night of
Culture on Friday the 23rd of September. All
events are free of charge but some require
advance booking as follows:
Skibbereen - Gaelscoil – 3-4pm - St.
Patrick’s Youth Pipe Band & Activity.
Members of the St. Patricks Youth pipe band
will give an interactive display to encourage
young prospective students to try out the
instruments. (Students will be gathered from
neighbouring schools in Bandon and Skibbereen)
Gaelscoil , Dr M. O’Suilleabhain
Gort Na Cloiche
Skibbereen
Louise Finn 087-2232575
Skibbereen Library - 4 - 5.30pm ––
Grandchildren & Grandparents Collage
Workshop with Veronika O’Driscoll.
Skibbereen Library invites local children
and their grandparents to work with artist
Veronika O’ Driscoll in which both the
children and their grandparents work together to
create a piece of art. Bring in photos (photos
can be a mixture of family, friends, pets, &
local landscape), mementoes, scissors etc and
make a collage which you can then take home with
you. This workshop is in conjunction with
“Positive Aging Week” which runs from the
23rd-30th of September. Workshop suited for
children aged 5-12Pre-Booking required - Maximum
12 groups of 2 (Grandparent/Grandchild)
Skibbereen Library |028-22400
Abbeystrewry Church – 6-6.30pm – The
Baltimore Choir.
The Baltimore Choir is proud to perform a
choral recital at the Abbystrewry Church for all
to enjoy.
Abbystrewry Church, Skibbereen
Justine Foster 028-22090
West Cork Arts Centre – 6.30 – 9.30pm
Group Exhibitions.
6.30-7.15pm - Artist Talk with Amy
Walsh.
The West Cork Arts Centre is delighted to host
an in-depth talk by artist Amy Walsh on her
exhibition “Aerial Photos Tilting” which is
on show at the West Cork Arts Centre
itself.
An exhibition of aerial photographs entitled
“Aerial Photos Tilting” is a series of
photographic images taken using the KAP
technique. (Kite Aerial Photography) while Amy
was on an artist’s residency in Tilting, Fogo
Island, Newfoundland. The photographs detail the
habitual actions carried out by the residents of
Tilting. The commonality of the collective
actions reveal the structures which the
residents follow, while living their day-to-day
lives.
“Small Stories” – Stop Motion
Photographs
An exhibition of stop motion photographs
entitled Small Stories it is a series of
photographic stop motion animations made while
on a residency with the Visual Artist
Association of Iceland in August 2008. These
works detail the habitual actions of the
individual in society. By focusing on the
individual within their environment, this work
tells a story that is personal to the individual
but also reflective of society as a whole.
“Saturday Swimmers” Film Screening -
8-9.45pm.
A Film screening of Saturday
Swimmers details a group of people swimming at
the Forty Foot in Sandy Cove Dublin on a
Saturday morning and was also shot using the KAP
technique. The viewer may interact with the
piece by turning a hand crank on a device in
order to scroll through the video one frame at a
time and to control the playing of the audio
clip. The speed that the hand crank is turned,
will determine the speed at which the visuals
are seen and the audio is heard. Saturday
Swimmers is part of the series of works
documenting daily routines carried out by groups
of people.
West Cork Arts Centre, North
Street,Skibbereen
Justine Foster028-22090
Skibbereen Heritage Centre – 8-9pm - Film
Screening – “The Great Irish Famine:
Remember Skibbereen"
Skibbereen Heritage Centre is pleased to
present the documentary ‘The Great Irish
Famine: Remember Skibbereen” a documentary by
award winning producer, Pat Collins, of Harvest
Films.
The documentary, commissioned by Skibbereen
Heritage Centre, tells the story of the Great
Famine in Skibbereen and in Ireland generally.
Concentrating on the human aspect of this
defining period of Irish history, it includes
interviews with Professor Joe Lee, Dr Larry
Geary, Professor Mark McGowan, Dr Marita Foster
and Gary White Deer as well as local historians
Fr Patrick Hickey, Philip O’Regan and Gerald
O’Brien.
The documentary screening is free of charge but
spaces are limited so please call 028-40900 to
reserve a seat.
Skibbereen Heritage Centre, Old GasWorks
Building
Upper Bridge Street, Skibbereen
Skibbereen Town Square – 8-9.30pm –
Skibbereen Silver Band
Skibbereen Silver Band will host a concert of
contemporary brass band music including marches
and popular classics at the Town Square
Skibbereen (Weather Permitting).
Town Square, Skibbereen
Contact Pat O Driscoll 087-2559302.
Working Artists Studio – 8-11pm –
Poetry/Musical Evening.
Working Artist Studios is delighted to host an
evening of Poetry readings from a number of
Poets and live music from a number of local and
visiting musicians.The venue is also an
exhibition space so there will be a multi-media
exhibition on view of work by the artists of
Working Artists Studios.
Marie Cullen, 71 North Street, Skibbereen
086-1628471
Baby Hannah’s Pub – 10-10.30pm -
Skibbereen Theatre Society - Drama Performance -
“The Boldest Fienian Man”
The Skibbereen Theatre Society are pleased
to present a excerpt from the play “The
Boldest Fenian Man”
Baby Hannah’s Pub, 42 Bridge Street,
Skibbereen
|
|
Skibbereen
Historical Society Outing |
|
Skibbereen and District Historical Society's
next Field Trip will depart on Thursday 8th.
September from the Grotto at Cork Road at 5pm. Our
destinations are Garranes Ring Fort near Bandon
and thereafter to nearby Cashel Hill Fort. Mr.
Sean Crowley, owner of the land on which
Garranes Ring Fort is sited, is also an historian
and he will inform us of the history and
archaeology of this Ring Fort. Mr Jim Byrne, a
fellow member of our historical society, will
speak to us about Bronze Age Cashel Hill Fort.
Both contibutors should make their subjects very
interesting to those attending. The cost of trip
will be approximately 10euro. To make a booking
please contact either Jim Byrne at 086 2463589
or Brendan McCarthy at 028 21094.
|
|
Heritage
Week Events |
|
A big 'thank you' to all of the participants in
Heritage Week 2011. All of the events were
well-attended with both talks full to capacity.
Skibbereen Tidy Towns did a fantastic job of
keeping Lough Hyne pristine clean and they were
joined by Seán and crew from Russagh Mill, Mary
Browne, Triona Arundel and a visiting French
tourist, Veronique. The touch tanks event was a
huge success with c.200 people listening avidly
to Prof. John Davenport, Dr Mark Jessop and
Stefanie Broszeit as they interpreted species
with Luke and James on hand to help, keeping the
animals cool by topping up the tanks. All of the
events were free of charge and people gave their
time and efforts freely so, once again, a thank
you and congratulations to everyone
involved.
|
|
Heritage
Week 2011 |
|
Skibbereen Heritage Centre will present a series
of events to celebrate Heritage Week in 2011,
all of which are free of charge. All of the events are free
of charge and open to the public.
Touch Tanks at Lough Hyne Saturday the
20th of August, North Pier Lough Hyne, 12-2pm.
UCC scientists once again give their time to
interpret common species to be found in the
lake. See, handle and learn about creatures
normally only seen underwater. Meet North Pier,
Lough Hyne Marine Nature Reserve. No admission
fee but weather dependent so check if running in
the event of inclement weather!
Caring for Lough Hyne Litter Pick Saturday
the 20th of August, North Pier Lough Hyne,
2-4pm. Please come along and help Skibbereen
Tidy Towns in their 'Caring for Lough Hyne'
litter pick. All equipment is provided and
everyone is welcome to help.
Archaeology of Lough Hyne Thursday the
25th of August at 8.30pm, Skibbereen Heritage
Centre. An illustrated talk on
the archaeology of Lough Hyne and area and its
associated folklore by Terri Kearney. Talk is
free of charge but spaces are limited so please
call 028 40900 to reserve a space.
Medieval Churches of Ross Saturday the
27th
of August at 8.30pm, (NOTE: change of date from
Friday!) Skibbereen Heritage Centre.
An illustrated talk on the ancient churches of
the West Carbery area by William Casey. William
will concentrate his talk on sites on which a
ruin still exists. Talk is free of charge but
spaces are limited to please call 028 40900 to
reserve a space.
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|
Skibbereen
Historical Society Outing |
|
Skibbereen and District Historical Society's
next trip will be to Bantry town on Wednesday
20th July. Our coach will leave grotto, Cork
Road at 5.30pm arriving at Bantry House at 6pm.
Our guided tour of the house will take
approximately one hour. Thereafter we will
proceed to The Square where we will learn about
the town from our guide. The cost will be about
10 euro. To book this trip contact Brendan
McCarthy at 028 21094.
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|
Skibbereen
Historical Society Outing |
|
Having been unable to access Spike Island on
last year's trip to Cobh Heritage Centre and
around Cork Harbour, Skibbereen and District
Historical Society will this year fulfil that
plan. The trip will take place on Saturday, 25th
June. We will depart 0900 from the Grotto, Cork
Rd., and return circa 18.30. The charge will be
about €25. We will have the services of a
guide who will inform us of the long and
fascinating history of the island. To book a
place on this trip please contact our Treasurer
Adrian Healy on 086 1080236.
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|
'Lough
Hyne at 30' Celebration |
|
Lough Hyne is one of West Cork’s most precious
sites and 2011 marks the 30th anniversary of its
designation as the first Marine Nature Reserve
in Europe. Skibbereen Heritage Centre and UCC
are are organising a series of events to
mark the occasion, which run from Sunday May
29th to Friday June 3rd.
Lough Hyne is one of the most-studied sites of
its size in the world and there are over 465
scientific papers written on studies carried out
there. As one of the premier marine sites in
Ireland, it is well known within the scientific
community, both at home and internationally.
Although Lough Hyne is one of the best loved
areas in West Cork, very little is known locally
about the scientific aspect of its heritage and
these events will help to rectify this anomaly.
The week starts on Sunday May the 29th with a
book launch and slide show organised by
Skibbereen Heritage Centre. The publication ‘Lough
Hyne: The Marine Researchers – in Pictures’
was researched and written by
Terri Kearney and presents a visual history of
the scientific work carried out there from 1886
to the present day. It features the people who
brought this small lake to prominence in the
scientific world against the backdrop of what
was happening locally. Photographs of scientific
experiments and the day-to-day living of the
researchers are juxtaposed with images of local
people and events. As well as being a visual
treat, these photographs record how this small
lake became one of the world’s premier marine
sites and features the exceptional people who
brought this about. As Sunday night’s slide
show is fully booked, a second slide show will
take place on Wednesday the 1st of June at 8pm
in the Credit Union building in Main Street
Skibbereen. The talk is free of charge and open
to the public but places are limited so please
call Skibbereen Heritage Centre on 028 40900 to
secure a place. ‘Lough Hyne: The Marine
Researchers – in Pictures’ features
over 300 historic photographs and will retail at
€15 from this website after its launch or will
be available at any good local bookshop.
An important scientific conference takes place
in Skibbereen on the following Friday the 3rd of
June at the West Cork Hotel. The ‘Lough Hyne
at 30’ UCC-led conference is the first to be
held on the subject of Lough Hyne since a 1990
conference that was held at UCC. The Skibb-based
conference features a number of international
speakers and it will examine the past and future
directions for the marine reserve. It is open to
the public and there are two options for
delegates. The full event, which includes lunch,
dinner and teas/coffees and further activities
on the Saturday, is one option at a rate of
€75 but anyone who wishes just to attend the
talks on June 3rd, without any meals, may do so
at a cost of €30. Both options need to be
booked in advance as spaces are limited. The
closing date for bookings for the full
conference package is Tuesday May 3rd and the
‘day only’ registration costing €30 can be
made up to May 20th subject to availability.
Both options are bookable on the UCC conference
website http://conferencing.ucc.ie/conference/.
There will be 16 speakers at the conference and
some of them have been carrying out research at
the lough for many years. Dr Colin Little has
been working at Lough Hyne since 1979 and has
been monitoring the shoreline annually since
then. His talk ‘Dabbling in the Waters: 55
years in Lough Hyne’s intertidal and shallow
subtidal’ will examine some of the changes in
this habitat over the decades. Professor Tony
Hawkins, who first visited the lake as a student
in 1962, will speak on ‘The Fishes of Lough
Hyne’. Prof. Hawkins is an international fish
and invertebrate acoustics expert and has been
‘listening’ to underwater Lough Hyne for
many years. Dr Dan Minchin, an international
invasive species expert who worked at Lough Hyne
in the ‘70s and ‘80s, will speak on
‘Marine Organisms Investigations’. Professor
John Davenport of UCC has worked at the lake for
over 10 years and is an internationally
respected marine biologist who has worked on a
range of areas of marine biology at Lough Hyne.
Other speakers include Dr Tom Kelly of UCC, Dr
Vicki Wearmouth of Plymouth and other scientists
who will cover a range of topics including
marine microbiology, hydrodynamics in the lough,
nutrient enrichment and bird life. This
important conference will focus the attention of
the scientific world on Lough Hyne and examine
future options for the research work which is
ongoing there.
While Lough Hyne is regarded by the scientific
community as one of the premier marine sites in
the world, very little is known locally about
the marine research that has been ongoing there
for over a hundred years. Over the last several
years, Skibbereen Heritage Centre and UCC have
worked together to inform and educate local
people on its marine life by holding an annual
‘Touch Tanks’ event at the lake for Heritage
Week. Scientists collect species and present and
interpret them and the audience can see, handle
and touch marine creatures normally only seen by
divers. This annual event has been growing in
popularity year on year, with up to 200 people
attending last year’s event, showing the huge
interest that exists locally in the marine
science of Lough Hyne.
Thanks to the support of the Gwendoline Harold
Barry Trust, Skibbereen Credit Union and the
Heritage Council, these events will be held in
Skibbereen for the first time and are open to
the public. The slide show on Wednesday the 1st
of June is free of charge and open to the public
but booking is essential on 028 40900 and the
talk will be repeated on June 4th solely for the
conference delegates. The scientific conference
on June 3rd is also open to the public on
payment of a fee of either €75 or €30 (with
or without meals) and booking is essential on
UCC’s conference website http://conferencing.ucc.ie/conference/
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|
Upcoming
Skibberen Historical Society Talk |
|
Skibbereen and District Historical Society's
next Talk will be on Thursday 28th April at
8.30pm in West Cork Hotel. The title of the Talk
is 'Lough Hyne and its Scientists'. Our speaker
shall be Paddy Leahy. Paddy is a Civil Engineer
who having worked in UCC,the Port of Cork and
private concerns, spent the years to his
retirement in Cork County Council. He enjoys a
number of leisure pursuits including local and
engineering history. Talk recounts the
activities of the various scientists that
visited Lough Hyne over the period from mid
1850s up to the end of the 20th century.
Particular attention will be on the role of
Professor Renouf in developing scientific
interest in the lake, as well as the activities
of British scientists in later years. As an
almost closed-in marine lake it is an ideal
study area for reesearch into marine life, with
the advantage of full acessibility and without
the disadvantage of rough seas and high winds.
The presentation includes many photographs of
locations around Lough Hyne as well as photos of
local scenes and people. All are welcome. A
small contibution will be asked of non members.
|
|
Summer
is coming... |
|
Summer is on the way - we've just seen our first
swallow of the year flying over the river Ilen
just now....
|
|
Opening
Hours |
|
Skibbereen Heritage Centre will re-open for the
season on Tuesday the 15th of March and will
open Tuesday to Saturday inclusive, 10am to
6pm. We look forward to welcoming you!
|
|
Rosscarbery
History Society Upcoming Events |
|
10th of March 2011: The Munster Military
Vehicle Re-enactment group presents 'The way the
people in the West Cork area lived in the
pre-Christian period'
14th of April 2011: The Normans and their
influence on West Cork by Ken Nicholls
All talks and meetings are held in the Celtic
Ross Hotel and start at 8pm.
Summer 2011 outings include Spike Island in May,
Baltimore Castle in June and a day trip to Cahir
and Swiss cottage in South Tipperary in
September.
|
|
Opening
Hours |
|
Skibbereen Heritage Centre is now closed for the
winter period but will open by appointment
subject to staff availability. Please call or
email to arrange an appointment. Thank you.
|
|
Skibbereen
and District Historical Society Winter Talks |
|
Skibbereen and District Historical Society's
next Talk will be on Thursday, 28th October,
in West Cork Hotel at 8.30pm.The Talk entitled
"The Lusitania - Unravelling the
mysteries" shares its name with our
speaker's book of the same name. Our speaker is
Paddy O'Sullivan of Bandon who has previously
given us a presentation. Whilst Queen Victoria
was celebrating her jubilee year the Germans
were quietly building The Kaiser Wilhelm in an
effort to outdo Britain's supremacy at sea. That
then energised the British who subsequently
build The Lusitania and Mauritania. Paddy will
describe the wonders of The Lusitania, its quiet
preparation for war, its secret munitions which
were discovered after its destruction. Over one
thousand lives were lost when it was sunk by a
German Submarine in May 1945. All are welcone to
this Talk which promises to be very informative.
A small subscription will be asked of
non-members.
The next talk will be on Thursday November
25th at the West Cork Hotel. 'Warfare in
Cork During the Bronze Age' will be given by
Professor William O'Brien of UCC. Please note
the earlier starting time of 7.30. All are
welcome and a small subscription will be asked
of non-members.
|
|
Opening
Hours |
|
Skibbereen Heritage Centre is now going to its
'off-season' opening hours which are Tuesday to
Saturday inclusive 10am to 6pm. We look forward
to welcoming you!
|
|
Heritage
Week 2010 |
|
Skibbereen Heritage Centre is celebrating its
10th anniversary by holding a special series of
Heritage Week events in 2010. All of the events are
free of charge!
Saturday 21st of August 12-2pm - Touch
Tanks at Lough Hyne
UCC scientists once again give their time to
interpret common species to be found in the
lake. See, handle and learn about creatures
normally only seen underwater. Meet North Pier,
Lough Hyne Marine Nature Reserve. No admission
fee but weather dependent so check if running in
the event of inclement weather!.
ROV will NOT be at Lough Hyne this
year.
Saturday 21st of August 2-4pm - Caring
for Lough Hyne Litter Pick
Come along and help Skibbereen Tidy
Towns Committee and members of Skibbereen
Rowing Club in their ‘Caring for Lough
Hyne’ litter pick. Bags, gloves and all
equipment provided; please come along to
North Pier to help! Meet North Pier Lough
Hyne.
Sunday 22nd of August 2-6pm - Genealogy
Afternoon
Come along and talk to experienced
genealogists who will be on-hand to guide
you regarding the records available to
researchers in Ireland. 30 minute slots
available by appointment please call
028 40900 to reserve a place. Free admission
to the exhibitions between 2 and 6pm. Venue
- Skibbereen Heritage Centre
Monday 23rd of August at 8.30pm - The
Archaeology of Lough Hyne and Area by
Terri Kearney. An illustrated talk on the
sites and monuments of the area and what
they tell us about who lived there and when.
Spaces limited, please call 028 40900 to
reserve a place. Venue - Skibbereen Heritage
Centre.
Tuesday 24th of August at 8pm. The
Boldest Fenian Man, SKIBBEREEN Theatre Society present their acclaimed pageant 'The Boldest Fenian Man' about the fascinating life and times of locally- born Irish revolutionary extremist Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa.
Venue - Skibbereen Heritage Centre.
Tuesday 24th of August at 8.30pm The
Great Irish Famine: Remember Skibbereen a
screening of the documentary on the Great
Famine in Skibbereen featuring local
historians Gerald O'Brien and Philip
O'Regan. Also interviews with Prof. Joe Lee,
Dr Larry Geary and Gary White Deer of the
Choctaw Nation. Booking essential as spaces
are limited. Venue - Skibbereen Heritage
Centre.
Wednesday 25th of August at 8.30pm Louis
Renouf and the history of marine research at
Lough Hyne, an illustrated talk
given by Paddy Leahy. Renouf was a pioneer in
marine research and made Lough Hyne known to
the scientific world leading to its
designation as Ireland's first Marine Nature
Reserve. Spaces are limited so please call
028 40900. Venue - Skibbereen Heritage
Centre.
Thursday 26th of August at 8.30pm The
Loan Funds of West Cork William
Casey will give a talk on these 19th century
institutions that provided pre-Famine credit
to the poor of West Cork. The Famine
decimated these organisations and the follow
up reports show how it affected the
borrowers and gives their names and what
happened to them subsequently. Spaces are
limited so please call 028 40900. Venue -
Skibbereen Heritage Centre.
Friday 27th of August at 8.30pm Roses
of the Heart Tour Australian
historian Christina Henri has researched
women convicts shipped from Ireland to
Australia in the 1800s and she tells their
story accompanied by Australian musicians
and local musicians from Comhaltas
Ceoltóirí Éireann. This is a moving
tribute to these forgotten women and one not
to be missed. For further details please see
Christina's website www.christinahenri.com.au
Venue - West Cork Hotel
Saturday 28th of August at 8.30pm
A
talk on the ongoing survey of old West Cork
graveyards Margaret Murphy and
William Casey will recount some of the
stories that have emerged about the people
and history associated with these ancient
graveyards, that came to light as a result
of the survey. Spaces limited so booking
essential on 028 40900. Venue - Skibbereen
Heritage Centre.
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|
Skibbereen
Documentary Broadcast |
|
'The Great Irish Famine: Remember Skibbereen'
documentary is being broadcast on TG4 on
Sunday the 18th of July at 8.30pm. The
documentary was made by award-winning film-maker
Pat Collins of Harvest Films. Please see 'Famine
DVD' page for further details.
|
|
Skibbereen
and District Historical Sociey's Next Summer Outing |
|
Skibbereen
and District Historical Society's next field
trip will be held on Wednesday 14th July. The
subject is Aughadown House, its history, and a
general history of the Aughadown area. We will
also visit and hear about the Roaringwater
Copper Mines. Our guide is William Casey who is
originally from Church Cross and now lives and
works in Cork. He hss a great love and knowledge
of history, local history and genealogy, the
last having been the subject of a previous talk.
We will gather at Hollyhill layby at 6pm. Those
with cars might transport those without.
Information on this from Brendan McCarthy at 028
21094. All are welcome.
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|
Skibbereen
and District Historical Sociey's Summer Outing |
|
Skibbereen
and District Historical Society's big trip of
the year will be to Derrynane, Co. Kerry on
Saturday June 26th. Derrynane was the home of
Daniel O'Connell and we will have the services
of a guide and a video presentation on his life
and the history of the house and surroundings.
The grounds and the beach are very attractive
and we will spend some time there. Following
lunch we will travel on to Stague Fort and the
visitor centre. The coach will depart the grotto
area of Cork Road at 09.00 and we expect to
return by 7pm. The cost of the trip is 20-25
euro, excluding lunch, depending on numbers. For
bookings please contact Liz Threapleton on 028
23530 as soon as possible.
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|
Opening
Hours |
|
Skibbereen Heritage Centre's summer opening
hours are now in operation. We open daily from
10am to 6pm. We look forward to welcoming you!
|
|
National
Famine Commemoration 2010 |
|
The 2010 National Famine Commemoration will take place in Murrisk in Co Mayo on Sunday the 16th of May.
In recognition of this year’s commemoration, Skibbereen Heritage Centre is running an ‘open afternoon’ on Saturday the 15th of May. Between the hours of 2pm and 6pm visitors will be admitted free to the Famine Exhibition and there will also be special showings of the Famine documentary
‘The Great Irish Famine: Remember
Skibbereen’ which was made as part of the 2009 National Famine Commemoration.
The 2009 Commemoration took place in Skibbereen and the people of the area came together to put together a varied week of Famine-related events which culminated in the National Commemoration at Abbeystrowry Cemetery. The events of the week were recorded and released on DVD alongside the Famine documentary
‘The Great Irish Famine: Remember
Skibbereen’.
The DVD has been shipped all over the world and is used in many
universities, including NYU, as part of their Famine Studies curriculum. It is also being shown at many venues across America to mark the 2010 Commemoration including the Boston Irish Cultural Centre, the Irish Consulate in New York and the Irish American Heritage Centre in Chicago. The Famine documentary has already been broadcast on Canadian TV and will be broadcast by TG4
this summer.
Admittance is free to the Famine Exhibition at Skibbereen Heritage Centre from 2pm – 6pm and the Famine documentary
‘The Great Irish Famine: Remember
Skibbereen’ will show at 2pm, 3pm, 4pm and 5pm. To book a space to view the documentary, please call Skibbereen Heritage Centre on 028 40900.
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|
Seeking
help in identifying Graves in the old
Graveyards of West Cork |
|
Graveyards are very important places, both as a respectful resting place for our loved ones and as part of our valuable heritage. Older graveyards, even with the best efforts, erode over time and many of the older headstones become illegible. It is really important, therefore, to preserve the identity of those who are buried in these older graveyards, so that a permanent record exists alongside the vulnerable headstone.
With the support of the Heritage Council, we are carrying out a survey of the old graveyards of Drimoleague, Drinagh, Creagh, Kilcoe (by the Castle) and old Aughadown graveyard. By so doing, a permanent record will be created that will be available to future generations. Upon completion, a copy of the survey will be given to each Parish.
Over the past months, all the headstones in the old Drimoleague, Drinagh, Creagh, Kilcoe and Aughadown graveyards have been transcribed. However, there are some unmarked graves and it may be possible, with the assistance of the local community, to identify and record some of those who rest in these unmarked graves.
If you would like to help in this project, please come along to the meetings at the old graveyards on the following dates/times where we will be on-hand to record any information that you may have:
Old Graveyard Drimoleague, 2nd of May 1-2.30pm
Old Graveyard Drinagh, 2nd of May 4-5.30pm
Creagh Graveyard 9th of May 3-5pm
Aughadown Graveyard 23rd of May 3-5pm
Kilcoe Graveyard 30th of May 3-5pm
We would really appreciate any assistance that you can give and, if you cannot make the meetings at the graveyard, please give us a call on 087 930 5735 or by email to mgthurley@hotmail.com. This valuable information is being lost year-on-year and any information that you may have is very
worthwhile and would be much appreciated.
Thank you. Margaret Murphy, Shandrum, Drinagh.
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|
Skibbereen
and District Historical Society Summer Outings |
|
The Society has two events planned:
On Saturday, the 15th of May, it will take an
historical tour of Cork Harbour taking in Spike
Island, Haulbowline, Camden Fort and other
places of interest. For full details and to
book, please contact Chairman Brendan McCarthy
on 028 21094 or email him on
brendanmor@gmail.com
On June the 26th, a trip to Derrynane Co Kerry
is planned, taking in the home of Daniel
O'Connell and Stague Fort Visitor Centre. For
full details and to book, please contact the
Secretary Liz Threapleton on 028 23530
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|
National
Famine Commemoration 2010 |
|
Éamon Ó Cuív,
T.D., Minister for Community, Rural and
Gaeltacht Affairs, outlined the National Famine
Commemoration Committee’s plans for the
National Famine Memorial Day 2010. The
Committee has agreed the following for this
year’s commemorations:
- It
is proposed that the national event will
take place on 16 May 2010 in Murrisk, Co.
Mayo;
- The
parallel international event will be held in
New York;
- That
communities around the country should be
encouraged to hold their own local events to
commemorate the Great Famine; and
- That
all public and sporting events should
observe a minute’s silence on the National
Famine Memorial Day.
The
National Famine Monument at Murrisk is situated
close to the Croagh Patrick Visitor Centre and
was unveiled by the then President of Ireland,
Mary Robinson, in 1997. The sculpture by John
Behan depicts a ‘Coffin Ship’ with skeletal
bodies and commemorates the Great Famine of the
1840s and is the largest bronze sculpture in
Ireland. A similar sculpture was unveiled in
November 2000, outside the United Nations
building in New York City, representing those
immigrants who survived the journey to America.
Minister Ó Cuív also announced that the
parallel international famine event will take
place in New York during May in 2010.
For details of the 2009 Commemoration -
programme, photos and DVD - please see our
'Famine DVD' page.
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|
Upcoming
Historical Talk |
|
Skibbereen and
District Historical Society's next Talk will be
in the West Cork Hotel at 8.30pm on Thursday
22nd. April. The speaker is Conor Kelleher a
native of Skibbereen. The title of his Talk is
"Irishbatt in Unifil". He will brief
us on the culture and history of Lebanon
pre-1978 and tell of the various groups'
involvements - Amal, Hizbollah, Shiite and
Sunni, and the Palestinian element in Lebanon.
Conor has brought mementoes from his many tours
of duty, e.g. Irish, Israeli and Lebanese
flashes and much more. He will outline the
typical duties of the soldiers of Irishbatt. He
is a mine of fascinating information which
should be of enormous interest to all. Everyone
is welcone. A small charge will be requested of
non-members
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|
Spring
has arrived! |
|
Finally it's happened - spring has arrived in
West Cork. The sun is shining, the flowers are
out and Lough Hyne is just stunning with the
bluebells and lesser celandines and the first
swallows are drinking from the Ilen river.
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|
Historical
Society Talk |
|
Skibbereen and District Historical Society's
next Talk will be on Thursday, 25th March in the
West Cork Hotel at 8.30pm. The subject is
"The History of the O'Mahony Clan".
Our eminent speaker is Nora Hickey from Kinsale
who is the Archivist of the O'Mahony Society.
All O'Mahonys are encouraged to attend, but
everyone is welcome. A small charge will be
requested of non-members.
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|
Skibbereen
Heritage Centre re-opens fully for the season |
|
Skibbereen Heritage Centre is delighted to
re-open its doors for the summer period on
Tuesday the 16th of March. From that date, the
Centre will open Tuesday to Saturday inclusive
from 10am to 6pm. We look forward to welcoming
you!
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|
Fleadh
Cheoil in Skibbereen |
|
Skibbereen Comhaltas are proud to be the hosting
branch of Fleadh Cheoil Chorcai 2010. This will
be the eight occasion that the County Fleadh
will take place in Skibbereen. The event takes
place in Skibbereen between the 7th and the 10th
of May. For more information on the event please
go to the the Cork
Fleadh Cheoil website
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|
Famine
Documentary Canadian Broadcast |
|
Canadian television viewers in Eastern Canada will experience West Cork on February 14th when the documentary ‘The Great Irish Famine; Remember Skibbereen’ is broadcast on Rogers TV in the Province of New Brunswick, on the east coast of Canada. It will be broadcast on the eve of Heritage Day in Canada and the documentary on the Great Famine in Skibbereen will be book-ended by a panel discussion on the impact that famine migration had on New Brunswick.
The documentary ‘The Great Irish Famine; Remember Skibbereen’ was produced in 2009 as part of the National Famine Commemoration and was made by the award-winning film-maker Pat Collins, of Harvest Films. Commissioned by Skibbereen Heritage Centre and supported by West Cork Development Partnership, the documentary features Dr Larry Geary, Prof Joe Lee, Prof Mark McGowan, Fr Patrick Hickey, Gary White Deer and local historians Philip O’Regan and Gerald O’Brien. The documentary examines how the Famine affected Skibbereen and the human aspect of this tragic period of Irish history. Launched in July 2009 on DVD, the documentary has sold all over the world and has featured on numerous media publications worldwide.
The Canadian broadcast came about due to the involvement of Bruce Driscoll, a former Chieftain of the O’Driscoll Clan, who is a member of the Irish Canadian Cultural Association of New Brunswick (ICCANB). The Association has membership of around 850, including families and individual members, and is very supportive of the documentary broadcast in Canada. Bruce and the members of his Association, who have worked for several months on this project, consider this to be one of the most important undertakings they have worked on in the past few years. “The Famine years saw hundreds of thousands of dispossessed Irish citizens travel across the Atlantic in barely humane conditions, and settle in Canada and the US. Nearly 20,000 landed in the City of Saint John in 1847 alone, while famine ships also landed in Miramichi and St. Andrews. A number of those ships left from Cork harbour. The history and the culture of New Brunswick were changed forever by the famine migrations, and by earlier Irish migrations, but little mention is made of it in modern times. Our role is to change that, and airing this documentary will go a long way to helping us achieve our goal. Our website http://www.newirelandnb.ca/ can provide more information on what we are trying to do to highlight the impact our Irish ancestors had on our Province”
The panel discussion will feature Farrell McCarthy, a founder-member of the ICCANB in 1984, who is the current editor of “The Shamrock Leaf” - a well-respected twice-yearly New Brunswick newsletter dedicated to Irish history, culture and events. Linda Evans, who is also participating, is a noted Irish historian and researcher and has also served as editor of “The Shamrock Leaf” over the years. Peter Toner, Professor Emeritus, UNB Saint John, who is an acknowledged expert in the field of Irish Canadian History, will also take part in the discussion. As one colleague observed, he “single-handedly created the field of Irish Canadian history of New Brunswick” and this work has resulted in a series of edited books, journal articles, conference papers and archival collections. Both the documentary broadcast and panel discussion will raise awareness of the Great Famine and the important cultural links between Ireland and Canada.
The documentary will be broadcast on Sunday the 14th of February at 9pm Atlantic Standard Time (1am Monday the 15th GMT) and can be picked up by Rogers TV cable subscribers in the cities of Bathurst, Miramichi, Moncton, Saint John and Fredericton and surrounding areas. Discussions are also underway regarding future Irish and US Television broadcasts of the documentary ‘The Great Irish Famine;
Remember Skibbereen’ which will further raise the profile of the Great Famine in West Cork.
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Skibbereen
and District Historical Society's next two
events... |
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Thursday the 28th of January William
Casey will give a talk on how to research your
ancestors. This genealogy talk will be at the
West Cork Hotel at 8.30pm and is open to
members and also to non-members on payment of a
small fee.
Thursday 25th of February The
Society's Annual General Meeting will be held at
the West Cork Hotel and will be preceeded by a
short film, 30 minutes, about 'Skibbereen in the
1950s'. Members are asked to attend with
suggestions for summer outings.
Thursday the 25th of March Nora
Hickey will give a talk on the O'Mahony clan
Thursday the 22nd of April Connor
Kelleher will give a talk on the peace keeping
forces in the Irish Army
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Rosscarbery
& District History Society: Programme
2010 |
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Jan 21st - Ken Nicholls will give
a talk on the Norman families of West Cork.
Venue is the Church of Ireland Parish Hall and
the talk starts at 8pm.
February 18th - Colman O'Driscoll
will give a talk on The O'Driscolls of West
Cork. Venue is the Church of Ireland Parish Hall
and the talk starts at 8pm.
March 18th - Cal Hyland will give
a talk on Ceallachain, King of Munster, his
forbearers and decendants. Venue is the Celtic
Ross Hotel and the talk starts at 8pm.
April 15th - Hazel Vickery will
give a talk on the Whites of Bantry House. Venue
is the Celtic Ross Hotel and the talk starts at
8pm.
Summer outings are provisionally arranged as
follows:
May's outing is a full day outing to Bere
Island; June and July will be evening outings
with locations to be advised and September's is
a full day outing to Cahir Castle and Swiss
Cottage in South Tipperary.
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Upcoming
Historical Society Talk |
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Skibbereen and District
Historical Society's next Talk will be on Monday
23rd November at 8.30 in West Cork Hotel. The
Talk is entitled "How the European Union
operates". The Talk will focus on Ireland's
involvement in the EU since we joined in 1973.
The speaker, Dr.Sean McCarthy, is a native of
Drinagh and attended St. Facthnas in Skibbereen
between 1971 and 1976. He studied at UCC where
he completed his PhD in Electrical Engineering.
Today he runs a company that designs training
courses for scientists. A part of his work
involves training scientists on EU programmes on
Research and Development.He has written three
books on EU research programmes. Since 1997 over
30,000 people have attended his courses in 28
different countries. His company is called
Hyperion Ltd., and details of their activities
can be seen on www.hyperion.ie.
All are welcome to this Talk. A small
subscription will be requested of non-members.
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Winter
Opening Hours |
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Skibbereen Heritage Centre will be open on Bank
Holiday Monday the 26th of October and will be
open from Monday to Friday 9.30am - 5.30pm from
next week until the 20th of November. It will
open by appointment after that date.
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Skibbereen
and District Historical Society's Upcoming
event |
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Skibbereen and District
Historical Society's next Talk will be held on
Thursday 29th October in West Cork Hotel at
8.30pm.The title of the Talk is
"Farming-pre and post Famine". Our
speaker is Dr. Liam Downey. Dr. Downey's stellar
career has encompassed four Director
Generalships of which one was ERAD 1988 to 1992
and another was Teagasc 1994 to 2001. In 2001 he
was awarded Honorary Professorship in
Agriculture Food and Science at UCD and in 2oo2
and Honorary Professorship of Science at NUI,
Maynooth. He is a Fellow of the Department of
Archaeology at UCD. He spends his holidays in
Allihies and has a love of the history and
archaeology of Beara. He will concentrate his
Talk on three different areas- 1)Markets: A
famous statement of the Director of the CSO in
1908 "Ireland was and always will be a
primarily livestock culture"In the period
1800 to 1850 we produced more crops then
livestock.This will be explained. 2)Farming -
general:Ploughing,haymaking, our contribution to
the development of the tractor. Farm implements
such as the seed fiddle, flails,sickles, hooks
and scythes. the different types of cattle,
sheep and pigs, will be discussed. 3)The
critical role of women:This was hugely
important. Included was poultry keeping, egg
production and buttermaking. All are welcome to
what promises to be a most informative and
fascinating look into the past. A small
contribution will asked of non-members.
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Ilen
Street Vintage Day Festival |
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Bank Holiday Monday the 26th of October sees
Ilen Street in Skibbereen transformed - vintage
day with its many events is free to attend and
guaranteed good craic. Ilen Street is the street
just next to Skibbereen Heritage Centre so come
to the Centre for a visit afterwards!
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Heritage
Week 2009 |
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Heritage Week in Skibbereen
kicked off in Lough Hyne with UCC’s
well-attended ‘Touch Tanks’ event. Professor
John Davenport and Dr. Mark Jessop entertained
and informed a lively and interested crowd with
small creatures from the lake. Sea-urchins,
starfish and a variety of other small animals
were passed around from hand to hand while the
scientists explained about their characteristics
and life-cycles. Also at the event were Karl,
Leah and Melanie Bredendieck of Skibbereen based
'Remote Presence' who put their R.O.V. (remotely
operated vehicle) in the lake, transmitting
images of what was to be seen underwater. With
an impressive range of equipment, Karl gave the
viewers an opportunity to see what is at the bed
of the lake while explaining what his varied
work entails and what the equipment is capable
of. This highly-successful event was followed by
the ‘Caring for Lough Hyne’ litter pick with
members of Skibbereen Tidy Towns and Skibbereen
Rowing Club who were joined by Séan, Mark and
Clare of Russagh Mill and Mary Browne, Terri
Kearney and Catherine Barry. The volunteers
collected any waste around the lake and left it
in pristine condition as well as having some fun
doing so.
During the week there was a variety of
well-supported free events at Skibbereen
Heritage Centre starting with a showing of
‘The Great Irish Famine: Remember
Skibbereen’ on Monday night. This Famine
documentary, made earlier in the year following
the National Famine Commemoration in Skibbereen,
is now on sale throughout
West Cork
and this special viewing was booked out and very
well received. Tuesday night saw Declan
O’Donnell, of the National Parks and Wildlife
Service, give his illustrated talk on Lough Hyne
to a full-house at the Heritage Centre and, such
was the level of interest, questions and answers
went on for a considerable time after the talk.
Declan explored some lesser-known aspects of
Lough Hyne including the history of marine
research and surprised the audience with some
stories of bizarre synchronicity about those
involved with Lough Hyne over the years. On
Wednesday night, Helen Collins kindly gave
another public screening of the historical film
‘Letter From Home’ which features well-known
local historian Gerald O’Brien as well as Lord
David Puttnam
, Senator Eoghan Harris and Jeremy Irons. This
excellent presentation gives an overview of
West Cork
’s history seen through the eyes of Gerald
O’Brien and was much appreciated by the
audience on the night. A large crowd attended
William Casey’s talk on Thursday night at
Skibbereen Heritage Centre for his talk on
‘The History of Aughadown House’. William
enthralled the audience with his extensive
research as he uncovered a link between a former
occupant of Aughadown House and the founder of
Boston
city, John Winthrop. Following the history of
the house, he covered many aspects of Irish
history generally and some of the prominent
families of
West Cork
.
There were many questions after the talk which
he good-humouredly answered while inviting
participation from the audience.
On Friday night, the final night of Skibbereen
Heritage Week events, there was a booked-out
historical walking tour of the town guided by
Margaret Murphy of Skibbereen Heritage Centre.
Margaret, with her enthusiasm and knowledge,
enlightened the walkers with some hidden aspects
of Skibbereen’s history and her talk was very
well received. Following this, Skibbereen
Theatre Society’s pageant ‘The Boldest
Fenian Man’ was staged in the Courtyard of
Skibbereen Heritage Centre on the life and times
of Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa. Centre. Frank
McCarthy’s performance as Rossa, the esteemed
locally-born revolutionary, had the audience
enthralled while Con Downing gave an excellent
presentation as the narrator. This well-written
pageant covered the life of Rossa in a succinct
and entertaining 25 minute performance and
finished with Brendan McCarthy giving a
rendition of the song, ‘A Nation Once Again’
while the audience joined to give a stirring
finale to the pageant. St. Fachtna’s Silver
Band gave a performance after the pageant from
the general brass band repertoire. The Band, an
integral part of Skibbereen’s heritage for
almost 150 years, had the audience singing and
dancing to its distinctive sound and even horses
joined in the party, running around a nearby
field, seemingly in time to the music. The final
event of the night, a fund-raising céile in the
Town Hall, drew a large crowd of enthusiastic
dancers and raised much-needed funds for Cara
House while the participants enjoyed an evening
of dancing and fun.
Skibbereen Heritage Centre would like to thank
all participants in the week who gave their time
voluntarily to promote the appreciation of our
valuable heritage. The events were a testament
to community involvement and prove that giving
something back to one’s community can also be
great fun. Congratulations and thanks to all
involved.
For a photo album of the week
click here.
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Skibbereen
and District Historical Society's Upcoming
events |
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On Saturday the 26th of
September, the Society will take a trip to Cork
to visit Shandon in the morning, where there
will be a guide and the afternoon will take in
the museum at Fitzgerald Park. The bus leaves
Skibbereen at 9am to arrive back at 6pm and
approx. cost will be 25euro per person. For
bookings, contact Jerome 028 36269
On Thursday the 29th of October at the West Cork
Hotel at 8.30pm. Dr. Liam Downey will give a
talk on 'Farming, pre and post Famine'. A small
charge will apply to non-member.
On Monday the 23rd of November at 8.30pm in the
West Cork Hotel, Dr. Sean McCarthy will give a
talk on 'Ireland in the EU'. Again, a small
charge will apply to non-members.
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Heritage
Week 2009! |
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Saturday the 22nd of
August at 12 noon – Touch Tanks at
Lough Hyne
UCC scientists once again give their
time to interpret common species to found in
the lake. See, handle and learn about
creatures normally only see underwater. Meet
North Pier, Lough Hyne Marine Nature
Reserve. No admission fee.
Saturday the 22nd of
August at 12 noon – R.O.V. at Lough Hyne
Skibbereen based 'Remote Presence' will be placing their R.O.V. (remotely operated vehicle), a robotic underwater camera system, in the Lough. The R.O.V. will swim along the lough bed and send back live video to monitors in the control van. Remote Presence kindly donated their time and energy in 2008 for what was an enthusiastically received occasion and hope to do so again this year. Please note, as they are a sometimes called out for emergency operations, attendance cannot be guaranteed.
Please refer back to this site for updates.
Saturday the 22nd of
August at 2pm – Caring for Lough Hyne
Litter Pick
Come along and help Skibbereen Tidy
Towns Committee and members of Skibbereen
Rowing Club in their ‘Caring for Lough
Hyne’ litter pick. Bags, gloves and all
equipment provided; please come along to
North Pier to help! Meet North Pier Lough
Hyne.
Monday the 24th of
August at 8.30pm - Screening of the
Famine Documentary The Great Famine in
Ireland: Remember Skibbereen.
Award winning film-maker Pat Collins'
documentary on the Famine in Skibbereen and,
in the broader context, of Ireland. Venue
Skibbereen Heritage Centre. No admission fee
but booking essential on 028 40900
Tuesday the 25th of
August at 9pm – Aspects of Lough Hyne,
an Illustrated talk by Declan
O’Donnell
Declan’s fascinating illustrated talk
will concentrate on the geological and
archaeological history of Lough Hyne and
will include some stories about early
research at the lake. Venue: Skibbereen
Heritage Centre, no admission fee but
booking essential on 028 40900
Wednesday the 26th of
August at 8pm – A Letter From Home,
an historical movie featuring Gerald
O’Brien
West Cork’s history seen through the
eyes of local historian Gerald O’Brien who
interviews Eoghan Harris, David Puttnam,
Jeremy Irons and many more…
Venue: Skibbereen Heritage Centre and
booking essential on 028 40900 no admission
fee.
Thursday the 27th of
August at 8.30pm – The History of
Aughadown House, an illustrated talk by
William Casey
Local historian William Casey talks
about the history of Aughadown House and the
extraordinary links between it and the
founding of
Boston
.
Venue: Skibbereen Heritage Centre and
booking essential on 028 40900 admission
free.
Friday the 28th of
August at 6.30pm, Historical Walk of
Skibbereen
Town
Free guided historical walking tour of
Skibbereen which will finish at Skibbereen
Heritage Centre to lead into the next
event of the evening.
Venue: Meet at the Cathedral,
North Street
and booking essential on 028 40900
Friday the 28th of
August at 8.00pm, The Boldest Fenian Man,
A Pageant on the life of O’Donovan Rossa
Skibbereen Theatre Society present their
acclaimed pageant 'The Boldest Fenian Man'
about the fascinating life and times of
locally- born Irish revolutionary Jeremiah
O'Donovan Rossa. Pageant will finish at
8.30pm
for next event of the evening
Venue: The Courtyard at Skibbereen Heritage
Centre no admission fee.
Friday
the 28th of August at 8.30pm,
St.
Fachtna’s Silver Band recital
Skibbereen’s Silver Band, which has been
playing for 150 years for the people of
Skibbereen, will give a recital from their
general brass band repertoire.
Venue: The Courtyard at Skibbereen Heritage
Centre and no admission fee.
Friday the 28th of August at 9pm Céilí
in the Town Hall
Skibbereen Geriatric Society is
running a fund-raising dance for Cara House
in the Town Hall. Admission fee is 8 euro
and dancing is to the music of Tim Joe and
Ann. For further details contact 028 22269
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Skibbereen
and District Historical Society |
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Skibbereen and District
Historical Society will play host to Cork
Historical and Archaeological Society's trip
to Skibbereen on Sunday 28th June. Having
visited the William Thompson Memorial at
Rosscarbery they will travel to Skibbereen.
The purpose of their trip is a visit to
Abbeystrewery Cemetery. At 2pm we will
assemble at Skibbereen Heritage Centre. We
will walk via Bridgetown to the graveyard
where we will hear of its history from
Gerald O'Brien. Thereafter we will return to
the West Cork Hotel. All are welcome to
accompany us on this occasion.
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Skibbereen
and District Historical Society |
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Skibbereen and District
Historical Society have planned a trip to
Heir Island and Sherkin for Sunday June 14.
Departure from Baltimore at 11.00. Eugene
Daly, noted local historian, will talk to us
about Heir Island whilst we are there. We
will then continue to Sherkin Island where
we will lunch. Eugene will again show us and
tell us about Sherkin Abbey. The boat fare
is 10 euro, food extra. To make a booking
please contact Brendan McCarthy asap on 028
21094. Should anyone require advance info on
our proposed trip to Battle of Kinsale site
on Wednesday 22nd July, they may ring Jim
Byrne on 086 2463589 or Liz Threapleton on
028 23530
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National
Famine Commemoration Events in May |
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The full programme is now available by going
to:
http://www.skibbheritage.com/Memorial_Programme.pdf
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Upcoming
Talk on Lough Ine with Skibbereen and
District Historical Society |
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Skibbereen and District
Historical Society's next Talk will be on
Thursday 30th April at 9pm in the West Cork
Hotel. The title of the Talk is
"Aspects of Lough Hyne" and our
speaker will be Mr. Declan O'Donnell.
Declan, a biologist,works for the National
Parks and Wildlife Service who manage Lough
Hyne as a nature reserve.He will look at
historical aspects of Lough Hyne and its
geological and research history. All are
welcome to this Talk which is doubtless of
great local interest and further afield. A
small subscription will be requested of
non-members.
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Upcoming
Festival |
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The 11th West Cork Tourism Walking Festival takes
place between the 15th and the 17th of May
2009 and there is a series of walks around
the Baltimore area including Lough Hyne and
Sherkin and Cape Clear Islands. To download
full details get the programme on
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Skibbereen
and District Historical Society |
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Skibbereen and District Historical Society's
next Talk will be held on Wednesday 25th
March in West Cork Hotel at 8.30pm. The
Title is "The O'Driscolls of Corca
Laoighe" and the Speaker is Colman
O'Driscoll.
Colman is a teacher of Irish, History and
Geography at St. Fachtna's De la Salle
school in Skibbereen. He will take us from
the O'Driscoll's pre-history origins to the
17th century, including and up to the Battle
of Kinsale and The Sack of Baltimore. All
are welcome to this Talk which will have a
very wide appeal. A small subscription will
be requested of non members.
The talk following is on Lough Hyne on the
30th of April with Declan O'Donnell as the
speaker and the May event will be part of
the Famine Memorial Week featuring Dr Larry
Geary on the 14th of May
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Upcoming
Festival |
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The Fastnet Short Film Festival will run
from Thursday 14th to Sunday 17th of May in
the seaside town of Schull in West Cork.
It's main aim is to encourage the making of
short films by bringing together film makers
of all ages and all levels of experience, to
share their knowledge and techniques, to
screen short films in many different
categories and to have a wonderful
experience of West Cork that they will take
away with them and remember for years to
come. www.fastnetshortfilmfestival.com.
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Skibbereen
and District Historical Society |
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Skibbereen and District
Historical Society is holding its AGM on
Thursday the 26th of February at 8.30pm at the
West Cork Hotel. Last year's activities will
be discussed as well as plans for the coming
year and all members are invited to
participate.
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Rosscarbery
Historical Society |
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Rosscarbery Historical Society's
next events are on the 19th of March with a
talk by Declan Waugh on Global Warming and the
following is on the 16th of April with Paddy
O'Shea on Rhodesia. The venue for both is the
Celtic Ross Hotel at 8pm.
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Lough
Hyne Features on RTE Programme Eco Eye |
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Duncan Stuart, presenter of the
RTE programme Eco Eye, visited Skibbereen last
year and the resulting programme which
concentrates on Eco Tourism in West Cork can
be seen on the website http://www.rte.ie/tv/ecoeye/avlong.html?2485613,null,243.
Lough Hyne looked beautiful and the
whale watching off West Cork also featured on
the programme.
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Historical
Society Talk |
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Skibbereen and District
Historical Society's first Talk of 2009 will
take place in West Cork Hotel on Wednesday
28th January at 8.30pm. The speaker is Mr.
Connie Murphy from Castletownbere and the Talk
is entitled "Prehistoric Inhabitants of
West Cork". Mr. Murphy is a retired
teacher whose abiding hobby is archaeology. He
has mapped and recorded monuments all over
West Cork. No written records exist for the
period under discussion. There exist some
pre-history monuments. In the main the lives
of the people and culture are interpreted
through the monuments, stone circles, standing
stones, tombs and the like. He will through
mapping of the monuments show the places most
likely inhabited. He will discuss the period
up to the end of the Bronze Age. This promises
to be an enthralling subject and all are
welcome. A small charge will be requested of
non-members.
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Big
Famine event for Skibbereen in 2009 |
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Éamon Ó Cuív, T.D., Minister
for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs,
has announced that the National Famine
Memorial Day 2009 will be held in Skibbereen
on the 17th of May. As this is the
inaugural year for this newly-created annual
memorial day, there should be large media
interest both at home and abroad. There will
also be a ceremony held in Canada on the same
date to commemorate this important era of
Irish history. Skibbereen is honoured to be
chosen to host this auspicious event. Watch
this space for further details.
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Update Archive
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