Report Paul Murphy
Drogheda Civic Trust with the support of Louth County Council has announced a Festival of Drogheda History – a new series pf public history seminars to take place throughout this year celebrating the rich and diverse heritage of Drogheda and its wider historical context. The festival will consist of three major seminars beginning with “Oliver Plunkett in Historical Context” on Saturday 3rd May at St Peter’s Church of Ireland Parish Hall Drogheda.
The seminar will open with a welcome from the Mayor of Drogheda Cllr Paddy McQuillan, pictured above and will feature a distinguished panel of speakers including Fr Iggy O’Donovan OSA, Dr Paul Smith (Trinity College), Dr Eoghan Darcy (Maynooth university), Dr Annaleigh Margey (Dundalk Institute of Technology) and Sean Collins MA of the Drogheda Civic Trust. Admission is free and the event starts at 10am. All are welcome.
The second seminar scheduled for July will explore “The Role of the Fenians in the 1860s” and will include a special site visit to the John Boyle O’Reilly monument at Dowth. Full details and registration information will be announced at a later date.
The final seminar of the years will take place on Friday 8th November commemorating the 100th anniversary of the unveiling of Drogheda’s World War (Cenotaph) on Mary Street. A powerful. Line- up of contributors will include Professor Brian Hanley (Trinity College), Lynn McDonnell, Dr Donal Hall, Captain Francis Ledwidge, and Paul Clarke (UTV).
Denis Cummins, Chair of Drogheda Civic Trust said “We are delighted to present this Festival of Drogheda History which highlights our town’s place in the wider story of Ireland. These events are about fostering local pride, learning from our past and creating connections between community and heritage. With support from Lough County Council we are proud to offer these events free to the public.”
