29th Nov. Island Eddy Castle - Fact or Fiction - Paul Gosling Island Eddy holds a fascination for many who live and work along the shores of South Galway. The ___________________________________ idea that it was once graced by a castle comes as a surprise to many - there is no clear trace of such on the ground and the various editions of the Ordnance Survey maps do not show any castle. However, a Uncovering Local History in list of castles in Co.Galway compiled by the English administration in 1574 includes an entry for 'ILand Edde' and states that the South Galway castle was then in the possession of one 'Henry Parell'. This lecture will trace the evidence for the castle, teasing out the clues which reside in local memory, on old maritime charts and in a series of scattered masonry fragments on the A series of illustrated talks every Tuesday island itself. (Oct/Dec), commencing Tuesday 18th October. th 6 Dec. Fairs & Markets of Loughrea - John O’Dea Venue: The memory of the almost imperceptible footfall of The Old Schoolhouse Restaurant, cattle passing under his window at Bride Street, Loughrea, in the 1940’s and 1950’s on the morning of Clarinbridge a fair, awakened in the author a desire to research and write on this subject. This presentation is a glimpse into the history of fairs and markets in Dates: Loughrea and district from ancient times to their th th th Tuesday, 18 Oct – Tuesday, 6 December demise in the middle of the 20 century. Beginning at th th the origin of fairs, through to the 18 and 19 Time: centuries, on to the Great Famine, the establishment of the free state and the onset of the economic war, 7.30 - 8.30pm and including the personal diary of the author’s father, this is an insight into Fairs and Markets as important economic and social occasions. For further details contact Four of the talks are in association with the Friends of Coole. These speakers all 086 8351134 participated in the NUI Maynooth Certificate in Local History course which took place at [email protected] Coole Park 2009-10. The course was funded by Galway Rural Development and supported by National Parks and Wildlife Service. ALL EVENTS ARE FREE: EVERYONE WELCOME Clarinbridge Arts Festival - Ongoing Events 18th Oct. Linen, Lace & Lavender – Clare Griffin 8th Nov. Rahasane, the landscape and its people – Peter Dolan The history of textiles shines an oblique light on the This talk focuses on the lives of the ordinary great events of history while illuminating the lives of people and landlords of Rahasane and those who lived through them. This talk begins with surrounding townlands. It traces the earliest the Bayeux tapestry of 1070. It covers early inhabitants, the rise of the landlord system ecclesiastical lace, the influence of the mediaeval through the Ffrench and Joyce families, to the church on secular fashion and its patronage by the infamous Walter Burke murder and the break nobility. The laws governing its wearing, taxes up of the Rahasane estate. The internationally imposed on imported lace, and its subsequent important Rahasane Turlough and it’s historic smuggling. The re-emergence of Irish lace in the 19th racecourse are described and the adjacent townland of Kileeneen and its century, main centres of Irish lace making and their famous poets graveyard – last resting place of Raftery and the Callanan contribution to the economy. Samples of Irish brothers, while the story of emigration -from Carrigan to Canberra – illustrates needlework showing their skill, artistry and design. The use of herbs in the tragedy and triumph of individual lives. protecting against destructive forces. Finally, the invention of cheap machine lace and chemical lace in the 18880’s and the impact of World War I heralds 15th Nov. Woodville, a Place and its People - Margarita Donohue the decline in traditional lace. th This presentation gives a glimpse into the lives 25 Oct. Mistakes, Misdeeds & Maritime Mysteries – Noel Wilkins of the people who lived at Woodville. The D'Arcys were the first family to reside at Until modern times Galway Bay has been the main Woodville from the 1750's. The most colourful thoroughfare for communication and trade, and a character of this family was Robert D'Arcy as he source of work in fishing and sea weed gathering, for was the Land Agent for the 14th Earl of the South Galway/North Clare area. Since the sea Clanricarde, Ulick John de Burgh for over 30 holds few monuments, it is the narrow littoral strip – years which included the famine period. Later the space between high and low water – that best Harry Persse, a brother of Lady Augusta Gregory took up residence in shows the evidence of this lost activity. Recent Woodville at the beginning of the last century. Finally the present owners research reveals new evidence and encourages us grandfather Patrick Donohue acquired Woodville farm through the Land to continue studies (which everyone can help with) Commission. It also explores the landscape around Woodville and the before the fragile, vulnerable relics of times past are restoration work of the Walled Garden and Dovecote lost forever. This talk will show some ways of helping with this detective work. 22nd Nov. IHS Monograms in Galway City - Eamonn Fitzgerald 1st Nov. Ireland XO, Tracing our Emigrants - Sr de Lourdes Fahy The history behind the placing of the IHS Monogram Ireland Reaching Out is an Irish-government on buildings in Galway City in the early 1920s has to sponsored project based on a simple idea. Instead of date not been fully examined. The monogram (Blue waiting for people of Irish heritage from around the Ceramic Tile) had not anything to do with the world abroad to come to Ireland to trace their Eucharistic Congress of 1932, contrary to popular ancestry, the people of Ireland, organised parish by opinion. Research was conducted in 2009-10 and the parish are going the other way; through national and resulting folklore, maps, and history will be presented local records, we are identifying who emigrated from Ireland, tracing them and along with photographs. their descendants across the world. In this way, local Irish communities can be expanded to virtual communities engaging all of their people worldwide..