Skibbereen Heritage Centre
Description
Skibbereen Heritage Centre hosts two permanent exhibitions – on the Great Famine and Lough Hyne – as well as offering a genealogy service for the greater West Cork area.
Skibbereen Heritage Centre houses two permanent exhibitions - one on the Great Famine and one on Lough Hyne as well as offering a genealogy service for the greater West Cork area.
The Great Famine Exhibition commemorates this tragic period of Irish history and serves as a tribute to the suffering of the local community. Skibbereen was one of the worst affected areas in Ireland, losing a third of its people to hunger and disease. The Exhibition portrays the Great Famine through the primary source accounts of the time, giving an overview of government policies and how they impacted on the ground. Reports from the relief committee in their attempts to alleviate the suffering of local people are shown alongside reports of how the international community responded to the crisis. The story unfolds in an interactive way through the dramatisation by actors, including Jeremy Irons, of actual events and people of the time.
Lough Hyne is a salt-water lake 5km from Skibbereen. This small marine lake was designated as Europe's first Marine Nature Reserve in 1981 and is now one of the most-studied marine sites in the world. This unique lake and its surrounds are home to a rich and varied range of plants and animals, including many rare and beautiful species.
Skibbereen Heritage Centre has a database of over 350,000 genealogical records. Our genealogist, Margaret Murphy, will answer queries relating to the greater West Cork area assisted by Deirdre Collins. Volunteer Patricia Tomlinson enters data such as estate records, loan funds and deaths. These records have benefited many people over the years and are available on the database section of our website www.skibbheritage.com
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facebook.comKnockomagh Hill at Lough Hyne update! We were taken up the hill yesterday to see how progression of the clearances of the paths are coming along. National Parks and Wildlife staff have done tremendous work clearing the trees etc. You can see the extent of what was involved from these photos. They have a few more obstacles to go and then it is hoped that Coillte will take over the 'clearance baton' and finish the final part of the path to allow access to the top. All of the work has had to be carried out without the benefit of heavy machinery so there is huge credit due to the NPWS staff. It's still looking likely that it will be open by summer ... or maybe even before ... watch this space!
Looking forward to seeing this exhibition come to Skibbereen next ....
Very moving accounts of some of the many evictions carried out in this area in 1847. At this time, the Workhouse in Skibbereen was often full and so these people were left to die on the side of the road. They deserve to be remembered, so well done Irish Famine Eviction Project...
We were deeply saddened to hear of the death of John O'Sullivan of Lisalohorig Skibbereen last evening. John was an extraordinary man in so many ways. A learned local historian and genealogist, he has been a friend of Skibbereen Heritage Centre for many years. He had such so much information on this locality and willingly shared it with us. He was a joy to converse with and loved scriochting. Lighthearted and fun, this was a gentleman of the old order. We are so honoured to have known him and to have recorded some of his extensive knowledge.He will be sadly missed... Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam John.
Our very own William Casey speaking about a very important topic .... well done William!
Really looking forward to seeing this exhibition in Skibbereen.......
Powerful article about the Famine in Skibbereen and Dr Dan Donovan. https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/disturbing-remains-a-story-of-black-47-1.3365683
Whatever the calendar date, today marked the first day of spring in West Cork - hurrah! Frogspawn under glittering sunshine at Lough Hyne and a young seal gamboling in the water. Nowhere better!
We've been getting a lot of queries as to when the trail at Knockomagh Wood at Lough Hyne will be reopening. Happy to report that NPWS are doing trojan work in clearing the path on the southern side and it should be open before summer. And maybe even in time for the bluebells!
No trip to Dublin in complete without a visit to the Famine sculpture on the Custom House Quays. Such a moving monument to the many who emigrated from this port. There will be an opportunity to see other Rowan Gillespie sculptures in Skibbereen during Ireland's Great Hunger Museum's 'Coming Home' exhibition which will run in the West Cork Arts Centre this summer. More updates to follow ....
Famine Soup Kitchen to be Restored. The Old Steam Mill building in Skibbereen housed one of the first large-scale Famine Soup Kitchens in Ireland, which opened in November 1846. At its height of operation, some 8,600 starving people were fed daily from this building. Here we have a harrowing description of the Soup Kitchen in 1847 from American philantropist Elihu Burritt. This historic building has been purchased by Cork County Council so it will be restored and protected which is fantastic news.
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