The West Cork History Societies Association’s day-long conference on Emigration will be held on Saturday 5th April 2025 in the Independence Museum Kilmurry commencing at 10 am. The theme of the conference, Emigration, was chosen as it is a subject which has had an impact on every Irish family and should be of universal interest. The format will be an introductory talk followed by two lectures before lunch, with two more lectures after lunch and a concluding discussion. A light lunch will be provided at the venue and during lunch live music associated with emigration will be preformed.
The admission fee is €25 per person.
This includes entrance to all the lectures and a light lunch.
To view the conference timetable click here.
To purchase tickets online please click here.
Speakers:
Terri Kearney
(Historian, author and manager of the Skibbereen Heritage Centre)
will give the opening remarks.
The Skibbereen Heritage Centre is in operation for 25 years. In that period the centre has interacted with thousands of individuals of Irish descent. Terri will provide context for the Irish Emigration story since the Great Famine of 1845-1852 and she will recount, through the stories of those who have visited the Heritage Centre in Skibbereen, how important the connection to Ireland is to the Diaspora.
Ultan Cowley
(Independent historian and author)
will speak on
Taking the Boat: Some First Impressions…
Ultan Cowley, is a former emigrant and author of The Men Who Built Britain (2001) and McAlpine’s Men: Irish Stories from the Sites (2010). In his talk he will reflect on the reminiscences of Irish emigrants who left for Britain by boat in the middle decades of the last century.
Jarlath McNamara
(Retired Engineer, historian and expert on 19th century musician and bandleader Patrick S. Gilmore)
will speak on
Finding our Diaspora
A native of County Galway, Jarlath MacNamara has spent 16 years studying the famous 19th century musician and bandleader Patrick S. Gilmore (who was from Galway ) and became the Superstar of Music in America, known to all emigrants of the 19th Century.
Dr Miriam Nyhan Grey
(Assistant Professor at Mary Immaculate, College Limerick and a founding member of the African American Irish Diaspora Network)
will speak on
Migration in Irish History: Reflections on a Century
Migration shaped 20th century Irish history significantly. For most Irish families it was a norm to have kin in England, the United States and beyond. This paper presents some reflections on themes in Irish migration history over the past one hundred years, drawing where possible on the lived experience of migrants. Dr. Grey has researched Irish migration history for over two decades and is particularly interested in the intersections of local, national and global narratives.
Dr James Walsh
(Associate Professor in the Political Science Dept. at the University of Colorado Denver)
will join via Zoom to speak on
Lessons From the Pauper Graves: The Leadville Irish and the Struggle to Memorialize 19th Century immigrant Paupers Buried at 10,000 Feet.
Dr Walsh has researched the lives of 19th century Irish immigrants in the silver mining town of Leadville, Colorado for over twenty years. His work led to the construction of the Leadville Irish Memorial, recognizing over 1300 immigrants buried in unmarked pauper graves. Many of these miner came from the Beara Peninsula and in recent years Leadville twinned with Allihies in West Cork.
To see the timetable for the day click here.
To purchase tickets online please click here.
This project is supported by Cork County Council’s Commemorations Committee.
and has received sponsorship from the Cork Historical & Archaeological Society