Past Talks
Since its foundation in 1955 the Society’s principal activity has been the presentation of talks by members or invited guests on topics relating to Ireland and Irish heritage in Australia. In that time several hundred talks have been given. From 1974 many of those talks were audio recorded and we hold copies of those recordings from 1974 to 2008 and from 2014 to 2017, numbering in all 198 talks of variable quality. Since 2020, when during Covid we began to livestream our meetings via Zoom, the talks given to the Society have been video recorded, accumulating at the rate of about seven per year. In addition, we hold copies of manuscripts of some 56 talks, some dating back to the 1950s and 1960s. Access to these recordings is available to members and to researchers upon application to the Honorary Secretary. A list of recorded talks held by the Society is available here.
Summaries of talks and events back to 2011 can be viewed below.
2013 TALKS
February
After the Annual General Meeting Kerry Casey gave us a talk “A Hidden History: the Diggers and the ‘old’ IRA”, in which he spoke about Australian soldiers of the First World War who fought for the IRA.
March
At our annual St Patrick’s Day dinner the guest speaker was HE Noel Whilte the Irish Ambassador to Australia who spoke on the current situation in Ireland.
April
Dr Jeff Kildea gave a talk entitled “Hugh Mahon: Irish-Australian Patriot”, which covered the life and times of this remarkable Irish-Australian.
May
Timoth Causbrook gave a talk entitled “Norse Loanwords and the Dating of Early Irish Texts” in which he discussed early influences on the Irish language.
June
In August 2013 Sydney will host the International Irish Famine Commemoration. Dr Perry McIntyre, chair of the Australian commemoration committee, spoke on the famine and its impact on Australia with particular reference to the more than 4000 famine orphans brought out to the colonies to start a new life here. Dr McIntyre’s talk stimulated an animated discussion of the famine with many members recounting their childhood experiences in Ireland where social memory of the famine was still strong.
July
The Society’s mid-year luncheon was held at The Gardens on Forest, 764 Forest Road, Peakhurst, European Union Ambassador David Daly delivered the 19th Joan Ward Memorial Address.
August
Acclaimed Irish novelist and short story writer Evelyn Conlon talked about her latest novel Not the Same Sky, which had been inspired by the experience of the orphan girls sent to Australia during the Great Irish Famine.
September
In a talk entitled “Clonakilla, Lisdoonvarna, Sean Ó Riada and Clonakilla”, John Kirk spoke about his memories ranging from an Irish rural life experienced on his grandfather’s farm, Clonakilla in West Clare to his planting of Canberra District’s first vineyard at Murrumbateman near Yass in 1971
October
Kevin Fitzpatrick spoke on Irish Antarctic Explorer Ernest Shackleton and the extraordinary tale of how he led his men in a daring escape from the frozen continent.
November
At the Christmas Party at Sancta Sophia College Maurice Whelan led a series of poetry readings by members of the society in a tribute to the late Seamus Heaney.
