Flurry of heritage activity in 2016
THE annual general meeting of Charleville Heritage Society took place at Charleville Library on last Friday night before a good attendance.
The chairman, Cllr. Ian Doyle, welcomed those present and outlined the progress of the Society since its foundation in 2014.
Mr. Doyle said the Society was formed on foot of the Archbishop Mannix Memorial Weekend in the year of the Gathering in 2013, which was an outstanding success. The Heritage Society was set up as a sub-committee of Charleville Chamber with the purpose of establishing Charleville as a location for history and heritage tourism.
This has been achieved by the Society through the Eliza Lynch Weekend, which attracted overseas visitors as well as from all over Ireland. This was followed by the tribute to Jacobite poet Seán Clárach Mac Domhnaill and the Daniel A. Binchy Weekend last year.
Mr. Doyle said the talks organised by the Society included Cork and the Great War, The Famine in North Cork and the advent of electricity to Charleville town when the Charleville Electric Company was remembered in the International Year of Light in 2015.
“This year we remembered the 150 years of Charleville Brass and Reed Band and the Charleville tribute to the 1916 Rising and the War of Independence and co-operated with the Heritage Department of Cork County Council in the production of the Heritage Map of Charleville, which was proving so popular with local people.” said Mr. Doyle.
The treasurer Michael Donegan showed the Society to be in a break even situation through his income/expenditure statement.
Mr. Doyle thanked all those who contributed to the Society through sponsorship, support of flag days and attendance and speakers at the monthly talks.
He also thanked the Heritage Officer of Cork County Council, Conor Neligan, for his advice and support, and Mary Sleeman of the Heritage Department, along with Pauline Moriarty of the Fermoy Municipal Office, and, of course, the members of the Society for their hard work in the organisation of the various events.
The attendance then elected the following committee of the Society as follows: Chairman: Cllr. Ian Doyle, Hon. Secretary; Michael McGrath, Treasurer: Michael Donegan: PRO: Kerry Corkery, Committee: Evelyn O’Keeffe, P. J. McCarthy, Katie McCurry.
The Heritage Society will participate in National Heritage Week which is on from August 20-26 and the Festival of History will remember the Charleville Association with the Croke Family from September 9-11 and the Fashion Event in association with the Holy Family School Charleville on Monday, September 19 with RTE personality Miriam O’Callaghan, tickets for which are presently on sale.