Fancy digging up the past?

Fascinating number of events have been lined up by Donegal County Museum this May

placeholder image — Fascinating number of events have been lined up by Donegal County Museum this May

Donegal County Museum presents a month of historical opportunities

Ever fancy digging deeper into the past to discover why certain events shaped our lives?

Well, now Donegal County Museum lined up a fascinating number of events this month to hopefully answer some of your questions.

It has orgainsed a short programme of talks to suit all interests from the archaeology of Donegal to the pivotal events of the Decade of Centenaries.

Museum curator, Judith McCarthy, uncovers stories of casualties and survivors from the First World War in her talk ‘From Behind the Walls’ on Saturday next, May 13 at 2pm. Using records from institutions such as the Workhouses and the Donegal District Lunatic Asylum the talk will explore what happened to some of those from Donegal who suffered trauma, injury and death during and after the Great War.

On International Museums Day, Thursday, May 18, you will have the opportunity to join Jane O’Shaughnessy, an archaeologist with the National Monuments Service for a presentation at 7.30pm on recently discovered archaeological sites in County Donegal, including cairns, rock art and hillforts. This talk also forms part of Donegal County Museum's 'ARCH 40' programme celebrating 40 years since the publication of the pioneering 'Archaeological Survey of County Donegal’.

On Wednesday, May 24 at 7.30pm Dr Niamh Brennan, County Archivist, Donegal County Council, will give her talk: ‘I want nothing only what is just’- Irish ‘Loyalist’ Refugees and the Irish Grants Committee 1922 – 1929.

In this presentation Dr Brennan will endeavour to answer the questions; Who were the ‘southern Irish loyalists’ and what happened to them during the Revolutionary years? What was the Irish Grants Committee and how did it assist refugees and why?

The talk will also look at several of the applicants claiming compensation, including those from County Donegal. Dr Brennan is the author of the much-quoted Ph.D. thesis: ‘Compensating Southern Irish Loyalists after the Anglo-Irish Treaty 1922 – 1932’ .

Admission to these talks is free. To book, contact Donegal County Museum at (074) 9124613 or e-mail: [email protected]