Slane will honour its most famous son Francis
The Francis Ledwidge centenary programme will step up a gear this month with numerous events scheduled to mark the death of the poet near Ypres in Belgium in 1917.
A State commemoration will be held at the Ledwidge cottage on 24th June next. It will be led by Minister for the Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys and the Cathaoirleach of Meath County Council. Up to 180 invited guests will attend the ceremony which is scheduled to start at 2.30pm and the organisers say that there will be standing room for up to 200 members of the general public. Local Councillors, TDs, Senator and members of the Ledwidge family living in Slane and the UK are also invited. Car parking will be available in the field adjacent to the museum and those wishing to attend are advised to arrive arly.
On 24th June Hill of Slane tours will take place at 12 noon. The theme is “Ledwidge and the Hill of Slane”.
On Friday 23rd June a poetry dinner will be held at the Conyngham Arms Hotel in Slane at 7.30pm. A special guest will be Marie Heaney, wife of the poet, the late Seamus Heaney and she will read his poem “In Memoriam”. Music will be provided by Dearbhail Finnegan and Robin Slater.
Also on 23rd June Michael Moylan, Irish History Live, will present “Francis Ledwidge’s War” in Slane Library at 10am.
From Thursday 22nd June to 2nd July, artists Liam O Broin, Mary McDonnell and Helen Tully will hold an exhibition inspired by the poetry of Ledwidge. It will open with a reception on 22nd at Slane Parish Hall at 7.30pm.
Sunday 25th June will see the staging of the “Off by Heart” event, a children’s event and prizegiving for the best oration of Ledwidge’s poem. It will be held in the Conyngham Arms Hotel at 3pm.
On the same night the Johnstons Folk Festival - “Ledwidge Music Night” - will take place in the Village Garden at 7pm. The Slane Guitar Trio will perform at the garden at 8.30pm.