February 2016 Lectures in the Library

The final two lectures in the ‘Lectures in the Library’ series, curated by the Centre for Irish Studies to commemorate the 1916 Easter Rising, will focus on the contribution of two Galwegians to the Irish revolution.

On Tuesday, 1 March, Dr Verena Commins will explore the role of Éamonn Ceannt, Galway-born signatory of the Proclamation in the Gaelic revival of the early twentieth century. As a player of both uilleann and war pipes, Ceannt was central to the foundation of the Dublin Pipers’ club and their attempts to recuperate the status of these instruments. Examining music-making contexts in the period leading up to the Rising, this talk will investigate the legacy of musical and political convergence from a Ceannt-based perspective.

On Tuesday, 15 March, Dr Tony Varley will discuss the extent to which Craughwell blacksmith, Tom Kenny (1877-1947), was responsible for establishing separatist nationalist politics as a powerful force in Galway in the decade before the rebellion.

Both lectures will begin at 6.30pm at Galway City Library in Augustine Street. 

-ENDS-