The West Cork History Festival, of which the Bishop of Cork Dr Paul Colton is one of the patrons,  will run from 16-19 August. The programme will include contributions from leading writers on historical subjects. The subjects are local, national, and international in nature and cover a range of periods, from Gothic Art to violence against women in the Irish revolution. 

This year the several centenaries of 1918 are a major strand in the Festival programme, with contributions on the End of the First World War, partial suffrage for women, the ‘flu pandemic, and the politics of Ireland in that year. We also have a sub-theme on history as mediated through art: Niamh O’Sullivan will talk about the Coming Home exhibition of Famine-related art; Niamh MacNally will discuss Margaret Clarke and her work; and Peter Murray will speak about  George Victor du Noyer.

Among the local history covered, will be a talk on the experiences of the Protestant community in West Cork in the Revolutionary Period and the screening of the video documentary about the installation of the Sam Maguire Bells at St Mary’s Dunmanway.

The programme includes talks, debates, and film screenings, there will also be a concert by a local musician, Jessie Kennedy, inspired by the journals of Lady Carbery.  For more detail see the website HERE.