Our next monthly meeting will take place at 7:30pm on 11th June in the Observatory Library. Our speaker this month is Dr Dónal McAnallen, who will be giving the second instalmentt of his talk begun last month, This second instalment will account for the remainder of the period from ‘Black ’47’ up to 1852..

Causes and effects of the Great Famine on the Powerscourt estate (Benburb-Eglish-Moy district)

This talk will shed new light on the causes and traumatic effects of the Great Famine on the Powerscourt Estate, County Tyrone, which comprised much of Clonfeacle civil parish – with Benburb as its headquarters, and stretching from the outskirts of the Moy to present-day Eglish village and the edge of the Brantry.

Based on fresh research of estate records, this talk will analyse the profound agrarian and sectarian tensions in the years preceding 1845. It will outline personal stories of hunger and want among the populace, and the response of officials of the estate, then overseen by the Earl of Roden, as well as local famine relief bodies. Comparisons will also be made with neighbouring estates, such as Charlemont and Caledon.

Please note that this month’s talk will start at the later time of 7:30pm.

Our next monthly meeting will take place at 7:30pm in the Observatory Library. Our speaker this month is Dr Dónal McAnallen, who will be discussing:

Causes and effects of the Great Famine on the Powerscourt estate (Benburb-Eglish-Moy district)

This talk will shed new light on the causes and traumatic effects of the Great Famine on the Powerscourt Estate, County Tyrone, which comprised much of Clonfeacle civil parish – with Benburb as its headquarters, and stretching from the outskirts of the Moy to present-day Eglish village and the edge of the Brantry.

Based on fresh research of estate records, this talk will analyse the profound agrarian and sectarian tensions in the years preceding 1845. It will outline personal stories of hunger and want among the populace, and the response of officials of the estate, then overseen by the Earl of Roden, as well as local famine relief bodies. Comparisons will also be made with neighbouring estates, such as Charlemont and Caledon.

This talk will cover the period up to ‘Black ‘47’. The second instalment, to follow on 11th June, will account for the remainder of the period up to 1852.

Please note that this month’s talk will start at the later time of 7:30pm.

Our next monthly meeting will take place on Wednesday, 9th April at 7:00 pm in the Observatory Library. Our speaker this month is Dr Greer Ramsey, who will be discussing

Treasure : Archaeology and the Coroner’s Court

‘Treasure’ items include some of the most significant artefacts on display in the Ulster Museum, ranging from Bronze Age gold jewellery to Viking silver – but what happens if I find ‘treasure’? Illustrated by an intriguing array of Treasure objects, this talk explores the treasure process and the 1996 Treasure Act.

Dr Greer Ramsey is Curator of Archaeology at National Museums NI and has played a key role over the years in dealing with treasure items. Greer graduated in Archaeology from QUB both at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Our next monthly meeting will takie place on Wednesday, 12th March at 7:00 pm in the Observatory Library.

Our speaker this month is History Group Member Rev. Gregory Dunstan, who will be discussing:

To Alleviate their Poverty and Protect their Faith’: The Early Years of the Armagh Protestant Orphan Society, 1867-1879.

Our next monthly meeting will take place on Wednesday, 13th November at 7:00 pm in the Observatory Library.

Our speaker this month is Cormac Hamill.

Armagh-born Cormac is a former teacher and broadcaster, who has presented numerous TV series on BBC and TG4, all with a strong connection to the Outdoors. He was a founder member of the Cave Hill Conservation Campaign in 1989 and has been its Chair since 2006.

He will be discussing The geology, archaeology, history and environment of Cave Hill.

Our next monthly meeting will take place on Wednesday, 9th October at 7:00 pm in the Observatory Library.

Our speaker this month is Lisa White.

Lisa specialises in in Human Osteoarchaeology and funerary rites and is currently undertaking a PhD at Queens University Belfast, investigating funerary rites in Middle to Late Neolithic Ireland. 

She recently undertook a placement at Armagh County Museum reviewing and cataloguing their human remains collections. Her talk is entitled: Grave Matters: the secrets held in ancient bones andshe will be discussing her research, what information can be gleaned from ancient human remains, and the role of Museums in facilitating this type of research.