Thursday 11 September 2014

Festival of History in Greystones, 26–28 September

A Festival of History Weekend will be held in Greystones, County Wicklow, from Friday 26 to Sunday 28 September.

Organised by The La Touche Legacy in association with the Greystones Archaeological and Historical Society, the weekend will focus on the anniversary of WW1 with the Great War Roadshow making a visit.

The Roadshow has been put together by RTE broadcaster and historian Dr Myles Dungan. He will be joined by Turtle Bunbury, presenter of The Genealogy Roadshow on TV and author of forthcoming book on 40 Irishmen in WW1; Dr Ciaran Wallace, an academic and broadcaster; John O’Keeffe, a criminologist, broadcaster and journalist; and Brendan Flynn, a local Wicklow historian specialising in military history.

In addition to the Roadshow there will be talks from Rosemary Raughter, Cllr Chris Fox, Deputy Anne Ferris and Lord Meath. Here's the programme:

Friday 26 September:
4:00pm    A celebration of the Greystones/Ards connection: Stories of Wicklow - Ballads of Down,
               with Rosemary Raughter and Mark Thompson
5:00pm    The Great War – Personal reflections, with Lord Meath and Deputy Ann Ferris
6:00pm    The Great War Roadshow: Keynote address: "Lions, donkeys and paddies" – the Irish
               experience of the Great War

Saturday 27 September:
10:00am    The Great War – Personal reflections, with Cllr Christopher Fox
10:30am    The Great War Roadshow: County and the Great War, with Brendan Flynn
11:30am    Moral insanity and the Great War: bad men in good jobs, with John O'Keeffe
12:15pm    Women and children first: the home front in WW1, with Dr Ciaran Wallace
2:30pm      Reflections and Walking Tour of Historic Greystones. Leo Ireton's Shop.
8:00pm      Seminar dinner

Sunday 28 September:

11:00am     Jim Brennan Memorial Lecture: The Glorious Madness – Tales of the Irish in the
                 Great War, with Turtle Bunbury

The venue is the Charlesland Golf & Country Club. Weekend ticket to all lectures: €30. Lectures plus light lunch: €40. Lectures plus Seminar Dinner: €50. Lectures plus light lunch plus Seminar Dinner: € 60. To buy tickets, tel 01 2878448, see local shops or GAHS website.