Online Lecture #5 : The Waterford Experiment

In 1783, Passage East was chosen as the site of New Geneva, in an ambitious plan to relocate the residents of Geneva. Professor Richard Whatmore from St Andrew's University brings us back to the events of the time.

Various events around the country

News from the Federation of Local History Societies (1) Co Roscommon - Rathcrogan Centre Reopens see link below 

 https://mcusercontent.com/e5e3dfd4c12216d7e548edf06/files/242836da-4891-71d2-a67d-055946cefa6f/Rthcroghan_Centre.01.pdf 

 (2) Co Cork - Cork Folklore Project see link below

 https://mcusercontent.com/e5e3dfd4c12216d7e548edf06/files/d179bff4-b8e3-5e54-48a4-3e1daedeeadb/Cork_Folklore_Project.pdf 

 (3) Merrion Press - Publications see link below

 https://mcusercontent.com/e5e3dfd4c12216d7e548edf06/files/da66b6de-92dd-d807-2c5d-0ec2697fc1fa/Merrion_press.pdf 

 (4) Co Kildare - The Royal Sites of Ireland 

 The Royal Sites of Ireland are a group of six unique collectives of largely prehistoric monuments and sites associated in early medieval and medieval texts as the principal ancient sites of royal inauguration in Ireland. Spread throughout the island, four of the sites represent the ancient Kingdoms of Ireland and its current provinces of North (Emain Macha), South (Rock of Cashel), East (Dún Ailline) and West (Rathcroghan). Tara was the seat of the High Kings of Ireland situated in the ancient ‘fifth’ province of Meath (Midhe) while the Hill of Uisneach the ‘omphalos’ or centre was where the 5 kingdoms met. The respective Local Authorities of Kildare, Meath, Westmeath, Roscommon and Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon, with Tipperary as lead authority, have been working together during the lifetime of the last World Heritage Tentative List to develop the Royal Sites of Ireland case for ‘outstanding universal value’ the key attribute for world heritage sites. As the current list is up for renewal, the Royal Sites of Ireland has to reapply to remain on the Tentative List and progress further. To engage with communities in the 6 counties in this challenging time of Covid, a website www.royalsites.ie has been launched, to update people as we progress but also to allow people feed into the process. I am encouring everyone to take part oin the survey Bridget Loughlin Heritage Officer | Kildare County Council Direct: +353 45 980791 | Switch: 353 45 980200 | Email: bloughlin@kildarecoco.ie | Web: www.kildarecoco.ie | Planning Dept, Kildare County Council, Aras Chill Dara, Devoy Park, Newbridge Road, Naas, Ireland, W91 X77F | KildareHeritage countykildareheritageoffice 

 (5) Northern Ireland - Ulster History Project Online Conference 

 Subject: Ulster History Project Online Conference 22 May 2021 Members/ Contacts For details please visit the website where there are details of the Conference and joining instructions see below

 https://ulsterhistoryproject.org.uk/one-hundred-years-of-northern-ireland/ 

 (6) New Book - The First Irish Cities - An 18th Century Transformation 

 Members may be (should be) interested in this new book of wide national and local interest

 "This is the book we've been waiting for" Professor Sean Connolly. 

 "Highly original, well-researched and elegantly written … Transforms our understanding of many important questions.'—Eugenio Biagini, author of British Democracy and Irish Nationalism 1876-1906

 "Exemplary. The study of Irish urban history has been until now patchy. Dickson's work significantly reduces this scholarly deficit.'—Jim Smyth, Emeritus Professor, University of Notre Dame. 

"Drawing on his magisterial knowledge of all facets of eighteenth-century Ireland, Dickson unpicks the country's anomalous urban histories - stemming from the extraordinary mid-century growth spurts that created cities comparable to their great European and British counterparts.’—Finola O'Kane, Professor, University College Dublin. 

The First Irish Cities. An Eighteenth-Century Transformation by David Dickson Yale UP | 9780300229462 | hb | 352 pages | 36 colour plates, 28 figures, 11 tables, 2 maps | stg£25.00 

 This magisterial book studies the development of Irish cities in the 18th century, a subject long neglected, despite the exceptional development that took place during the long eighteenth century. The author, well known for his recent history of Dublin (Profile) and for his earlier Old World Colony : Cork and South Munster 1630--1830 (Cork UP 9781859184035) looks at Waterford, Limerick, Belfast, Dublin, Cork, Derry, Sligo, Galway, Kilkenny and Drogheda. The book explores the underlying patterns in their physical, social and cultural evolution and looks at how these relate to the complex legacies of a violent past. Beautifully illustrated and excellent value, this account reveals both the distinctive nature of Ireland's first cities, and through the Irish diaspora, how influential they would become beyond the country's shores.

 PUBLICITY: This book will be widely reviewed both nationally and locally. In the following months the author will be engaging with several local history societies giving lectures in person and by Zoom. One is forthcoming very soon to the members of the RDS (several thousand). Either this weekend or next, the Irish Times will be publishing a 1,500 word article by the author. There will be podcasts in association with History Ireland and lots, lots more. The book is available from good bookshops Island wide 

 (7) Irish Servicewomen in the Great War see link below

 https://mcusercontent.com/e5e3dfd4c12216d7e548edf06/files/79ed4833-daeb-ce46-a3f3-5f81df4f575e/.FOLHS_Irish_Servicewomen_in_the_great_war.doc

News from the Federation of Local History Societies

Where we share news of happenings of historical interest around the country (click on the link below for contents) FLHS Newsletter