Ballymote celebrates its rich heritage with annual weekend fest’
A series of tours took place over the Bank Holiday weekend as part of the Ballymote Heritage Festival.
Organised by the Ballymote Heritage Group the annual celebration of local history was very well attended.
Supporter Mary Doddy told the Sligo Champion: “There was a good crowd of people at all of the talks and the outings. Thankfully the annual festival is always very well supported. There is a lot of talk about the heritage festival around Ballymote at the moment.”
Both locals and visitors attended the comprehensive programme of expert lectures.
A unique feature of the 2017 programme was the publication of the 50 th edition of the Ballymote Group’s journal, the Corran Herald. The Corran Herald was first launched in October 1985. The Herald was the brainchild of the late Una Preston. Keenan Johnson JR. proposed its title and the late James Flanagan who was its distinguished first editor until 2012. Stephen Flanagan has filled the editorial role since. 2012 and has maintained and enhanced the high standards set by his father. The 50 th Issue of the Corran Herald will be on sale during the week prior to the Heritage Weekend at €8 per copy.
The lectures on Friday 4 th, Saturday 5 th, Sunday 6 th and Monday 7 th August will be delivered in the Teagasc Centre. All four lectures will commence at 8.30 p.m.
Dr. Patrick Wallace, former Director of the National Museum of Ireland, will officially open the Heritage Weekend on Friday 4 th August and he will then impart his knowledge derived from his immense experience of work in the museum.
The title of Dr. Wallace’s lecture is ‘ The Museum, Past, Present and Future’. Dr. Wallace led the National Museum of Ireland team on the Viking Wood Quay project between 1974 and 1981. In that year he became Director of the National Museum, a position he held for 24 years. Under Dr. Wallace’s guidance, the National Museum developed its new museums at Collins Barracks and Turlough Park, Co. Mayo.
On the Saturday at 9am. the first outing of the weekend will bring the group of history tourists to Fenagh Abbey, St. Catherine’s Church of Ireland Church, Fenagh, Co. Leitrim and to the recently reconstructed St. Mel’s Cathedral, Longford. The guide will be Frank Tivnan, the Boyle historian.
Frank will direct the group through the ecclesiastical site that was founded by St. Caillin in the 6 th Century. The now ruined abbey that they will visit was constructed on the same site in the 15 th century.
After Fenagh the next port of call will be St. Mel’s Cathedral in Longford. The cathedral was built between 1840 and 1856. On Christmas Day 2009 the cathedral was destroyed by fire in the early hours of the morning. The restored cathedral reopened in December 2014. Frank Tivnan will also be our