Join us on Thurs. 28th July to Mon. 1st August 2016

Lectures at The Teagasc Centre
(immediately on the right over the railway bridge on the Tubbercurry Road)

Hamlet and Míse Éire
will be screened at The Art Deco Theatre and Cinema

The Battle of the Somme
documentary will be screened in Ballymote Community Library

Founded on May 30th 1984, Ballymote Heritage Group meets without fail each month and devotes itself to raising awareness of all matters of Heritage.

The Group has organised Ballymote Heritage Weekend each year since 1990 at the August Bank Holiday and publishes The Corran Herald annually:
2015 marks the 30th anniversary of the publication of the first issue in 1985.

Organised by Ballymote Heritage Group Ballymote County, Sligo
www.ballymoteheritage.com

26th Ballymote Heritage Weekend

Thursday 30th July to Monday 3rd August 2015

Lectures @ The Teagasc Centre
(Immediately on the right over railway bridge
on Tubbercurry Road)

Film and Documentary Screenings @ The Art Deco Theatre and Cinema

2015 Events 

Ballymote Heritage Weekend which took place from Thursday 1st to Monday 5^th August was a notable success. The Ballymote Teagasc Centre proved the perfect venue for lectures, with its state of the art facilities. Those attending also particularly enjoyed viewing the Exhibition of Historic Photographs of Ballymote which had been put together earlier in the year by Ballymote native and resident Mary Cawley at the instigation of Ballymote Business Association.

Those who attended the restored Art Deco Theatre and Cinema on Thursday 1^st for the screening of the classic 1958 movie Dracula with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee had a real treat – including the pleasure of sitting in the remarkably fine art deco interior. Those who came along fearing that they might have to hide their heads in their hands found a piece of very polite old fashioned English theatre and, though it had its gory moments, the horror paled into insignificance in the light of the blood and guts we are constantly exposed to on television and in cinemas today.  The cardboard-like sets were more akin what one would find on the stage for Tubbercurry Drama Festival productions than what we have come to expect from movies today. The film proved to be a perfect preparation for Paul Murray’s lecture later in the weekend on Bram Stoker, the author of the novel on which the film is based. Paul Murray’s lecture inspired lots of discussion and curiosity to read the original novel and indeed Paul Murray’s own book, From the Shadow of Dracula: A life of Bram Stoker.

The Heritage Group and the Art Deco might consider showing other classic films in future as part of future heritage weekends. Art Deco management are looking at the possibility of establishing a film club.

On Friday Malcolm Billings, Journalist, Radio Producer and Author performed the official opening and delivered a fascinating lecture the theme of his recently published book on Vartan of Nazareth: A Missionary and Medical Pioneer In the Nineteenth Century Middle East.

The outing on Saturday to County Tyrone got off to a good start when the group were greeted on arrival at Clogher’s Church of Ireland cathedral by guide for the day, local historian Jack Johnston, and given a particularly warm welcomed by Canon Noel Regan, a Sligo native who had worked for many years in Brooks Hanleys. After the long bus journey welcome refreshments were provided by the local branch of The Mothers Union. Having seen the cathedral, the former See House, and nearby hill fort, lunch was served in the village hall with catering by the Tyrone County Club. The group viewed Liam McCormack’s catholic parish church and the earlier catholic church outside the town where all were saddened to view the grave of Avril Monaghan, her two unborn twins and 20 month old daughter who were victims of the Omagh bombing.

The audience on Saturday evening was enthralled by Peter Bowen’s vast knowledge and extensive collection of historic photographs displayed in his lecture on The Railways of Co. Sligo. It is to be hoped that this can be distilled into a book.

Almost 70 came to Temple House on the Sunday and the sun shone as the crowd gathered for the promised tour of the house. After Roderick Perceval’s talk and tour of the house, everyone could sympathise with Roderick Perceval and his wife Helena who have taken on the mammoth task of looking after the place. We saw the rooms that they have painted themselves and the vast semi-derelict attics where keeping the roof on is the first challenge. The guest rooms are beautifully arranged. A delicious lunch was prepared by Helena and her hard working assistants and served in the splendid setting of the ballroom. After lunch all emerged into glorious sunshine and wandered around the gardens and down to the ruined castle by the lake. It was agreed by all that it was a perfect afternoon and a memorable occasion, not least for the warm welcome provided by the Perceval family.

The weekend was completed on Monday with a fascinating visit to Tullynally Castle where the group  were lead on a tour of the house by Tom and Valery Packenham and a visit to the extraordinary complex of monastic buildings at Fore Abbey lead by historian Frank Tivnan who is well known to those who have attended on previous years. Dr. Padraig Deignan’s lecture on The Sligo Port Strike of 1913 maintained the high standard evident throught out the weekend.

Ballymote Heritage Group’s Journal The Corran Herald 2013-14 is now on sale in the shops with a wide ranging collection of articles and costs a modest €8.

In a now unfailing tradition, Ballymote Heritage Group has put together what promises to be an interesting and varied program of lectures and outings for its annual August holiday Heritage Weekend running from Thursday 1st to Monday 5^th August 2013. The venue for lectures this year is the Ballymote Teagasc Centre, with its state of the art facilities, located over the railway bridge on the Tubbercurry Road.

There are also a number of particularly notable added attractions this year. The Teagasc Centre will also be the setting for an Exhibition of Historic Photographs of Ballymote put together earlier in the year by Ballymote native and resident Mary Cawley, former head of the Sligo School Project. The exhibition was conceived by Ballymote Business Association as an event for The Gathering and was supported by Ballymote Heritage Group. It was originally displayed in the Art Deco Theatre and Cinema at St Patrick’s weekend. Many were disappointed to have missed seeing it and the Heritage Group thought that this would be an ideal opportunity to have the material on show again. It should be noted that the exhibition can only be viewed by those attending the lectures in the evenings so please come along then to avoid disappointment. Many of the photographs will also be found in the new issue of The Corran Herald, the superb journal of the Ballymote Heritage Group, published each year to coincide with the weekend (on sale on evenings of lectures and at selected outlets €8).

On Thursday 1^st prior to the official opening on the Friday, the recently restored Art Deco Theatre and Cinema will screen the classic 1958 movie Dracula with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee to coincide with the lecture later in the weekend on Bram Stoker, the author of the novel on which the film is based. This is a truly unique occasion as it provides an opportunity to view a period movie in the setting in which it was originally intended to be seen. During the pre-television age virtually every town in the country had a cinema with a daily change of programme so that people often went to the ‘flics’ more than once a week. Virtually all cinemas from this period have been abandoned, demolished or converted to or replaced by multiplexes. The fine art deco exterior is equally matched by the fine interior hall now looking better than ever with its rows of period seating upholstered in traditional Hollywood ‘deluxe’ crimson velvet. Admission to the screening is €6.

A further innovation this year is that on Sunday 4^th lunch has been arranged in the splendid setting of the ballroom of Temple House, the great country house in its landscape park setting a few miles from the town of Ballymote.  Roderick and Helena Percival have promised a traditional lunch and a fascinating tour of this elegant historic house built by the Perceval family. In the grounds near the lake is the fascinating complex of ruined buildings occupied for centuries before the construction of the current house and thought to incorporate the remains of the buildings occupied by the Crusading Knights of the Temple of Jerusalem to whom the land was granted in the middle-ages.    Understandably advance booking for this event is necessary at Aidan Tighe’s shop in Ballymote until Friday and remaining tickets will be available at the Friday lecture – Tickets cost €30.

The official opening on Friday 2^nd August at 8.30pm will be performed by Malcolm Billings, Journalist, Radio Producer and Author who is well known to regular attenders as he has lectured many times over the years, particularly on the history of the middle-east on many aspects of which he has published. This year he will lecture on the subject of his beautiful new book Vartan of Nazareth: A Missionary and Medical Pioneer In the Nineteenth Century Middle East. Malcolm who lives in London is particularly welcomed back this year after the sad death of his wife Bridget (nee O’Hara of Coopershill)

On Saturday 3^rd August 9 a.m.            an outing to county Tyrone has many interesting features –  Carlton Country (Tyrone): (Highlights including Clogher’s Georgian Cathedral, Carlton’s Cottage, Rathmór, Brackenridge’s Folly and church by noted architect Liam McCormack. The trip will be guided by Jack Johnson, Ulster Local Historian who has been our superb host on previous occasions. At 8.30 p.m. The Railways of Co. Sligo is the subject of a talk by Peter Bowen – Walsh, Railway Historian. Peter’s previous talk to the Sligo Field Club was impressive and those who missed it have a fortunate second chance to learn of Sligo’s fascinating railway history – Collooney was once a major junction with no less than three railway stations.

Having had your appetite whetted by the Dracula film on Thursday you might be tempted to return for another bite at the subject Sunday by listening to a lecture on Bram Stoker, Dracula and the Sligo Connection by Paul Murray, Retired Diplomat and Author of From the Shadow of Dracula: A life of Bram Stoker.

There is a very promising outing on Monday 5^th August to Tullynally Castle home of Tom and Valery Packenham (Earl and countess of Longford and the Great Benedictine ruin of Fore Abbey lead by historian Frank Tivnan who is well known to those who have attended on previous years. Appropriately on the centenary of the great lock out, the final event is the 8.30 p.m. lecture by Dr. Padraig Deignan, author & historian on The Sligo Port Strike of 1913.

24^th Annual Ballymote Heritage Weekend – 1st – 5^th August 2013