Author Archives: athlonehistory

From Westmeath to Mount Everest: the 1921 reconnaissance expedition

Wednesday 17 November at 8.15pm in the Sheraton Hotel Talk by Frank Nugent Summary – In September 1921, a small group of mountaineers reached a ridge high in the Tibetan Himalayas. Rising before them was the greatest mountain of them all: Chomolungma to the Tibetans, Sagarmatha to the … Continue reading

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The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962

Tuesday 26 October at 8.15pm in the Sheraton Hotel Talk by Mr Justice Peter Charleton, Supreme Court Summary – This lecture, including images, sound and video, is about the event which came closest in human history to starting a nuclear war: the secret placement by the … Continue reading

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Future Lectures

All forthcoming lectures have been cancelled, including: ‘Ireland during the Renaissance’ by Prof Patricia Palmer and ‘Margaret Thatcher and Ireland: the story of the negotiation of the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement’ by Frank Sheridan. We hope to reschedule some of these … Continue reading

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‘Ancient Ireland and the Roman Empire’

Wednesday, 19 February, at 8.15pm in the Sheraton Hotel, Athlone Talk by Dr Raoul McLaughlin Summary At its zenith, the Roman Empire incorporated lands on three continents and ruled almost a fifth of the world’s ancient population. On every frontier the Roman Empire expanded until it reached … Continue reading

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Fake News, Forgery and Dirty Tricks: the British Secret Service, Parnell and Ireland, 1885 to 1892

Wednesday, 15 January, at 8.15pm in the Officers’ Mess, Custume Barracks Talk by Mr Justice John MacMenamin, Supreme Court Summary Under the leadership of Charles Stewart Parnell, the Irish Parliamentary Party achieved unprecedented success in the mid-1880’s. The Party held the balance of power at … Continue reading

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The Late Prehistoric royal site of Rathcroghan – a centre of cult, kingship and cosmos

Wednesday, 4 December, at 8.15pm in the Sheraton Hotel, Athlone Talk by Joseph Fenwick Summary Rathcroghan, ancient Crúachu, like the other ‘royal’ sites, features prominently in the literary imagination of early medieval Ireland. These places are presented as royal strongholds, distinguished cemeteries, and the backdrop for … Continue reading

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Casement’s Irish Brigade and U-boats around Ireland

Wednesday, 13 November, at 8.00pm in the Officers’ Mess, Custume Barracks Talks by Dr Pat McCarthy and Guy Warner Summary In October 1914, after the outbreak of the First World War, Roger Casement travelled to Germany with two objectives: to obtain an agreement that, in the … Continue reading

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Athlone – a Revolution and its Legacy

Saturday, 26 October, at 11.30am in the Prince of Wales Hotel, Athlone A series of talks as part of the official Decade of Centenaries programme There is no admission charge and all are welcome Summary On Saturday 26 October, the … Continue reading

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From the epic poems of Ossian to Athlone’s new statue: over 250 years of cultural misappropriation

Wednesday, 2 October, at 8.15pm in the Sheraton Hotel, Athlone Talk by Prof Ralph Kenna Summary Cultural misappropriation is a major issue in Athlone right now, as an 11ft neo-classical statue has been selected by the council to represent the town – a decision that has … Continue reading

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Field Trip to Boyle, Saturday 21 September 2019

9.45 am – Saturday 21st September, 2019 Field Trip to King House and Boyle Abbey On Saturday, 21 September, the Society will travel to Boyle on its latest field trip. A bus is available, which leaves at 9.45am from the … Continue reading

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