MAHS Out & About

Dear MAHS Members & Guests

Wednesday 20^th November at 7.30pm -  THE IRISH VOLUNTEER FORCE IN CO MEATH 1913-14 by Ruth Illingworth. M.A.H.S. lecture in St Mary's Church of Ireland Hall, Navan. This month marks the centenary of the foundation of the Irish Volunteer Force in Dublin. Founded to act as a sort of Army for a Home Rule Ireland, with the aim to "secure and maintain the common rights and liberties of Irishmen", the Volunteers soon became a nationwide movement, with a membership in excess of 100,000 by the summer of 1914. In Co Meath, as elsewhere, the Volunteers attracted widespread support. Corps of Volunteers were formed in nearly every town and village in the County. For a time, the Volunteers even attracted the support of prominent members of the Unionist community in Meath, such as Lord Fingal. The talk will examine the rise and spread of the Volunteer movement in Meath from November 1913 up until the split in the movement in September 1914 over John Redmond's call on the Irish Volunteers to support the British war effort. The foundation of the Irish Volunteers was an important moment in Irish history because the Irish Volunteer Force would eventually, in 1922, become the Army of an independent Irish State. The Irish Defence Forces of today trace their origins to the Irish Volunteers of 1913.

Ruth Illingworth is a Lecturer in History, a Tour Guide and a Member of Mullingar Town Council. She is the author of two books on the history of Mullingar. She is the granddaughter of a member of the Irish Volunteers and her father served in the Irish Army during the Second World War.

Wednesday 20^th November at 12.30pm - Launch of 'The Morpeth Roll: Ireland identified in 1841' edited by Christopher Ridgway and 'Enhancing access to landed estate rentals and mapped surveys: the report of the CSHIHE-NLI joint-project, 2011–13' in the Library, NUI Maynooth. RSVP Deirdre Watters email communications@nuim.ie http://www.fourcourtspress.ie/product.php?intProductID=1148

Thursday 21^st  November at 8pm -  Navan & District Historical Society Annual AGM - in the Columbanus House Canon Row Navan. Richard Farrelly's talk on the Furniture Industry has been postponed to a future date.

Wednesday 27^th November at 8pm - ‘Letters to Aunt Mary’ an illustrated lecture by John McCullen in Governor’s House, Millmount, Drogheda. The talk will bring to light a collection of letters belonging to Mary Frances McCullen (1883-1970).

Wednesday 27^th November at 8pm - meeting of Slane History & Archaeology Society will take place on in the Conyngham Arms hotel, Slane, when Ms. Noreen Fleming will speak on "Meiler Magrath: A view of the Reformation in Ireland, 1522-1622".

Thursday 28^th November - Public Seminar Organised by the Academy Committee for Archaeology in Academy House, 19 Dawson Street, Dublin 2. Seminar aims to showcase to wide general audience, the results of several recently funded excavations and research projects https://www.ria.ie/Events/Events-Listing/Revealing-the-Past--Archaeological-Research-in-Ire.aspx

Thursday 28^th November at 8pm - Book Launch 'Letters From A Recalcitrant Woman' by Marie MacSweeney at the High Lanes Gallery, Laurence Street, Drogheda on all are welcome. This is Marie’s fourth book and is a departure from her usual poetry and short stories.  It is a unique collection of Letters to Editors and Talk Show Hosts, dating from 1974 to 2013, something readers can dip into year by year or in whatever order they wish. Marie has, over a period of forty years, engaged in public debate by means of Letters to the Editor and Emails to current affairs programmes. Here you will find old and new comment on topics as diverse as the Paisleys, peanuts, Bertie’s cosmetics, blasphemy, capital punishment, the Irish language, divorce, daffodils, cruelty to animals, Adam and Eve, St. Patrick, Marilyn Monroe and much more.

Friday 29^th November at 8pm - Dunderry History Group are holding a launch of three local history books in Dunderry Hall. Light Refreshments will be served and all are welcome. The first book, ‘Stories from Eskaroon’ is a book about a lifetime folk collection of stories and yarns from Eskaroon townland in Dunderry. The second book ‘Dunderry a Century of Sport’ is about sport in the Dunderry area throughout the century of the 1900s. The third book ‘Dund’ry a Folk History’ is the largest book and is a collection of all types of folk histories - short histories, articles, personal journeys, life histories, miscellaneous news, locally used words, sayings, yarns and recollections, diary extracts, local poetry, songs, cures and traditions.

Friday 29^th November 2013 at 7:30pm - Irish High Crosses - An illustrated lecture by Peter Harbison at Donegans Monasterboice Inn, Co. Louth. Lecture €5 followed by optional dinner €25. Copies of the new edition of Irish High Crosses will be on sale at the special price of €6.95 including a free DVD.

We extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to Muireann O'Higgins and her family on the sad death of her father Michael on 10th October last. Michael was an enthusiastic supporter of our Society, regularly attending our lectures and outings. He will be fondly remembered by members of the M.A.H.S. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

Francis Ledwidge Museum Christmas Cards. To promote the poet and raise funds for the upkeep of the museum, the committee are selling Christmas cards. The cards can be purchased at the museum which is open daily until 15th December from 10am to 3.30pm or online at http://www.francisledwidge.com/christmas-cards.php