DONEGAL County Council Library Service has announced their first ever digital lecture series on the theme of the Decade of Centenaries.
The lecture series, which runs from June to September, will be free to everyone who registers on Eventbrite or contacts Central Library, Letterkenny.
The Decade of Centenaries Commemorations Programme Culture Division, Donegal County Council is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Decade of Centenaries 2012 -2023 Initiative.
Senior Executive Librarian, Donna Cavanagh, said: “Since 2012 the Cultural Division of Donegal County Council has delivered a comprehensive programme of events to commemorate the Decade of Centenaries which encompasses the history of Ireland between 1912 and 1923.
“The pandemic has forced us to think about alternative methods of delivery for these type of programmes. We are delighted to bring this lecture series which will consist of in depth and engaging lectures by highly regarded historians available online and for free.
“This programme provides us with an opportunity to focus on the everyday experience of ordinary people living in extraordinary times and and encompass the different cultural, political and religious traditions throughout the island of Ireland.”
The topic, lectures and release dates are as follows:
Thursday 24th June at 7.00pm – Liz Gillis (author and historian) ‘Children during the War of Independence’
Thursday 15th July at 7.00pm – Myles Dungan, presenter of RTE’s History Show ‘What did you do in the War of Independence, Grandad?’
Thursday 9th September at 7.00pm – Sinead McCoole (author and historian) ‘How to Research and Write an Irish Family History’
Tickets for these three events are free but must be booked through Eventbrite approximately ten days before the event. Contact Central Library Letterkenny for more information.
Thursday 22nd July at 7.00pm – Kieran Kelly (author and local historian) ‘From Nationalism to Republicanism – Letterkenny in the Decade of Change’
Thursday 29th July at 7.00pm – Professor Edward Burke (Assistant Professor in International Relations, Director of Conflict, Security and Terrorism, Faculty of Social Sciences at Nottingham University) “Closing the Gates: Loyalist Paramilitaries and Resistance in County Donegal, 1920-1923”
Thursday 16th September at 7.00pm – Helen Meehan (author and local historian) “The History and legacy of Cumann na mBan in Donegal”
Thursday 23rd September at 7.00pm – Dr Niamh Hamill (author and historian) “Broken Promises – Nationalism, Gender and the New Republic’
Thursday 30th September at 7.00pm – Seosamh O Ceallaigh (author and local historian) ‘The War of Independence in Cloughaneely’
These lectures are free of charge and can be viewed online on the dates specified at Donegal County Council YouTube channel. Please contact Central Library for the link.
