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Heritage Week 2025: The Banshee the Messenger of Death & Keening
We have been asked to share the following information by the Co. Kilkenny Library.
For Heritage Week 2024, in Loughboy Library, Ann Moylan provided a hugely successful talk on Ancient Irish Wakes. For Heritage Week 2025, Ann returns to Loughboy Library to provide us with another fascinating evening of insight into our rich heritage and folklore.
Don’t miss this talk and explanation of the role of the Banshee, the Messenger of Death, and making a comparison with the Mná Chaointe, the much revered Keening women without whom no Death Ritual was complete in Ancient Ireland.
This talk takes place on Friday 15th August at 6.15 p.m. in Loughboy Library.
Places are limited. Phone 056 7794176 or email loughboy@kilkennylibrary.ie to book a place.
Happy May Day 2025
In Ireland May Bushes tend to be adorned with primroses that are strung together. This year due to the early spring the primroses have come and gone, but we won’t complain about nice warm weather.
See our post of 22 April 2021 for more information concerning the May Bush tradition.
Happy May Day!
Upcoming South Kilkenny Historical Society Events
Happy New Year!
We have been asked to share details of forthcoming events of the South Kilkenny Historical Society. If you have any queries etc. please contact the chair of the South Kilkenny Historical Society, Ed Synnott at edsynnott@yahoo.co.uk.
SOUTH KILKENNY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
January to July 2025
LECTURE PROGRAMME
Friday, 31st January, “Some interesting South Kilkenny Lives,” by Donal Cadogan
Friday, 28th February, “John McCain: The Man Who Built Washington, From a South Kilkenny Viewpoint,” by Alice O’Neill McLoughlin
Friday, 28th March, “James Fogarty of Tibberaghny, ” by Con Manning
Friday, 25th April, “Bridie Aylward, Queen of Alaska: South Kilkenny Connections,” by Bridie Kineavy
All lectures will take place in Mullinavat Parish Hall, commencing at 8pm.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Friday, February 14th
COACH TRIP
Date to be confirmed
Clonmel, Co. Tipperary
FRAOCHAN SUNDAY
Sunday, July 13th
ÉIGSE SLIABH RUA 2024
The annual festival of history returns to Slieverue on November 15th and events continue until November 24th. The topics presented at Éigse this year will vary from the Macro to the Micro, from National and International events to the local townlands.
The official opening of Éigse will take place in the Rhu Glenn Hotel at 7.30 p.m. on November 15th and the festival will be opened by Mr. Sean Nugent, sport historian, GAA official and author. Professor Paul Rouse of the U.C.D. School of History will then deliver the opening lecture on the “Tailteann Games: Myth, History and Memory.“
On Tuesday November 19th Éigse will meet at St. Mary’s Parish Hall, Slieverue at 8.00 p.m. The Lecture titled “Taking the Boat” will be delivered by Ultan Cowley. Ultan himself took the boat, and is the author of The Men Who Built Britain; A History of the Irish Navy.
St. Mary’s Parish Hall is again the venue on Thursday November 21st at 8.00 p.m.. The lecture is on a now largely forgotten incident a century ago, “The 1924 Irish Army Mutiny.” The lecturer is John Dorney author of Peace After The Final Battle; The Fight for The Irish Capital and the Civil War in Dublin.
Éigse will visit the Dunbrody Famine Ship and the new Emigration Exhibition as well as the Kennedy Homestead on Saturday November 23rd.
Katherine Grant will explore local history through a series of talks in the local schools Ringville and Slieverue. Topics will include the local links with Newfoundland, Big Houses, Slieverue Village and Church. Of special interest will be the local folklore submitted to the Irish Folklore Commission in 1937/38 by the school children at that time.
All are Welcome
Happy Halloween!
Mr. Jack O’Lantern is visiting Glenmore for a few days thanks to the Glenmore Tidy Towns & Glenmore History.
For an interesting history of jack-o-lanterns see , The History Guy, “Best of Halloween.” Chapter 1 is the history of the jack-o-lantern and chapter 2 is the mysterious death of Harry Houdini.
For a classic local tale see our post of 27 October 2020 with a link to an RTE recording from 1974 of Kitty the Hare telling the story of the headless coach.