Lecture by Dr Ian Kenneally

Westmeath Archaeological and Historical Society Presents

A Lecture by Athlone Based Historian

Dr Ian Kenneally

“The Fate of the Landlord Class in County Westmeath”

History Society Decade of Centenaries Lecture Series Westmeath Archaeological and Historical Society are again hosting an on line  lecture series on the War of Independence with special focus on the local impact of this defining moment in our history.

In our second lecture, ,  Dr Ian Kenneally  an Athlone based historian with several books to his credit will look at the fate of the landlord class in the county with a special case study of the burning of Moydrum Castle in Athlone and the wider ramifications of this event.

Summary

The talk will cover the final months of the War of Independence, with a particular focus on the burning of Moydrum Castle. The path leading to building’s destruction was a circuitous one and it highlights the pattern of warfare in Westmeath at that time. The talk will include related events such as the capture by the Crown forces of Seán MacEoin and the shooting dead of Brigadier-General Thomas Stanton Lambert by the IRA. It will describe how the castle was chosen for destruction, discuss those who took part in the attack, and offer some context on the wider topic.

On wednesday 21st April 2021 at 8pm

This is an online event available on Zoom – see link below

Click Link:-    Zoom Online Lecture

BIO – Dr Ian Kenneally

Ian is an author, historian and documentary maker. His publications include ‘The Paper Wall: Newspapers and Propaganda in Ireland, 1919-1921’, ‘From the Earth, a Cry: The Story of John Boyle O’Reilly’, and ‘Courage and Conflict: Forgotten Stories of the Irish at war’. Recently, an American film production company purchased the movie rights to his work on John Boyle O’Reilly. Ian was a contributor to, and then editor of, the very popular weekly series, The Revolution Papers, which sold over 1.5 million copies during its run from 2016-2018. He has contributed articles to numerous newspapers and magazines and has also contributed chapters to a variety of books including the ‘Atlas of the Irish Revolution’. He has researched and scripted documentaries, which have been broadcast on stations such as Midlands 103 and also provided research and screen contributions to television documentaries on BBC and TG4. He was Historian in Residence for County Westmeath in 1920 and will return to that role during August-December 2021.