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   7th of May 2008
  Well, it's sunshine in West Cork this week - temperatures hitting 20C. So bring the sunscreen if you're on your way... and the jacket as it might not last.....
   De La Salle Past Pupils' Union launch 2nd edition of 'And Time Stood Still'
  Skibbereen has been waiting for the second edition of the excellent book 'And Time Stood Still' and we're happy to say that it was launched last night and is now available for sale. About twice the size of the first, it is very good value retailing at 40 euro and, like the first edition, will soon sell out. We stock it here in the shop but, for overseas readers, you can buy online from the website www.southernstar.ie and they will ship it to anywhere in the world.

This invaluable pictorial history book has several chapters as follows:

1. A Trip Down Memory Lane 2. Times Past for Leap, Glandore, Union Hall, Castletownshend, Skibbereen- Lough Ine, Tragumna, Baltimore, The Islands, Oldcourt, Ballydehob, Schull, Caheragh, Castlefreke. 3. Rural Life 4. A Time to Remember covering Trams, West Cork Railways, Cork County Council Machinery Yard Skibbereen, Official Visit of H.E. Erskine Childers, Over Half a Century of Flooding, Moving the Maid of Erin, 'War of the Buttons', Building Bridges in Skibbereen, The Post Office and Telephone Exchange. 5. Happy School Days and Occasions to Remember 6. Entertainment 7. Outings 8. Achievements 9. Social Functions 10. G.A.A 11. Sport 12. Religious Matters 13. People in Uniform 14. Local Politics 15. Local History 16. Moments in Time
   Skibbereen and District Historical Society upcoming events. 
  Skibbereen and District Historical Society have announced details of their summer programme as follows:

April 30th at 8.30pm in the West Cork Hotel; final talk of the winter programme 'Katherine, Wife of Charles Stewart Parnell' given by Historical Society member Kevin O'Byrne.
May 18th; trip to the Fastnet Rock departing from Baltimore at 12 noon. If weather is inclement, the alternative is a trip around the islands. Cost of 17euro - please contact Brendan McCarthy 028-21094 to reserve a place.
June 28th; bus departs Skibbereen at 9am to visit Cork City Goal with a break for lunch in Blarney and then returning to the Radio Museum Experience. Cost 30 euro max (dependant on numbers may be less) which will include both admissions. Contact Liz Threapleton 028-23530 to reserve a place.
June/July the 4th Journal will be launced - further details to follow.
July evening trip to Barlogue and Lough Hyne with Michael Burke; further details to follow.
September Trip to Abbeymahon and Timoleague with Chairman Jim Byrne and Fr. Pat Hickey as speakers. Further details to follow.
   04/04/08 Summer is coming!
  Well, it's earlier than last year but we've just seen our first swallow drinking from the River Ilen this morning. Other signs of upcoming summer are all around and the bluebells are out at Lough Hyne already too.....
   Historical Society Talk 26th of March
  Skibbereen and District Historical Society's next Talk will be on Wednesday 26th. March at 8.30pm in the West Cork Hotel. The subject will be Weather Forecasting and its History. We are fortunate to have as our Speaker Vincent O 'Shea the well known MET Eireann Meteorologist whose voice is familiar to us all. Vincent is a local man from Ballyalla near skibbereen where his parents still live. All are welcome to what promises to be a very informative Talk. A small subscription will be asked of non-members
   St. Patrick's Day Parade
  Participants are congregating on the bypass at 2.15pm and the parade will make its way via Ilen Street and Bridge Street to the viewing stand on Main Street, expected to arrive there at 3pm. There are many floats and fun is guaranteed on the day (weather permitting!). Come along and enjoy the fun........... but bring the umbrella just in case!
   St. Patrick's Weekend and Easter
  Skibbereen Heritage Centre will go back to its normal off-peak hours of Tuesday to Saturday inclusive 9.30am to 6pm from Tuesday the 11th of March. It will open all over Saint Patrick's and Easter weekends 9.30am to 6pm. Come along and welcome!
   Skibb Dug Up!
  Well, the good news is that the water scheme has finally got underway in Skibbereen but the bad news is that some of the roads are being dug up or closed. Upper Bridge Street is currently closed but it's open as far as the Heritage Centre car park. Access is also available from Ilen Street by foot across Roycroft's yard. No excuse not to visit!
   Skibbreeen and District Historial Society
  Skibbereen and District Historical Society holds its Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, 27th of February at 8.30 at the West Cork Hotel. Past and future activities are on the agenda and all members are asked to attend.
   Winter Opening Hours
  Skibbereen Heritage Centre will be open to visitors from Monday to Friday inclusive from the 28th of January 2008. Please see the Information page for opening hours from March onwards. We look forward to welcoming you.
   Winter Programme Skibbereen and District Historical Society
  Skibbereen and District Historical Society's winter programme is as follows:
*January 30th at 8.30pm West Cork Hotel - 'Serving a City - The History of the English Market in Cork' by Diarmuid O'Drischeóil. Diarmaid will tell of the growth of Cork City through to the 18th century of other markets which existed before the English Market and how they developed. When telling us of the English Market, he will elaborate on its genesis, the characters who operated there,the traditions of its foods and how it adapted through time to the cosmopolitan marketplace it now is.
*February 28th Annual General Meeting
*March 26th 'The History of Weather Forecasting' by Vincent O'Shea
*April 30th 'Catherine Parnell' by Kevin Byrne
Articles for the 2008 journal are welcome from members - deadline for submission is January 2008
November 30th 2007
Very sad news for all Lough Hyne lovers. One of its most famous inhabitants, Mr John Bohane of Dromadoon,  passed away today. John lived by the lake for all of his life and his knowledge and love of the area was well known. As a caretaker at the Reserve, he met and befriended many of the marine biologists over the years and the Bohane Laboratory was named in his honour. We offer our deepest sympathies to the Bohane family and wish John well on his journey. Slán go foill....
   December
  Winter Wonderland is running in Skibbereen between 1-23rd of December! Come and visit Santa in Skibb - for further details see www.skibbereen.ie/winterwonderland/
   28th of November
  Skibbereen and District Historical Society’s next talk is on Wednesday 28th November in the West Cork Hotel at 8.30pm. "The History of Rathbarry and Castle Freke" will be presented by Michael Collins. Covering the period from the arrival of the Barry's with the Normans c.1250, to the present day ownership by the Carbery family.
   November 2007
  Skibbereen Heritage Centre is delighted to be now add the R.C. Church baptismal records of the parishes of Drinagh and Drimolegue to its genealogy section. The marriage records should follow subsequently. The database project for the Skibbereen, Rath and the Islands parish records is ongoing. In addition, the Centre has expanded its database of the Tithe Applotment books to cover additional parishes. Please see the genealogy page for the list of parishes.
   28th of September 2007
  Decedents of O'Donovan Rossa visited the Centre today and we were very pleased to welcome them! Ann Brennan, the great grand-daughter of Rossa and Beth Whelpley, his great, great grand-daughter. They visited the sites relevant to their ancestor and in exchange, gave a lot of information on O'Donovan Rossa's life in the US . They are descendants of his third marriage.
   31st of August 2007
   Heritage Week events kicked off on a beautiful sunny day at Lough Hyne, near Skibbereen, with a series of well attended, fun events organised by Skibbereen Heritage Centre.

Dr Rob McAllen, Dr John Davenport and Eoin O’Gorman of the Department of Zoology in UCC brought in species in touch tanks to the North Pier and a large crowd gathered to see and handle these creatures. Lough Hyne is Europe ’s first statutory Marine Nature Reserve and is the most studied site of its size in the world so it was an appropriate setting for this educational event. Dr McAllen sprayed some of the unsuspecting audience with a sea squirt raising laughs all around, while explaining how this bizarre looking creature was the closest relative to humans in the tanks. Common and purple sea urchins, scallop, common, bloody henry and brittle star fish were handled by the observers while the scientists explained their biological make up and feeding habits. Risking the loss of his finger while the audience dissolved in peals of laughter, Dr McAllen explained how a velvet swimming crab attacks its prey and showed how to determine the sex of a crab using the more docile edible crab as an example. Over the 2 hour period of the lecture, approximately 100 people were entertained and educated at this event.
Following this, Skibbereen Tidy Towns members gave of their time and energy to collect 22 bags in their Caring for Lough Hyne litter pick. Local residents, the Crockett and Keena families also lent a hand while kayakers, Seán and Claire from Russagh Mill Adventure Centre, scoured the shoreline. The bags were collected by Cork County Council after this successful event.
                                 
Skibbereen Historical Walks gave a free escorted historical walking tour to 20 people that evening. Covering the history of Ireland using the medium of Skibbereen’s streets, Margaret Murphy also answered questions and covered the famous historical figures from the area.

The following week saw two further events at Skibbereen Heritage Centre – Monday night an illustrated talk ‘Invasive Aliens’ and Thursday night a talk on Margaret ‘Tommy’ Warren.
‘Invasive Aliens’ covered the invasive flora and fauna that are causing problems to the habitats, flora and fauna of West Cork . Declan O’Donnell of the National Parks and Wildlife Service covered such species as the japanese knotweed, zebra mussels and american mink, showing slides of these creatures and the damage that they can do. Now the second largest threat to biodiversity, these introduced species can also impact the economy, e.g. zebra mussel’s effects in the US estimated to cost $5 billion. Some of the species, for example the giant hogweed commonly found around West Cork , can also cause medical damage if handled. The giant hogweed is highly irritating and can result in hospitalisation and permanent sensitivity to the sun. Other creatures, such as the mitten crab and japanese knotweed, can damage foundations of buildings causing structural damage. Other potential financial impacts include damage to farming when new zealand flatworms deplete indigenous earthworms, damage to boats from zebra mussels and damage to marine environments from japanese wireweed. A lively question and answer session followed and Declan got an appreciative round of applause from the audience.

The final event of the week was a talk on Margaret Warren given by Peter Murray of the Crawford Gallery. A crowd of about 50 turned up to hear and remember the story of this fascinating woman’s life. Born in Texas , she was one of the first female pilots in the US and was a pioneering figure in an era when women were mostly excluded from such pursuits. She went on to marry into a prominent Boston family and tales of her exploits had the audience in break into laughter. She came to live in Castletownhend later in life and established the Warren Gallery . Art was always very important to her and here in West Cork , she fostered artistic talent while also painting herself. Some of the audience also recounted their memories of this dynamic woman and it was obvious that she was much loved and respected in the area. Peter Murray’s admiration of his subject was obvious and again, the audience showed its appreciation with prolonged applause.  

Skibbereen Heritage Centre would like to sincerely thank all participants for giving their time and efforts so freely to celebrate Heritage Week.              

   15 August 2007
  The launch of the upcoming Taste of West Cork Festival was held tonight at Skibbereen Heritage Centre with Darina Allen officially opening the festival. There was a lively crowd and much eating and drinking! The food festival is on the 20th to the 23rd of September and you can see details of events on www.atasteofwestcork.com If the food tonight was anything to go by, we're in for a treat that weekend...................
   16 July 2007
  Skibbereen Heritage Centre featured on an RTE television programme recently called 'Nationwide'. The show first visited the Heritage Centre, then the Southern Star newspaper and the West Cork Arts Centre. 2 local artists were also interviewed and Skibbereen town was on national TV for 30 minutes prime time viewing. If you missed it, there is an opportunity to see it online by going to http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0715/nationwide.html
   26/06/07 Heritage Week events 2007
  Skibbereen Heritage Centre is pleased to organise the following events to commemorate Heritage Week 2007 as follows:
Saturday the 25th of August 10am to 6pm – half price admission at Skibbereen Heritage Centre
Saturday the 25th of August from 11am to 1pm, touch tank at north pier Lough Hyne with UCC scientists on hand to interpret the species. Children may see and touch creatures. Admission free.
Saturday the 25th of August 1-3pm help Skibbereen Tidy Towns with its ‘Caring for Lough Hyne’ litter pick. Please come and help - all equipment will be provided.
Saturday the 25th of August 6.15pm – Skibbereen Historical Walks offer a free guided historical tour of the town of Skibbereen . Booking essential on 028 40900.
Monday the 27th of August at 8.30pm – Declan O’Donnell of The National Parks and Wildlife Service will give an illustrated talk on the invasive alien species impacting the habitats, flora and fauna of West Cork .
Thursday the 30th of August at 8.30pm – illustrated talk on Margaret ‘Tommy’ Warren, the first and youngest pilot in the USA who spent her final years in Castletownhend and established the Warren Gallery . The speaker is Peter Murray, Director of the Crawford Gallery, Cork .
   14/06/07 Skibb Woman on The Moon
  Skibbereen Credit Union has kindly sponsored a panel on Agnes Clerke (1842-1907), a facinating Skibbereen woman, who has a crater on the moon named in her honour, Clerke's Crater located near the Sea of Serenity.  
Her father, John W. Clerke, was manager of the Skibbereen branch of the Provincial Bank in Bridge Street and was one of the founding members of the Relief Committee during the time of the Famine. He was also a keen astronomer and used a telescope with a chronograph to supply a time service for the town of Skibbereen. Agnes inherited her father's love of astronomy and took it up seriously at the age of 11.
She published several books on astronomy and was highly regarded by her peers. Skibbereen Heritage Centre is grateful to the Credit Union for sponsoring this panel to commemorate the anniversary of this extraordinary woman. 
   11/05/07 The Newly Weds
   

Well here they are, the newly weds - and Margaret is the one in the white dress!

Congratulations again......

 

   21/04/07 Upcoming Nuptials!
  Romance is in the air at Skibbereen Heritage Centre at the moment - Margaret is due to 'tie the knot' on Saturday the 28th of April. Margaret has worked at the Centre since 2002 and has helped many people with genealogy enquiries. Originally from Cork city, she has decided to settle in West Cork and marry a Drinagh man, Steve Murphy, and we're very happy to have her here permanently!

 

   13/04/2007: Summer is coming
  Yes, summer is coming - it's official! The first swallow of the year was seen drinking from the river Ilen today and yes, the Bluebells are out in Lough Hyne too.......

   11/04/2007: Historical Talk
 

'Old Aghadown Church and Graveyard, A Unique 19th Century Church?
A talk by Bernard O'Mahony at St. Matthews Parish Hall Church Cross on Wednesday the 25th of April at 8pm. Admission Free and all are welcome.
Bernard O'Mahony is from Cork and went to UCC as a mature student in 2001.  He obtained his MA degree in Archaeology last year.  His MA thesis topic was a study of 19th century Church of Ireland churches in South West Cork; old Aghadown church was included in his research area. He is curently self-employed and is surveying ruined churches in graveyards for Cork County Council's Historic Monuments Advisory Committee.

   31/03/2007: Skibbereen and District Historical Society
 

Skibbereen and District Historical Society  
please contact the Secretary  Mr Adrian Healy at adrianhealytc@eircom.net  for informaton on the Society and its talks.

 

 

 

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  Skibbereen Heritage Centre

  Old Gas Works, Upper Bridge Street, Skibbereen, Co. Cork, Ireland

  Telephone: (353) 28 40900    E-mail: info@skibbheritage.com