There are a wide range of events happening across the libraries of West Cork during Heritage Week, including a talk and a display of a 17th century scale model of Bandon town.
Dr David Pasley of the local Tidy Towns Group has used maps, surveys, drawings and archive material to create a handmade scale model of how Bandon would have looked in the 1600s.
The display and talk are part of the Bandon Walled Town Festival, and takes place at 11.30am on Saturday August 16th.
On the same day at 2pm, author Amanda Clarke will tell the story of St Brogan, the history of the Cil Bhrogáin Wells, and the rich traditions and topography of holy wells across
Cork.
On Tuesday August 19th, Colum Cronin of the West Cork Oral Heritage Project will present a talk on the case for oral heritage recording in changing times, while on Friday August 22nd at 11am, Marie D’Arcy will deliver a talk on Bandon’s history from the early 1600s to 1900 using resources from the Local Studies Library.
Two children’s workshops will take place in the Bandon library, on Saturday August 23rd, where children aged 5 to 12 will be invited to join Ruti Lachs for a joyful interactive workshop exploring songs and folk tunes from around the world, including Europe, Africa and South America.
Ruti brings a number of instruments with her and everyone will have a chance to play along and learn a new tune and a song in another language.
No experience needed, but participants who do play a musical instrument are welcome to bring it with them. Contact Bandon library directly to book a place, although all events are free.
SKIBBEREEN
In Skibbereen, the library will host a talk on Friday August 15th at 2.30pm on life in the pre-electrification period in West Cork, presented by Marie D’Arcy from the Local Studies Library.
DUNMANWAY
Meanwhile, in Dunmanway library on August 19th there will be a talk on the Fanlobbus ecclesiastical site and graveyard, as well as its purpose as a famine graveyard. Presented by historian and author Michelle O’Mahony alongside Tommy Collins of Dunmanway Historical Association, the talk takes place at 2.30pm.
KINSALE
On the evening of August 21st at 6pm, Kinsale library will host a special Heritage Week presentation on the journey of the Old Head Signal Tower project, from a 200-year-old Napoleonic ruin to an award-winning heritage site. This talk, inspired by the museum’s recently released book The Story So Far, explores how the passion of the local community transformed the tower into a thriving tourist attraction, and attendees will also hear about the next chapter of the project: the planning permission approval which will see the creation of a purpose-built Lusitania Museum building on site.
Family History Talks
Staff from the local studies library will be visiting libraries across West Cork to inform and explain to people how to trace their family tree, during National Heritage Week. The team will be in Schull library on August 19th at 2.30pm, and in Kinsale on Wednesday August 20th at 11am. The team will also be in Clonakilty library on Thursday August 21st, also at 11am.
