Helping communities care for their historic graveyards
FROM the Creative Ireland County Cork Conference to the Historic Graveyard Management Workshops there is plenty happening to make November a busy month from a heritage perspective.
The Creative Ireland County Cork Conference, the first of its kind in the County, will see wonderful talks about our culture and creativity by over 15 different speakers, all experts in their field, as well as a musical performance on the evening of this Thursday (16th November) at 7pm featuring the Youghal Comhaltas Group (CCE Craobh Eochaille); Ian Wilson with Saxophonist Cathal Roche and a performance by Peadar Ó Riada. The conference takes place on the 16th and 17th of November, is free of charge, and all are welcome. For more information, email creativeireland@corkcoco.ie.
With regard to Creative Ireland in the County of Cork, a five-year Culture and Creativity Strategy is also being prepared and submissions, thoughts, ideas and proposals are most welcome and will form a very important part of the strategy going forward. For further information, visit www.corkcoco.ie/arts-heritage/creative-ireland.
This coming Saturday, and Monday and Tuesday of next week, will see the roll-out of a series of workshops on the subject of our historic graveyards. Supported by Cork County Council’s Historic Monuments Advisory Committee, the workshops are intended to help interested community groups and individuals on all aspects of care and maintenance of historic graveyards.
Community groups are more and more playing a key role in the well-being of their own local areas and the maintenance of a community’s historic graveyard has become a key consideration in this regard.
The workshops themselves, delivered by Jacinta Kiely & John Tierney of Eachtra, will entail presentations, discussion and a site visit, taking place in Springfort Hall near Mallow on Saturday 18th; Skibbereen Monday 20th and Midleton on Tuesday 21st November. All are welcome to attend and it is free of charge. Spaces will be allocated on a first come basis and for further information or to book a place email Jacinta@eachtra.ie or phone 0872362319.
Graveyards are sometimes termed ‘God’s Acre’ and they can be a haven for wildlife. Wildlife as a whole falls under the term biodiversity and the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys, has recently launched Ireland’s third National Biodiversity Action Plan.
Through co-operation with key stakeholders such as other Government departments, state bodies, and non-governmental organisations, ‘ Actions for Biodiversity 2017-2021’ demonstrates Ireland’s continuing commitment to meeting and acting on its obligations to protect our biodiversity for the benefit of future generations. Currently there are over 31,000 recorded species in Ireland and Biodiversity has been estimated as being worth over €2.6 billion to the Irish Economy each year. For further information, see www.biodiversityireland.ie and www.npws.ie.
In addition to the Creative Ireland County Cork Conference and Historic Graveyard workshops, there are many further events taking place over the coming days.
On Friday 17th November at 8pm a wonderful publication compiled and edited by Máirín and Éamon Lankford will be launched in the G.A.A Pavilion in Douglas. The book Saint Columba’s – The Story of a Community, celebrates 200 years of life, work, worship and community spirit. The book will be available for sale at a special rate on the night and all are welcome.
Also on the evening of November 17, for anyone in the West Cork area, there will be a highly anticipated illustrated talk by Dr. Donal O’Driscoll, regarding the recently published tome ‘ The Atlas of the Irish Revolution’. The talk will discuss the conception and production of the Atlas, which is the most comprehensive treatment of Ireland’s revolutionary years ever produced. Dr. Ó Drisceoil will reflect on its contents with special reference to County Cork and West Cork in particular. The event has been organised by the Michael Collins House and takes place in the Parish Centre, commencing at 7.30pm. Admission isfree and all are welcome.
Earlier this week Cork County Council was delighted to have Bob Bateman visit the County Hall where he gave a most absorbing talk on the Manchester Martyrs and indeed the pivotal role that his great grand uncle had in the Fenian Rising of 1867.
Of the three Manchester Martyrs, two were from the County of Cork: Michael Allen ( West Cork) and William O’Brien (East Cork). In recognition of the sesquicentennial commemoration of the Manchester Martyrs (23rd November 1867) a wonderful commemorative event will also take place in Ballymacoda on Sunday 19th November, commencing at 12 noon. All welcome.
The next day, Monday 20th, will see an illustrated talk take place in Ballincollig at 8pm in the Rugby Club. Organised by the Muskerry Local History Society, renowned Military Historian Gerry White will give a talk regarding the Battle of Passchendaele, titled ‘Mud, Blood and Bravery: The Battle of Passchendaele, 31 July to 10 November 1917’.
Gerry delivers fascinating talks and this event is sure to see a great crowd. All are welcome.
A few days later, on Wednesday 22nd at 8pm, another large crowd is expected at Kilmurry Independence Museum, Kilmurry, for a talk by John Sheenan regarding Rock Art in Clearagh. Rock Art is a fascinating aspect of our collective heritage and the talk, organised by the Kilmurry Historical and Archaeological Association, should prove to be a most interesting one.