There will be plenty of Tipperary interest in the upcoming Knocklong History Weekend

Knocklong History Weekend 2023

“Liam Lynch: To Declare a Republic” and “Brother Against Brother - An appraisal of the Civil War in Six Counties.”
This year Knocklong History will host their annual History Weekend on Friday, May 12 at 8 pm, and Saturday, May 13 at 10.30 a.m. in Knocklong Community Centre. On Friday there will be a talk given by Gerard Shannon entitled “Liam Lynch: To Declare a Republic.” The Saturday seminar “Brother Against Brother - an appraisal of the Civil War in Six Counties” will
be chaired by Tom Toomey, Limerick, and will aim to give a balanced insight into the Civil War which took place between June 1922 and August 1923. The speakers are Tomas MacConmara, Clare, Liz Gillis, Dublin, John Borgonovo, Cork, John Flannery, Tipperary and Pat McCarthy, Waterford.

“Liam Lynch: To Declare a Republic”
This year marks one hundred years since the death of General Liam Lynch, commemorations held during April in Newcastle, Tipperary, Fermoy, Co. Cork and Anglesborough, Co. Limerick, were covered on national media. Historian and author Gerard Shannon launched his book “Liam Lynch: To Declare a Republic” in March, this is the first biography of Liam Lynch in nearly forty years. It has featured in the non-fiction best selling list since it was published and is now going for reprint. Gerard Shannon’s talk will be based on his extensive research and promises to provide an insightful portrait of the anti-treaty republican who did his utmost to find a compromise with his former comrades but was happier to die than accept the terms of the Anglo-Irish Treaty.

Brother Against Brother - An appraisal of the Civil War in Six Counties
Tom Toomey is famous for his publication The War of Independence in Limerick 1912-1921, which gives an extensive overview of War of Independence events in Limerick. Tom is a well-known figure in history circles in Limerick and bordering counties, he has presented on the
War of Independence and the Civil War on both historical figures and events. Tomás Mac Conmara is an award-winning oral historian and author from County Clare. He has published six books including his 20-year collection work, The Time of the Tans and The Scariff Martyrs, War,
Murder and Memory in East Clare. Liz Gillis, is a historian and author, from the Liberties in Dublin. She is the author of six books about the Irish revolution including The Fall of Dublin, Women of the Irish Revolution, The Hales Brothers and the Irish Revolution and May 25: The Burning of the Custom House 1921.

John Borgonovo is a lecturer in the School of History at University College Cork. He has published extensively on diverse aspects of Revolutionary Ireland, including the civil war. He co-edited the award-winning Atlas of the Irish Revolution and wrote the civil war monograph, The battle for Cork: July–August 1922. John Flannery is a member of Tipperary in the Decade
of Revolution group and of the Tipperary GAA Bloody Sunday Commemoration Committee, and is a past president of the Ormond Historical Society, in the near future he is to publish his book Tipperary 1921 to 1926 - Anarchy, Agrarianism & Civil War. He is a well known speaker and podcast contributor on the revolutionary period in Tipperary. Pat McCarthy, a native of Waterford city, he is the author of Waterford: The Irish Revolution 1912-1923, Waterford and the 1916 Rising) and The Redmonds and Waterford, a political dynasty 1891-1952.

The Knocklong History Seminar would not be possible without the sponsorship of local businesses and Limerick City and County Council Decade of Centenaries. Local business Tigín Honey is kindly providing the wifi which allows us to live stream the seminar on Knocklong History Facebook page. We acknowledge the support of Mitchelstown Credit Union, Dairygold, D-Pack, Tigín Honey, Dan Dooley Car Sales, Kerry Group and Hinchy’s Car Sales over the years. Admission is €5 on both days.

These are non partisan events and all are welcome to attend.