Upcoming Lecture 31/01/25 : Quills and Quandaries: Insights into Eighteenth-Century Ireland through James Ryan's 'Carrick Man's Diary'

 Quills and Quandaries: Insights into Eighteenth-Century Ireland through James Ryan's 'Carrick Man's Diary' : A lecture by Dr Bláithín Hurley to the Waterford Archaeological and Historical Society

The Waterford Archaeological and Historical Society’s first lecture of 2025  will be at 8 pm on Friday, January 31st in St Patrick’s Gateway Centre, Waterford (Eircode X91 YX61) when Dr Bláithín Hurley, will deliver a talk titled ‘Quills and Quandaries: Insights into Eighteenth-Century Ireland through James Ryan's 'Carrick Man's Diary'’.

 

Between 1787 and 1809, James Ryan meticulously chronicled the events of Carrick-on Suir, and beyond, in a diary that serves as a unique historical artifact. Ryan's entries offer a captivating glimpse into the tumultuous era of the late eighteenth century, marked by significant global and local upheavals. For example, one notable entry, dated August 10th, 1789, sheds light on the unfolding chaos of the French Revolution, as Ryan vividly describes the brutal assault on the King of France’s Swiss Guards and court officers by an enraged mob in Paris. Concurrently, he reports a grisly local incident—the murder of Bryan Murphy’s wife and the subsequent hanging of her husband for the crime—a stark reminder of the violence that permeated daily life in Ireland at that time.

Ryan's diary serves as a testament to the connections and relationships between global events and local happenings. Amidst the backdrop of the French Revolution and the Irish Rebellion of 1798, Carrick-on-Suir became a microcosm of the larger tumult engulfing the nation. Ryan's entries document the passage of soldiers through the town en route to rebellion flashpoints, as well as the arrival of French fleets in Sligo and Cork to aid Irish rebels. His corresponding entry in which he discusses the absence of the Dublin Mail Coach due to a rebel uprising in Naas and Carlow only serves to accentuate the impact the rebellion had on everyday Irish life.

Ryan's unique approach to diary-keeping adds depth to his narrative. Rather than following a traditional chronological order, he organises his notes by subject, categorising entries under headings such as, ‘Accidents’; ‘Deaths’; and ‘Phenomenon’. Interspersed throughout are occasional recipes, medical cures, and instructions on preparing quills and inks, revealing his meticulous attention to detail and diverse interests.

Despite its small size and distance from urban centres like Dublin, Waterford and Cork, Carrick-on-Suir was not isolated from cultural trends and entertainment. Travelling players frequently stopped in the town, treating locals to plays, concerts, and operettas. These performances introduced Carrick-on-Suir to the latest musical fashions and dramatic productions, ensuring that residents remained abreast of cultural developments. For instance, in a display of local talent, the young gentlemen of Mrs. Dineen’s ‘Carrick Academy’ staged a performance of The Siege of Damascus to great acclaim, displaying the town's vibrant cultural scene.

In this talk, we embark on a journey through the past, exploring the intersections of Irish, European and global history, side-by-side with community, and individual experience. James Ryan's diary offers a fascinating glimpse into life in eighteenth-century Carrick-on-Suir, weaving together tales of global events, local happenings, and cultural experiences. Through his meticulous observations and unique recording style, Ryan provides invaluable insights into the resilience and creativity of the town’s residents, along with their national, international and global awareness during a pivotal period in Irish and world history.

Dr Bláithín Hurley is a Librarian with Waterford Library Services, in Waterford City. She is also a part-time lecturer in the Faculty of Arts and Social Science at the Open University. 

Bláithín holds a PhD in History of Art from the University of Cambridge, an MA in History of Art from the University of Warwick, a BA in History of Art and Music from University College Cork, and a PG Dip. in Library Information Systems from the University of Aberystwyth. Bláithín has a broad spectrum of interests ranging from the depiction of music in sixteenth-century Venetian art to Irish art and cultural history since the sixteenth century.

Her publications include an article titled ‘Musical Instruments in the Venetian Casa: Contextualising Maria Robusti’s Self-Portrait’, published in the January 2023 issue of the journal Early Music (Oxford University Press). Following this, she authored a chapter on the Carrickman’s Diary in Brill's publication, Exciting News!, published in April 2024. Currently, she anticipates the imminent publication of a chapter she contributed to the three volume, Tomb Monuments in Medieval Europe, discussing the artistic merits of the ‘McGrath Tomb’ in St Carthage’s Cathedral, Lismore.

Upcoming Lecture 25 March 2022 : Eighteenth-Century Waterford: A Singular City? by Prof. David Dickson

 The next lecture of our 2021-2022 programme will be  on Friday, March 25th at 8:00pm in St Patrick’s Gateway Centre, Waterford (Eircode X91 YX61) when historian Prof. David Dickson will deliver a talk titled ‘Eighteenth-Century Waterford: A Singular City?’.

 

Prof. Dickson’s lecture will begin by reflecting on the emergence of the first cities in eighteenth-century Ireland, distinguishing them from what had come before –  walled towns, very modest by European standards, that had been repeatedly shattered in seventeenth-century warfare. In what respects were these new Irish cities similar to what was happening in Britain and Europe? In the second part of the lecture David will look more closely at 'the quays of the kingdom', Cork, Limerick and Waterford, and the common elements in the rise of the three Munster Atlantic ports; he will also touch on the common elements in the social and economic crisis that beset them in the 1820s. The third segment will focus on how far Waterford was an outlier, a singular city,  in the history of religious conflict and exclusion that was evident in most Irish cities of the period, and it will explore why this may been the case.  The lecture will conclude with a comparison of  the evolution of Waterford and Derry, which were each situated on broad-rivers and graced with their first bridges in the 1790s.  Both cities were very much influenced by the interventions of their Church of Ireland bishops and, more discreetly, by the shadowy influence of the Beresford family.  But was that all?

David Dickson is Emeritus Professor of Modern History in Trinity College Dublin, and was based in the History Department there for most of his career.  He has published very widely on eighteenth-century Irish social and economic history, on regional and urban development, and on the genesis of Irish radicalism. He has also had a lifelong interest in Sub-Saharan African history, and in Ireland's place in European imperial history.  His publications include Old World Colony: Cork and South Munster 1630-1830 (2005), Dublin: The Making of a Capital City (2014), and The First Irish Cities: An Eighteenth-century Transformation (2021).

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.