Monday 20 July 2015

Irish genealogy & history events: 20 July–2 August

Monday 20 July: Launch of exhibition: South Antrim Living Memories Doagh, Toome & Whitehead. Host and Venue: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, 2 Titanic Boulevard, Belfast BT3 9HQ. (See official launch event, 22 July.) Open during regular opening hours until 28 August.

Monday 20 July: Family history and genealogy sessions. Find out how to trace your family tree, with Margaret Bonar and Betty Craven. Venue: Raheny Library, Howth Road, Dublin 5. Free advice sessions. From 10:15am to Noon. Book your slot by telephone: 085 1444883 or contact the library by email: rahenylibrary@dublincity.ie.

Monday 20 July: South Dublin Libraries' Local Studies Collections. Host: South Dublin County Libraries. Venue: Supervalu Shopping Centre, Newcastle Road, Lucan, Co. Dublin. 6:30pm. Booking essential. T: 01 6216422. E: lucan@sdublincoco.ie.

Tuesday 21 July: Indeed, They Are My Ancestors – The Registry of Deeds, with Paul Gorry MAGI. Second of the 'Your Ancestors and the Nation’s Archives' lecture series presented by Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI) and the National Archives of Ireland. Venue: Reading Room, National Archives of Ireland, Bishop Street, Dublin 8. 5:15pm. Free but need to book by email: bookings@nationalarchives.ie. Everyone welcome.

Wednesday 22 July: Exhibition launch – Portraits of the Invisible. Portrait photographs of Irish men and women involved in WW1. Host and Venue: National Library of Ireland’s National Photographic Archive, Meeting House Square, Temple Bar, Dublin 2. Official launch 11am. Exhibition will run until January 2016. Free.

Wednesday 22 July: Pigs and Kings, with Dr Mary Leenane. Host: Tara Lecture Series 2015. Venue: Hill of Tara Visitor Centre, Navan, Co Meath. 8pm. Free. Come early as seats are limited.

Wednesday 22 July: South Antrim Living Memories Doagh, Toome & Whitehead, official launch of exhibition, with talks from William Roulston and Bob Adams. Host and Venue: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, 2 Titanic Boulevard, Belfast BT3 9HQ. 1pm. All welcome, but need to book: E: proni@dcalni.gov.uk, T: 028 90534800.

Wednesday 22 July: Family tree workshop for children – 6 to 10 year olds accompanied by parent, grandparent or guardian. Host: South County Dublin Libraries. Venue: County Library, Library Square, Tallaght, Dublin 24. Part of the Summer Heritage Festival. 2:30 to 4:30pm. Free. Booking essential: T: 01 4620073. E: localstudies@sdublincoco.ie.

Wednesday 22 July to Saturday 25 July: Free genealogy advice sessions, with Noel Jenkins. Part of the William Edmonson Homecoming (Quaker) Festival in Mountmellick. 15-minute sessions need to be booked. Venue: Drogheda House, O'Connell Square, Mountmellick, Co Laois. Details.

Saturday 25 July:
Conspirators - A Fenian Tour of Glasnevin Cemetery, with Dr Shane Kenna. Host and Venue: Glasnevin Cemetery, Finglas Road, Dublin 11. Starts 1pm. Tickets from €12. Details.

Saturday 25 July: Launch of 'Irregular Marriages in Dublin before 1837', by Henry McDowell, a Fellow of Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI). Venue: Celbridge Lodge, Church Road, Celbridge, Co Kildare. 5pm to 7:30pm. Free. All welcome.

Saturday 25 July: Did your granny make bombs for WW1? with Hugo McGuinness and Mary Muldowney. Host: Stoneybatter & Smithfield People's History Project. Venue: The Cobblestone, 77 North King Street, Smithfield, Dublin 7. 4:30pm. All welcome.

Sunday 26 July: Bully's Acre – Dublin's oldest cemetery, a tour with Paul O'Brien of the little-known graveyard in the grounds of Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, Dublin. 2pm. Last few remaining spaces (at 21 July). Booking essential. Tel: 087 1169347. Free.

Sunday 26 July: Conspirators - A Fenian Tour of Glasnevin Cemetery, with Dr Shane Kenna. Host and Venue: Glasnevin Cemetery, Finglas Road, Dublin 11. Starts 1pm. Tickets from €12. Details.

Wednesday 29 July: An examination of the impact of WW1 at a local level in Co Clare, with Morgan Roughan. Part of the Stand up and fight Summer lecture series. Venue: City Hall, Limerick. 6:30pm. Refreshments provided. Free. All welcome.

Wednesday 29 July to Saturday 1 August: Spirit of Mother Jones Festival & Summer School. Cultural event including a series of history/heritage lectures. See full programme. Shandon, Cork. Enquiries: +353 (0)86 3196063, www.motherjonescork.com.

Thursday 30 July: Nobody's Children: The treatment for shell-shocked Great War veterans in the Irish Free State, with Michael Robinson. Host and Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. 1:05pm. Free. No booking required. All welcome.

Thursday 30 July: Guided tour of St Patrick's Gateway graveyard, with Julian Walton. Waterford Archaeological and Historical Society. Meet at St Patrick's church, Chapel Lane, Waterford. 7pm.

Friday 30 July: Lecture and launch of Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa: Unrepentent Fenian by Dr Shane Kenna. Host: Merrion Press. Venue: Milestone Gallery, Glasnevin Museum, Finglas Road, Dublin 11. Details.

Friday 31 July: The Irish Brigade in the American Civil War, documentary screening. Part of the Ballymote Heritage Weekend. Venue: The Art  Deco Theatre and Cinema, Ballymote, Co Sligo. Free. 2pm.

Friday 31 July: Secrets of the Bog Bodies, with Dr Eamonn P Kelly.  Official opening and lecture of the Ballymote Heritage Weekend. Venue: The Teagasc Centre, Tubbercurry Road, Ballymote, Co Sligo. 8:30pm. €10.

Saturday 1 August:
Unveiling of two bronze plaques on O'Donovan Rossa Bridge, Dublin. Speaker: Dr Shane Kenna. Host: The National Graves Association. Free. 3pm, on the bridge. All welcome.

Saturday 1 August:
Centenary of Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa – Wreath laying ceremony and re-enactment of Pearse's speech at Rossa's graveside. Venue: Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin. 4.30 pm. Followed at 5:30pm in Glasnevin Museum by launch of new print of the O'Donovan Rossa Funeral Scene by artist Robert Ballagh.

Saturday 1 August to Sunday 2 August: Re-enactment of Battle of Vinegar Hill. Living history events as part of the Rocking Food Festival. Venue: Enniscorthy Town, Co Wexford. Details.