History of People and Places
Our January Lecture is: ‘1588, The Surprising Survival of the Spanish Armada’ by Michael B. Barry. Contrary to widespread belief, the Spanish Armada, while it failed in its invasion objective, was not defeated – around two-thirds of the fleet managed
The AGM of Skibbereen and District Historical Society will be held at 8.30pm on Wednesday 26th February 2024 at the O'Donovan Rossa GAA Pavilion, Skibbereen. The agenda for the AGM is as follows: Adoption of minutes of 2024 AGM held on 28th
Our March lecture is 'The Railways of West Cork - Reflections & Reminiscences' by John C. Dwyer John C Dwyer is co-author of "The Railways of West Cork - Reflections & Reminiscences", the brainchild of Michael Patterson, who along with
Our April Lecture is: 'Women of power: goddesses, guardians and the godly in Iron Age and Early Christian Ireland' by Dr Cathy Swift. Dr Cathy Swift, Director of Irish Studies at Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick, has lectured in many
The formal launch of the 2025 Skibbereen Historical Journal will take place at the O'Donovan Rossa GAA Pavilion, Skibbereen (eircode P81 HF74) on Wednesday 16th July at 7 pm. In recognition of the fact that this the 25th Anniversary of
Drimoleague Outing - Tuesday, 12 August 2025 at 7 pm. Our next outing of the season will be a visit to to the village of Drimoleague, where our guide will be Michael O'Sullivan. The outing will commence at 7 pm
Guided walk on Skibbereen's Railway History - Heritage week event. The railway first came to Skibbereen in 1877 and the last train ran on 31 March 1961. There is always a great sense of nostalgia about railways and the part
Our October Lecture is: ‘Skellig Michael: Stairway to Heaven’ by John Sheehan. This talk will explore some aspects of the extraordinary monastery of Skellig Michael, one of Ireland’s World Heritage Sites. It will focus on its dramatic siting, on its
Our November lecture is: 'The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)' by Conor Kelleher. Conor Kelleher has served in Lebanon with the UN peacekeepers on six occasions as well as the Golan Heights. He holds a Masters in Strategic
Our January Lecture is: ‘From Skibbereen to the Moon: Agnes Clerke and 19th Century Astronomy’ by Finola Finlay. Agnes Mary Clerke (1842-1907) was born and brought up in Skibbereen and lived through the Famine. Educated at home and in libraries
The AGM of Skibbereen and District Historical Society will be held at 8.00pm on Monday 16th February 2026 at the O’Donovan Rossa GAA Pavilion, Skibbereen. The agenda for the AGM is as follows: Adoption of minutes of 2025 AGM held on 26th February
Our March Lecture is: ‘A Life in Four Acts’ by Lord David Puttnam For many years the Oscar-winning film producer David Puttnam has resided close to Skibbereen. In this talk he will reflect on his remarkable journey through film, politics, and