There are many historical documents that provide an insight into the history of Skibbereen and district. This page is designed to make a selection of these available online, some for the first time ever.
It is our intention to expand the selection of documents over time. If you have a document that could be added to this archive please contact us with details on our Contact Page.
Daniel O’Connell in Skibbereen. The Monster Meeting for Repeal held by Daniel O’Connell in Skibbereen on 22nd June 1843, was a significant date in the history of the town. However, perhaps because the region was then relatively remote, much of O’Connell’s speech was given in Irish or it was just one of a series of such meetings, the event in Skibbereen did not receive the same attention as did others of O’Connell’s Monster Meetings. We are grateful to Maura Cahalane for finding this account of the day in the Belfast Newsletter newspaper and transcribing it for us.
To view the full transcript of the Belfast Newsletter report click here.
Fr Michael Collins’ evidence to the House of Commons in 1824. Michael Collins was parish priest of Skibbereen from 1814 to 1830 and Bishop of Cloyne and Ross from 1830 to his death in 1832. He is best remembered for building St Patrick’s Cathedral in Skibbereen and for surviving an assassination attempt in 1827. He was very active in the relief of the 1822 famine and as result, in June 1824, he gave evidence before a select committee of the House of Commons inquiring into the state of Ireland. His testimony, which occurred over three days, gives us a unique and detailed view of life in the Skibbereen district in the 1820s.
To view the transcript of Fr Collins’ evidence to the select committee of the House of Commons click here.