Decade of Centenaries lecture series drawing to a close in Leitrim

As the Decade of Centenaries period draws to a close, the final series of public lectures will be delivered by Dr Padraig McGarty in four locations across Leitrim on Thursday and Friday, October 5 and 6.

The theme of the 2023 lectures is “The Irish Revolution in Leitrim 1912-1923 - Reflection and Remembrance”.

The series which is funded by the Department of Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht and administered locally by Leitrim County Council has been part of a wider series of commemorative initiatives that were held across the county over the last number of years.

Mohill native Dr McGarty is a Senior Lecturer at Munster Technological University and is author of Leitrim, The Irish Revolution 1912-23 published by Four Courts Press.

Dr Padraig McGarty.

The 2023 lecture series ‘The Irish Revolution in Leitrim - Remembrance and Reflection’ commenced in April 2023 when a large audience of the Leitrim diaspora in New York gathered at the Rambling House, in New York’s Bronx for a great night’s entertainment as part of a series of events around the Leitrim v New York Connacht Senior Football championship game.

Following an invitation by the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith, London, Dr McGarty will delivered a lecture on Friday last, September 29, to the Leitrim People’s Association.

The 2023 series of lectures across Co Leitrim will commence in Kinlough Community Centre on Thursday, October 5 at 7.30pm.

At 9.15pm on the same night, the lecture will be delivered at the Rainbow Ballroom, Glenfarne, for the people of Glenfarne, Kiltyclogher and surrounding areas.

On the following night of Friday, October 6, lectures will be delivered at Ballinamore Library at 7.30pm, and Mohill Library at 9.15pm.

All of the lectures will outline events in the county and in specific local communities in the traumatic period of the Irish Revolution including topics such as World War One, the War of Independence and Civil War.

Since 2021, the lecture series has been delivered by Dr McGarty with a variety of different themes, and has reached hundreds of people in local communities across the county including Aughavas, Ballinamore, Carrigallen, Carrick- on-Shannon, Drumshanbo, Glenfarne, Gorvagh, Manorhamilton, Mohill, Kiltyclogher and Kinlough.

The aim of the series of initiatives has been to support the development of community-led commemorative initiatives in remembrance of this complex and challenging period in Ireland’s history.

Discussion, debate and entertainment has been the hallmark of the lecture series since 2021 which has been well received by audiences at home and abroad.

Admission to the lectures are free, and everybody is welcome to attend.