Speaker: J.J. Hickie – representing Kilkee Historical Society

Talk Description:

A Treasure Trove of old photographs across not only decades, but two centuries; representing a lifetimes passion for all things Kilkee; has been assembled by well-known and greatly admired Kilkee man J.J. Hickie. So large is his collection; the great dilemma for J.J. will not be what photographs to put in, but what ones to leave out! Each photograph will be accompanied by J.J.’s insightful commentary, revealing many interesting historical facts, anecdotes and, perhaps, even a few surprising revelations.
A Lawrence Collection Photograph from 1870
Hard Times for Donkey & Owner

About the Speaker:

An active member of Kilkee Historical Society & Kilkee Civic Trust; J. J. Hickie is a well-known Kilkee native, businessman, purveyor for many years of Hickie’s Victualler Shop at O’Connell St. Kilkee; now in the safe hands of his son Shane. Those who know him well say the accolade of “Local Historian” is more than justified. J.J. Hickie has an encyclopaedic knowledge of Kilkee’s life and times over recent centuries and his personal selection of photographs is certain to be memorable.

Admission is FREE of charge

A donations box is available, at each KCT Talk, to assist us in defraying essential and necessary expenses

E-mail:
Website: www.kilkeecivictrust.org

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This illustrated talk, will focus on the last commercial narrow-gauge railway line to operate in the country, the sometimes infamous “West Clare Railway” which served the communities of West and South Clare from 1888 until 1961. It will feature many rare photographs, diagrams and drawings. It will look at some of the people who worked on the line; those who travelled on it and also lamented its passing.

About the Speaker:

Joe Coleman has spent over 39 years in various roles working in road transport with CIE & Bus Éireann until retiring in 2017. He has a great passion for railways and published the bestselling book: “Falling Gradient”- ‘Limerick’s Railway Connections, the people and the times’ in 2016. He has given a number of lectures on the subject of local railway lines in various locations around the south west.
Joe’s other publications include: “House Full”(2014) – ‘An affectionate look back at the old cinema’s and theatres of Limerick…’ and “The Breaking Rapids” (2018) – ‘Aspects of the Treaty Riverside City and its environs…..’. All but the latter are now out of print. Joe is also a Distinguished Toastmaster and is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (Ireland).

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Speaker:Dermot Cosgrove

In July of 2017 Dermot solo hiked along one of the remotest hiking trails in the world, the Arctic Circle Trail. This trail is located 40 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle crossing over the coastal mountains in the tundra of Western Greenland as far as the Ice Sheet.
In 2018 Dermot continued his trekking activities by tackling the first stage of the GR10 trail in the French Pyrenees; as part of his training for an ultra-long-distance trail in 2019. His latest endeavour has been to walk solo, and unsupported, from the most Northerly point on mainland Iceland to its most Southerly point, hiking 620 kilometres and crossing a variety of terrains from tundra to volcanic black sand deserts to mountains.
Solo, long-distance hiking requires a particular mind-set, resilience and self-reliance which Dermot attributes to a combination of his time in the French Foreign Legion and love of the great outdoors. He has combined his long-distance hiking and love of birdwatching with fundraising for charity. Dermot will talk about the training and preparation required for travelling solo in remote lands, and enduring harsh and physically demanding conditions, with photos, video footage and maps. Then; because there are more journeys ahead; Dermot will reveal his future plans for more adventures in the Arctic.

About the Speaker:

Dermot Cosgrove is an Ennis native who at 19 years of age enlisted in the French Foreign Legion, where he served six years deploying operationally in Africa and the Middle East; including the First Gulf War.
After leaving the French Foreign Legion Dermot entered the world of private security; frequently working with clients, such as the media, in conflict zones in Africa and the Middle East. He moved to Kilkee in the late 1990´s where he rekindled his love of birdwatching which, ultimately, led him to remote solo hiking. His sister’s involvement with the charity Irish Dogs for the Disabled led him to starting the “Walk for the Dogs fundraising initiative”,Facebook through which he has raised more than €15,000 to date, and continues to provide him with the motivation to plan further treks with newer, more testing, conditions.

Admission is FREE of charge
A donations box is available, at each KCT Talk, to assist us in defraying essential and necessary expenses
I have attached a copy of the “shop window poster” for this KCT Talk.

Admission is FREE of charge

A donations box is available, at each KCT Talk, to assist us in defraying essential and necessary expenses

E-mail:
Website: www.kilkeecivictrust.org

Kilkee Civic Trust is on Facebook! Please “Like” us on Facebook.

Speakers: Brian O’Connell & Cian O’Carroll

Talk Description:

Cian O’Carroll will deliver a summary of O’Regan’s life, illustrated by photographs showing his involvement in a wide range of activities.
Brian O’Connell’s talk will deal with O’Regan’s unique contribution to the development of an international tourist trade in Ireland; beyond visitors from Britain. It will cover O’Regan’s unique role in conceiving and creating an industry that today employs hundreds of thousands of Irish people in their home country and the countless obstacles he overcame in realising that vision.
Brian O’Connell & Cian O’Carroll’s book “Brendan O’Regan” will be available for purchase on the night of the Talk.

About the Speakers:

Dublin born Cian O’Carroll was hired by Brendan O’Regan as Estates Manager of Shannon Development in 1960 and oversaw the establishment of Shannon Town. He subsequently became the first CEO of Shannon Heritage. In retirement, Cian established an international consultancy on Heritage Tourism. In collaboration with Brian O’Connell, he played a leading role in creating the Brendan O’Regan Archive; a series of interviews with O’Regan in his final years.
Brian O’Connell first encountered O’Regan when setting up a business in Foynes Harbour more than 40 years ago. He later served for ten years on the board of Shannon Development and for most of that time as Chairman of Shannon Heritage. As well as his biography of Brendan O’Regan, Brian has authored biographies of antiquarian and benefactor John Hunt and Tipperaryman, Sir William Parker Carroll.

Admission is FREE of charge

A donations box is available, at each KCT Talk, to assist us in defraying essential and necessary expenses

E-mail:
Website: www.kilkeecivictrust.org

Kilkee Civic Trust is on Facebook! Please “Like” us on Facebook.

Speaker: John S. Kelly

Talk Description:

During the latter half of the 19th century; Ireland experienced a Land War. Our speaker, John S. Kelly, explores the three distinct phases. The first, lasting until 1882, witnessed a violent struggle between landlords and tenants, orchestrated by the tenants’ rights organisation, the Land League. During the second phase, 1882-1891, a more intensive struggle called the Plan of Campaign was instigated. The final phase of agreement and settlement eventually led to tenant ownership through a series of Land Acts.
If the Land War began as a means of securing rent abatements, it evolved into a campaign against landlordism. In County Clare, the disturbances that took place on the Bodyke section of Colonel John O’Callaghan’s estate during the 1880s, culminating in the notorious evictions of June 1887, form one of the most dramatic episodes of the entire Land War in Ireland. The Bodyke evictions became a cause célèbre in the debate over the land question, a debate argued in both the House of Commons & House of Lords; the Local, National and International Press; and played a significant part in the overthrow of the prevailing land holding system in the country.

About the Speaker:

John S. Kelly, long-associated with East Clare, is a native of Rathcroghan in Co. Roscommon. A Boarder at Summerhill College, Sligo, from 1953 to 1958. Always the keen sportsman and team-player; John enjoyed a successful football career; playing centerfield for Roscommon in the 1962 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final; where he marked Kerry-man Mick O’Connell.
John S. Kelly is a History Graduate of University College Galway. He has done Post-Graduate Research on Land Agitation in East Clare, and is the author of “The Bodyke Evictions”, published in 1987.
He was involved in the development of a Private Lay Secondary School in Scarriff in the mid-1960s, which in 1968 amalgmated with the local Vocational School to become one of the first Community Colleges in the country. John retired as Principal of the College in the year 2000.
In 1979, for the Centenary Celebrations to mark the founding of the Land League, John was invited by Clare County Council to deliver the Commemoration Lecture. All things historical are close to John’s heart, and together with on-going speaking engagements, John is a Director on the Board of the Hunt Museum Trust, charged with responsibility for overseeing the Hunt Collection on behalf of the people of Ireland.
John is married to Marie and has four adult children.

Admission is FREE of charge

A donations box is available, at each KCT Talk, to assist us in defraying essential and necessary expenses

E-mail:
Website: www.kilkeecivictrust.org

Kilkee Civic Trust is on Facebook! Please “Like” us on Facebook.

Speaker: Christopher Power

Talk Title: Michael Hogan: The Bard of Thomond

Talk Description:
Michael Hogan the Bard of Thomond created wonderful material about his native city of Limerick and much of County Clare. An early master in the genre of Gothic stories, he produced highly descriptive and very original material. Perhaps his best-known piece of literature was Drunken Thady and the Bishops Lady the ultimate Christmas story. Many other creations exist in his works such as the ghostly bride Mary who haunted Quin Abbey and of course terrifying Obhinn, the Banshee, and her dreadful curses.

Hogan’s lovely descriptions of rural Clare and Limerick, not to mention various characters real, (and from beyond the grave!), are highly entertaining and, despite the huge amounts of material he produced which are largely forgotten, have a great deal to offer to a modern audience.

Hogan was also a social commentator of his time with compassion and sympathy for the many who suffered in post famine Ireland. On the issues of social justice, and those in public life, there was no sharper critic then Hogan who wrote ascorbic comment with hilarious and devastating effect against many senior figures of his time. This talk, (with visuals), will explore these fascinating aspects of Michael Hogan’s eventful life both locally and abroad and will hopefully give a wider appreciation of this largely overlooked Irish writer.

About the Speaker:
A native of North County Wexford, Christopher Power has a keen interest in local history and has produced a number of publications covering a wide range of topics; including historical aspects of Wexford, Wicklow and South Tipperary. Professionally; Christopher is a Librarian working for Carlow County Council.

Christopher’s recent book is titled “The Last Dalcassian Bard: The Extraordinary Life and Works of Michael Hogan”, and it will be available for purchase on the night of the Talk. It is an illustrated full colour biography and recently came second in the Nilsson Local Heritage writing competition at Listowel Writers Week.

Our speaker has a Limerick & Clare connection; his Uncle Christy Power, arrived to work in Limerick in the mid-1960s, a well-known Printer with the Limerick Leader, now retired, and living in Ardnacrusha. As a result, with many visits to Limerick over the years, it was Uncle Christy who introduced his nephew Christopher and his Dad Pat to Drunken Thady and the Bishops Lady.

Admission is FREE of charge

A donations box is available, at each KCT Talk, to assist us in defraying essential and necessary expenses

Every good wish,

Joseph McCloskey

Honorary Secretary,
Kilkee Civic Trust

E-mail:
Website: www.kilkeecivictrust.org

Kilkee Civic Trust is on Facebook! Please “Like” us on Facebook.

Our summer season of weekly events commences this Wednesday, 3rd July, with our first KCT Talk at 8pm, at Cultúrlann Sweeney, O’Connell St., Kilkee.
Speaker: Ruairí McKiernan
Talk Title: Hope and Healing in a Troubled World
Talk Description:
We live in an increasingly busy world where we’re presented with huge opportunities, but also massive challenges. Issues such as anxiety, depression, loneliness, and social isolation are on the rise. The neglect of rural Ireland, economic and social inequalities, and a growing ecological crisis are evidence that big changes are needed. In this talk by well-known social campaigner Ruairí McKiernan, he reflects on his 20 years working for change and explores how we can co-create new paths and possibilities to a more hopeful future for all.
About the Speaker:
Lahinch-based Cavan native Ruairí McKiernan is an award-winning social innovator and campaigner who has been named by Ashoka as one of the top 10 ‘changemakers’ in Ireland. Ruairí is the founder of the SpunOut.ie youth organisation, a co-founder of the Uplift campaigning movement, and recently finished a 7-year term as one of President Higgins’s appointees to the Council of State. Ruairí is also a Fulbright fellow, a regular contributor to the national media, and host of the Love and Courage podcast. His book ‘Hitching For Hope” will be published in the coming months.
Further information at: www.ruairimckiernan.com & Twitter: @ruairimckieran
Admission is FREE of charge
A donations box is available, at each KCT Talk, to assist us in defraying essential and necessary expenses