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Three-day conference to mark centenary of Civil War in Kerry and Ireland

A three-day conference in February will mark the centenary of the Civil War and will bring together a wide range of local, national and international experts, historians and academics to discuss the conflict and its legacy.
The conference will be held at the Siamsa Tíre Theatre from February 23 to 25. It will form part of the State’s Decade of Centenaries Programme for 2023 and is supported by Kerry County Council and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht Sport and Media.
Involving expert speakers and academics from a broad spectrum of relevant disciplines, the centenary conference will present the events of 1922-1923 to a wide audience, with a particular focus on Kerry where the conflict was extremely visceral, violent and protracted.
The History, Memory and Legacy conference is presented by a team of experienced historians and event organisers including Dr Mary McAuliffe, Bridget McAuliffe and Owen O’Shea.
It will analyse, debate and embrace the complexities, contradictions and nuances of this extremely turbulent, divisive and traumatic period, both in the local context of war in Kerry and in the broader context of Irish Civil War history.
“The objective of the conference is to set what occurred in Kerry in wider national and international contexts through the presentation of new research, archival testimonies and the accounts of combatants, as well as civilians, so that, a century later, the Irish Civil War can be considered and understood afresh,” Dr McAuliffe said.
“As part of the conclusion to the Decade of Centenaries, 2012-2023, the conference will also consider the impact of commemoration on history, memory and politics over the last decade,” she added.
Keynote speakers will include Professor Diarmaid Ferriter of UCD, Professor Bill Kissane of the London School of Economics and Dr Leeann Lane of Dublin City University. Papers will be presented by a wide range of Kerry historians including Dr Richard McElligott, Dr Helene O’Keeffe, Dr Dáithí Ó Corráin, Helen O’Carroll, Owen O’Shea and Kieran McNulty.
A roundtable discussion on the legacy of the Civil War in Kerry and beyond will be chaired by Dr David McCullagh and will feature a wide range of experienced historians and authors.
The conference, which is supported by Kerry County Council, will be a key event under the Community Strand of the State’s 2023 Decade of Centenaries Programme. It is presented in association with University College Dublin Gender Studies and the Department of Computing, Creative Media and Information Technology at the Munster Technological University, Kerry.
The event will feature a project presented by students at MTU Kerry. 'Is Mise, Le Meas' focuses on creating a set of inspiring visual responses to Civil War narratives, drawing on original documentation and poignant letters sent and received during this tumultuous and formative period in Irish history.
Other ancillary events, including a concert of song, poetry and letters from the period, are also being organised and the details will be announced shortly.
For more information, see www.kerrycivilwarconference.ie
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Ireland’s oldest citizen has Killarney connections
Ireland’s oldest woman met with President Michael D. Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin this week. Máirín Hughes, who turned 109 on May 22 has strong Killarney connections. The previous record […]

Ireland’s oldest woman met with President Michael D. Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin this week.
Máirín Hughes, who turned 109 on May 22 has strong Killarney connections.
The previous record was held by 107-year-old Nancy Stewart who died on September 10 2021.
Although born in Belfast, Máirín went to school in the Mercy Convent. Her father was a customs and excise officer and the family moved around a lot eventually coming to Killarney after spells in County Down and Dublin.
Her mother came from the Rathmore area and her father was from Newmarket in County Cork.
She attended the Mercy Convent and has, in previous interviews, recalled growing up on the shores of Lough Lein.
“Neighbours who had three children were given the job of taking me to school,” she said. “They were annoyed because the children were going to school for two or three years but I was put in to the same class as them – my mother had taught me.”
In 2021 she featured in the book ‘Independence Memories: A People’s Portrait of the Early Days of the Irish Nation’, sharing stories of being kept in school in Killarney during an attack on the RIC barracks down the road.
In 1924 she started a degree in science and a diploma in education at University College Cork, before working in the pathology lab in University College Cork’s Department of Medicine for 16 years.
last year she recalled her story on the podcast: ‘Living History – Irish Life and Lore’.
During the broadcast she talked about her parents’ membership of the Gaelic League in 1910; the Spanish Flu in Ireland in 1918; The Black and Tans in Killarney in 1921; the early days of the new Free State; Eucharistic Congress in Dublin in 1932, visiting the Basket Islands in 1929; and working in the UCC medical laboratory from 1932 until 1948.
This week President Michael D. Higgins hosted an afternoon tea event to celebrate the important role that a variety of people have and can play in different communities and Máirín was among the guests of honour.
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Philip is running over 100kms for Cancer charity
Local runner and charity fundraiser Philip Kissane is set for the biggest challenge of his career as he lines up for the Cork City Marathon on Sunday. Phillip has already […]

Local runner and charity fundraiser Philip Kissane is set for the biggest challenge of his career as he lines up for the Cork City Marathon on Sunday.
Phillip has already completed four half marathons at various locations around Killarney – all in aid of Kerry Cancer Support Group – or the Cancer Bus as it popularly called.
This is the second time that Phillip has run four half marathon and an official race for the charity.
Back in 2021 he finished with 5km Run Killarney event but his finishing race this time around is over eight times the distance at 42kms.
“We are delighted with Philip’s continued fundraising support but also with his awareness raising for the charity,” Breda Dyland, Service Manager Kerry Cancer Support Trust.
“We are getting busier all the time and still get no statutory funding so are dependent on fundraisers like Philip’s to keep us on the road. We have just put our new wheelchair accessible bus on the Cork route so Philip’s funding will be going towards the operation of this vehicle.”