On Friday evening, 10 July, Skibbereen Historical Journal Vol. 22 (2026) was formally launched at Abbeystrewery Hall in Skibbereen. The event was presided over by the chairperson of the Skibbereen & District Historical Society, John O’Neill, and the guest speaker was Finola Finlay of the Roaringwater Journal blog. In her talk Finola spoke about the articles in this year’s Journal and examined the themes that runs through the new volume. These include resilience, particularly that of women in the past, as demonstrated in the article by Eugene McSweeney on the visit by Anna Parnell to Ballydehob in 1881, at the height of the Land War, and the article by Patricia Sears on the families from the Mizen Peninsula who, after the Great Famine, settled in the slums of London’s East End. Similar linkages were examined by Finola for each of the fourteen articles, listed below, included in the 2026 Journal.
The chairperson of the editorial committee, William Casey, also spoke. He thanked all those involved, including the other members of the editorial committee and the contributors – without whom there would be no journal. He particularly mentioned the five new contributors to this year’s Journal and expressed the hope that this was a good sign of things to come.
The articles in this year’s volume are:
The Land War in Ballydehob and the visit of Anna Parnell – Eugene McSweeney
Brow Head Signal Station, a ‘malicious destruction’ – Rachel Julia Barrett
The Human Element at a Wireless Station: Life at Crookhaven – H.W. Leech
Michael Sullivan: A Poor Man’s Evidence to the Devon Commission 1844 – Michael Casey
Dr Dan Donovan, Famine Hero – Terri Kearney
From West Cork to London’s East End – Patricia Coveney Sears
1926 The Irish Free State at a political crossroads – Donal Corcoran
The Long Walk – Bantry to Dublin 1966- Ted Cadogan
The Rural Ideal in the writings of Peadar Ó hAnnracháin – Cáit Pléimionn
A tidal mill on Sherkin Island – Conleth Manning
Winter 1947 – Mary McCarthy
St Patrick’s Cathedral, Skibbereen – Philip O’Regan
Fr Charles Davis – Tracey Wood Wolfe
Discovering the Donovans of Dromig and Lassanroe: a personal journey – Bill Wolfendale
This year’s Journal is selling for €12 and is available in local shops in Skibbereen and throughout West Cork or it can be purchased online at https://tinyurl.com/SHJ-2026.
Guest speaker, Finola Finlay, speaking at the launch. (photo: Philip O’Regan) 
Society chairperson, John O’ Neail, speaking at the launch. (photo: Philip O’Regan) 
Contributors Patricia Coveney Sears and Conleth Manning with guest speaker Finola Finlay and William Casey of the editorial committee. (photo: Philip O’Regan) 
Contributors Michael Casey, Terri Kearney, Tracey Wood Wolfe and Eugene McSweeney. (photo: Philip O’Regan) 
Skibbereen Historical Society members Seamus O’Leary, Donal O’Donovan, Bebeanne Carey and Ted Cadogan, who is also a contributor. (photo: Philip O’Regan)